“The Master in these tales is not a single person. He is a Hindu Guru, a Zen Roshi, a Taoist Sage, a Jewish Rabbi, a Christian Monk, a Sufi Mystic. He is Lao-tzu and Socrates; Buddha and Jesus; Zarathustra and Mohammed.”

—  Anthony de Mello

Introduction
One Minute Nonsense (1992)
Context: The Master in these tales is not a single person. He is a Hindu Guru, a Zen Roshi, a Taoist Sage, a Jewish Rabbi, a Christian Monk, a Sufi Mystic. He is Lao-tzu and Socrates; Buddha and Jesus; Zarathustra and Mohammed. His teaching is found in the seventh century B. C. and the twentieth century A. D. His wisdom belongs to East and West alike. Do his historical antecedents really matter? History, after all, is the record of appearances, not Reality; of doctrines, not of Silence.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Dec. 16, 2024. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The Master in these tales is not a single person. He is a Hindu Guru, a Zen Roshi, a Taoist Sage, a Jewish Rabbi, a Chr…" by Anthony de Mello?
Anthony de Mello photo
Anthony de Mello135
Indian writer 1931–1987

Related quotes

“Every one of these great Sages and Seers, whether he was the Buddha-Gautama of India, or Lao-Tse of China, or Sankaracharya of India again, or Jesus, or Empedocles, or Pythagoras, or Apollonius of Tyana: any one of the numerous host of them all taught the same fundamental doctrines which therefore were identical.”

Gottfried de Purucker (1874–1942) Author, Theosophist

Source: The Story of Jesus (1938), Chapter 3

Alan Watts photo

“It is especially important for Westerners to understand that high lamas, Zen masters, and Hindu gurus in the discipline of yoga are human beings, not supermen. We must not put them, as we have put Jesus Christ, on pedestals of reverence so high that we automatically exclude ourselves from their states of consciousness.”

Alan Watts (1915–1973) British philosopher, writer and speaker

Foreward to The Secret Oral Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Sects (1964)], by Alexandra David Neel

Dogen photo

“If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing.”

Dogen (1200–1253) Japanese Zen buddhist teacher

Stephen Colbert photo

“And though I am a committed Christian, I believe that everyone has the right to their own religion — be you Hindu, Jewish, or Muslim, I believe there are infinite paths to accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior.”

Stephen Colbert (1964) American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor

White House Correspondents' Association Dinner (2006)

Rajneesh photo

“The first thing to be understood about a man like Jesus is that whatsoever the church that is bound to grow around such a man says about him, it is bound to be wrong. What the Christian church says about Christ cannot be true. In fact the Christian priest does not represent Christ at all. He is the same old rabbi in new garments, the same old rabbi who was responsible for Jesus murder.”

Rajneesh (1931–1990) Godman and leader of the Rajneesh movement

The Mustard Seed (1975)

James Patterson photo

“Be calm. Be Zen. You are Buddha.”

James Patterson (1947) American author

Source: Nevermore

Robert Jeffress photo

“Rick Perry's a Christian. He's an evangelical Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. Mitt Romney's a good moral person, but he's not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity.”

Robert Jeffress (1955) Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas

2011-10-07
Pastor backing Perry: Romney not a Christian
Carrie
Dann
NBC News
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/10/07/8211096-pastor-backing-perry-romney-not-a-christian?lite

Ikkyu photo

“South of Mount Sumeru
Who understands my Zen?
Call Master Kido over-
He's not worth a cent.”

Ikkyu (1394–1481) Japanese Buddhist monk

Lucien Stryk. Encounter with Zen: writings on poetry and Zen, 1981. p. 66.

Tenzin Gyatso photo

“Don't compare me with Jesus. He is a great master, a great master…”

Tenzin Gyatso (1935) spiritual leader of Tibet

Interview in The New York Times (28 November 1993).

“That explains why it is the seer and not the scholar who has all along dominated the scene in Sanãtana Dharma. That explains why it is the saint and not the pandit who has always sat at the centre of Hindu society. That explains why it is the mystic and not the man of letters who has ruled the roost in Hindu culture. The most honoured names in Hindu history, above even those of the heroes, are the names of seers, sages, saints, and mystics - Vyasa, Valmiki, Yajnavalkya, the Buddha, Bhagvan Mahavira, Shankara, Ramanuja, Gorakhnath, Kabir, Nanak, Tulsidas, Mira, Ramakrishna, Raman - to mention only the most notable in a galaxy of great names.”

Sita Ram Goel (1921–2003) Indian activist

Defence of Hindu Society (1983)

Related topics