Anthony de Mello Quotes

A collection of quotes by Anthony de Mello.

Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest and spiritual teacher known for his profound teachings on spirituality and personal transformation. Born on September 4, 1931, in Bombay, India, de Mello developed a deep interest in spirituality from a young age. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1961.

De Mello became widely recognized for his unique approach to spirituality, blending Eastern and Western philosophies, psychology, and religious teachings. He believed in the power of self-awareness and inner freedom as the key to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment. His teachings emphasized the importance of mindfulness, self-reflection, and questioning the automatic assumptions and beliefs that limit human potential.

Through books, retreats, and lectures, de Mello touched the lives of countless individuals, inspiring them to embark on a journey of self-discovery and greater awareness. Some of his most notable works include "Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality" and "Sadhana: A Way to God."

Unfortunately, de Mello's career was cut short due to his sudden death at the age of 55 on June 2, 1987, during a retreat in New York, USA. However, his teachings continue to resonate with people around the world, offering them guidance and insight into living a more awakened and fulfilling life. Anthony de Mello's legacy remains an enduring source of spiritual wisdom and inspiration.

When you come to see you are not as wise today as you though

When you come to see you are not as wise today as you thought you were yesterday, you are wiser today.

Anthony de Mello

The Master insisted that what he taught was nothing, what he

The Master insisted that what he taught was nothing, what he did was nothing. His disciples gradually discovered that Wisdom comes to those who learn nothing, unlearn everything. That transformation is the consequence not of something done, but of something dropped.

Anthony de Mello

Enlightenment is: absolute cooperation with the inevitable.

Enlightenment is: absolute cooperation with the inevitable.

Anthony de Mello

Spirituality Inspirational Enlightenment

Why is everyone here so happy except me? Because they have l

Why is everyone here so happy except me? Because they have learned to see goodness and beauty everywhere, said the Master. Why don't I see goodness and beauty everywhere? Because you cannot see outside of you what you fail to see inside.

Anthony de Mello

I wish to become a teacher of the Truth. Are you prepared to

I wish to become a teacher of the Truth. Are you prepared to be ridiculed, ignored and starving till you are forty-five? I am. But tell me: What will happen after I am forty-five? You will have grown accustomed to it.

Anthony de Mello

Any time you are with anyone or think of anyone you must say

Any time you are with anyone or think of anyone you must say to yourself: I am dying and this person too is dying, attempting the while to experience the truth of the words you are saying. If every one of you agrees to practice this, bitterness will die out, harmony will arise.

Anthony de Mello

Truth Spirituality Dying Bitterness Harmony Awakening

You can will an act of service but you cannot will love.

You can will an act of service but you cannot will love.

Anthony de Mello

Perfect love casts out fear. Where there is love there are n

Perfect love casts out fear. Where there is love there are no demands, no expectations, no dependency. I do not demand that you make me happy; my happiness does not lie in you. If you were to leave me, I will not feel sorry for myself; I enjoy your company immensely, but I do not cling.

Anthony de Mello

Happiness Love Awareness

A disciple was one day recalling how Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed

A disciple was one day recalling how Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed were branded as rebels and heretics by their contemporaries. Said the Master, Nobody can be said to have attained the pinnacle of Truth until a thousand sincere people have denounced him for blasphemy.

Anthony de Mello

To a visitor who described himself as a seeker after Truth t

To a visitor who described himself as a seeker after Truth the Master said, If what you seek is Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else. I know. An overwhelming passion for it. No. An unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong.

Anthony de Mello

To a visitor who asked to become his disciple the Master sai

To a visitor who asked to become his disciple the Master said, You may live with me, but don't become my follower. Whom, then, shall I follow? No one. The day you follow someone you cease to follow Truth.

Anthony de Mello

It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for

It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for Truth, in which alone it finds liberation and delight, the first reaction of human beings to Truth is one of hostility and fear!

Anthony de Mello

I was neurotic for years. I was anxious and depressed and se

I was neurotic for years. I was anxious and depressed and selfish. Everyone kept telling me to change. I resented them and I agreed with them, and I wanted to change, but simply couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. Then one day someone said to me, Don't change. I love you just as you are. Those words were music to my ears: Don't change, Don't change. Don't change . . . I love you as you are. I relaxed. I came alive. And suddenly I changed!

Anthony de Mello

These things will destroy the human race: politics without p

These things will destroy the human race: politics without principle, progress without compassion, wealth without work, learning without silence, religion without fearlessness and worship without awareness.

Anthony de Mello