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Favourite quotes (21448)

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 180

“If you search within your heart, you will find something there that will make it possible for you to understand: a spark of disenchantment and discontent, which if fanned into flame will become a raging forest fire that will burn up the whole of the illusory world you are living in, thereby unveiling to your wondering eyes the kingdom that you have always lived in unsuspectingly.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

The Way to Love (1995)

“All I did was sit on the riverbank handing out river water. After I'm gone, I trust you will notice the river.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: Anthony De Mello : Writings (1999), p. 82

“No one is exempt from talking nonsense. The great misfortune is to do it solemnly.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Introduction
One Minute Nonsense (1992)

“What is my identity?"
"Nothing," said the Master.
"You mean that I am an emptiness and a void?" said the incredulous disciple.
"Nothing that can be labeled.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

said the Master.
Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 109

“"What is the work of a Master?" said a solemn-faced visitor.
"To teach people to laugh," said the Master gravely.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 85

“The master made it his task to systematically destroy every doctrine, every belief, every concept of the divine, for these things, which were originally intended as pointers, were now taken as descriptions. He loved to quote the Eastern saying: "When the sage points at the moon, all that the idiot sees is the finger."”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 132

“Said the self-righteous preacher, "What, in your judgment, is the greatest sin in the world?"
"That of the person who sees other human beings as sinners," said the Master.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 139

“The Master is not concerned with what we believe — only with what we see.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Non-Instruction
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“The Master was exceedingly gracious to university dons who visited him, but he would never reply to their questions or be drawn into their theological speculations. To his disciples, who marveled at this, he said, "Can one talk about the ocean to a frog in a well or about the divine to people who are restricted by their concepts?"”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Restriction
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“When God means you to be a healer he sends you patients; when he makes you a teacher he sends you pupils; when he destines you to be a Master he sends you stories.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 112

“The Master would insist that the final barrier to our attaining God was the word and concept "God."”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Incompetence
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“Charity is really self-interest masquerading under the form of altruism.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

"The masquerade of charity," p. 19
Awareness (1992)

“You will seek for God in vain till you understand that God can't be seen as a "thing"; he needs a special way of looking — similar to that of little children whose sight is undistorted by prefabricated doctrines and beliefs.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 8

“The master never let a statement about God go unchallenged. All God statements were poetic or symbolic expressions of the Unknowable; people, however, foolishly took them as literal descriptions of the divine.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 95

“Those who make no mistakes are making the biggest mistakes of all — they are attempting nothing new.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Source: One Minute Nonsense (1992), p. 20

“"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 (1931–1987) Indian writer

Projection
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“"What is love?"
"The total absence of fear," said the Master.
"What is it we fear?"
"Love," said the Master.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Fearlessness
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“When I speak, you must not listen to the words, my dear. Listen to the Silence.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Comprehension
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“The Master would frequently assert that holiness was less a matter of what one did than of what one allowed to happen.”

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian writer

Trust
One Minute Wisdom (1989)