Anthony de Mello
Anthony de Mello
Anthony "Tony" de Mellowas an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer and public speaker, De Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his unconventional approach to the priesthood and his storytelling which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West...
ProfessionClergyman
Date of Birth4 September 1931
Anthony de Mello quotes about
religious taken eye
A religious belief … is not a statement about Reality, but a hint, a clue about something that is a mystery, beyond the grasp of human thought. In short, a religious belief is only a finger pointing to the moon. Some religious people never get beyond the study of the finger. Others are engaged in sucking it. Others yet use the finger to gouge their eyes out. These are the bigots whom religion has made blind. Rare indeed is the religionist who is sufficiently detached from the finger to see what it is indicating - these are those who, having gone beyond belief, are taken for blasphemers.
fate destiny responsible
To a woman who complained about her destiny the Master said, "It is you who make your destiny." "But surely I am not responsible for being born a woman?" "Being born a woman isn't destiny. That is fate. Destiny is how you accept your womanhood and what you make of it."
unique bored looks
If you don't look at things through your concepts, you'll never be bored. Every single thing is unique.
important succeed labels
The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The important thing is to drop the labels.
being-yourself thinking way
I leave you free to be yourself: to think your thoughts, indulge your tastes, follow your inclinations, behave in ways that you decide are to your liking.
suicide insane mystic
There comes a point in your life when you become stark raving insane, commit suicide or become a mystic.
knowledge-of-god humans ultimate
This is what is ultimate in our human knowledge of God, to know that we do not know.
reality world looks
As soon as you look at the world through an ideology, you are finished. No reality fits ideology.
crazy reality boss
Negative feelings are in you, not in reality. Stop trying to change reality. That's crazy! Stop trying to change the other person. We spend all our time and energy trying to change external circumstances, trying to change our spouses, our bosses, our friends, our enemies, and everybody else. We don't have to change anything. Negative feelings are in you.
reality light darkness
Understand your darkness and it will vanish; then you will know what light is. Understand your nightmare for what it is and it will stop; then you will wake up to reality. Understand your false beliefs and they will drop; then you will know the taste of happiness.
self ideas challenges
The only way someone can be of help to you is in challenging your ideas. If you're ready to listen and if you're ready to be challenged, there's one thing that you can do, but no one can help you. What is this most important thing of all? It's called self-observation.
littles crosses leap
Take the leap! You cannot cross a chasm in little jumps.
enlightenment used used-to-be
Before enlightenment, I used to be depressed; after enlightenment, I continue to be depressed.
ignorance evil tragedy
Can one be fully human without experiencing tragedy? The only tragedy there is in the world is ignorance; all evil comes from that.