Quotes from Anthony de Mello

People who want a cure, provided they can have it without pain, are like those who favour progress, provided they can have it without change.

There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.

Every word, every image used for God is a distortion more than a description.

The one who would be constant in happiness must frequently change.

I have no fear of losing you, for you aren't an object of my property, or anyone else's. I love you as you are, without attachment, without fears, without conditions, without egoism, trying not to absorb you. I love you freely because I love your freedom, as well as mine

Enlightenment is: absolute cooperation with the inevitable.

Thought can organize the world so well that you are no longer able to see it.

You have to understand, my dears, that the shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story.

As the Arabs say, The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.

the greatest learning of the ages lies in accepting life exactly as it comes to us.

We see people and things not as they are, but as we are.

The genius of a composer is found in the notes of his music; but analyzing the notes will not reveal his genius. The poet's greatness is contained in his words; yet the study of his words will not disclose his inspiration. God reveals himself in creation; but scrutinize creation as minutely as you wish, you will not find God, any more than you will find the soul through careful examination of your body.

As one man said, I got a pretty good education. It took me years to get over it. That's what spirituality is all about, you know: unlearning. Unlearning all the rubbish they taught you.

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

People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.

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

You are never in love with anyone. You're only in love with your prejudiced and hopeful idea of that person.

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.

You do not have to change for God to love you.

Say goodbye to golden yesterdays: or your heart will never learn to love the present.

Love springs from awareness.

Sin is a refusal to grow, a refusal to love, a refusal to get committed, to be concerned, and to take risks.

Obedience keeps the rules. Love knows when to break them.

The human mind makes foolish divisions in what love sees as one.