Introduction
Let these timeless teachings of the late teacher from India, Fr.Anthony de Mello, ring true in your soul as he takes you on a guidedtour of awakening. Though these words are from the 1980’s, Ibelieve, they are endlessly relevant.Father de Mello was a feisty Jesuit priest in his lifetime, yet so brilliantand well versed in the scriptures that none in the Church hierarchychallenged him, directly. For that, they awaited his death, after whichhis works were not banned, but not at all blessed, either. “GoodCatholics” were warned away from his writings.Interesting. Perhaps, with me, you will say that makes them all themore interesting. Perhaps you’ll wonder, with me, what they may betrying to hide. Well, you won’t wonder long once you read this.Enjoy!!
The Wisdom of Anthony de Mello
ON WAKING UP
01
Spirituality means waking up. Most people, eventhough they don'tknow it, are asleep. They're born asleep, they liveasleep, they marry
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in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, theydie in theirsleep without ever waking up. They never understandthe lovelinessand the beauty of this thing that we call humanexistence. You know,all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, nomatter what theirtheology, no matter what their religion - areunanimous on one thing:that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess,all is well.Strange paradox, to be sure. But, tragically, mostpeople never get tosee that all is well because they are asleep. They arehaving anightmare.Last year on Spanish television I heard a story aboutthis gentlemanwho knocks on his son's door. "Jaime", he says, "wakeup"! Jaimeanswers, "I don't want to get up, Papa". The fathershouts, "Get up,you have to go to school". Jaime says, "I don't want togo to school"."Why not"? asks the father. "Three reasons", says Jaime. "First,because it's so dull; second, the kids tease me; andthird, I hateschool". And the father says, "Well, I am going to give
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you threereasons why you must go to school. First, because it isyour duty;second, because you are forty-five years old, andthird, because youare the headmaster". Wake up, wake up! You'vegrown up. You're toobig to be asleep. Wake up! Stop playing with yourtoys.Most people tell you they want to get out of kindergarten, but don'tbelieve them. Don't believe them! All they want you todo is to mendtheir broken toys. "Give me back my wife. Give meback my job. Giveme back my money. Give me back my reputation, mysuccess". Thisis what they want; they want their toys replaced. That's all. Even thebest psychologist will tell you that, that people don'treally want to becured. What they want is relief; a cure is painful.Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice andcomfortable inbed. It's irritating to be woken up. That's the reasonthe wise guruwill not attempt to wake people up. I hope I'm going tobe wise hereand make no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It
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