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Anthony de Mello Quotes
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Anthony "Tony" de Mello was 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.

✵ 3. September 1931 – 2. June 1987
Anthony de Mello photo
Anthony de Mello: 135 quotes148 likes

Anthony de Mello Quotes

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

Anthony de Mello

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

“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

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

“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

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

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

Anthony de Mello

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

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

Anthony de Mello

Incompetence
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

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

“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

Restriction
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

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

Anthony de Mello

Non-Instruction
One Minute Wisdom (1989)

“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

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

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

Anthony de Mello

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

“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

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

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

Anthony de Mello

Introduction
One Minute Nonsense (1992)

“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

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

“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

The Way to Love (1995)