Saturday, November 30, 2013

On the 15th of October, I reported a medical crisis in my life. I quoted a story from one of Tony's books and followed the advise to see me through the last few weeks. Today, I am pleased to post the results and to say that "All has indeed turned out well"! I share on my blog today, what I communicated to all my regular correspondents, family and close friends:

Over the last few weeks, I have communicated with you a condition involving my health and the action that needed to be taken.
I am pleased to report that such action too place on the 28th of this October at Sydney Adventist Hospital. The surgeon  performed a Transurethral Prostatectomy( In simple terms, a medical procedure on my enlarged prostrate) The procedure went well and today, after a final successful 'flow test'(which means, "The river flows again, unaided) I have returned home- grateful and happy. 

The last few weeks have been very difficult, testing my resolve and patience. All of you have been wonderful with your messages of encouragement, prayers, love, support and offers of help. I cannot I thank you  enough for this affection you have shown me. I feel very blessed!
I return your love TENFOLD. Be well, be happy and if ever I can be of assistance to any of you, please do not hesitate to ask.
Bill.

Sunday, November 24, 2013


CALCULATION

The Master would laugh at those of his disciples who deliberated endlessly before making up their mind.
The way he put it was, “People who deliberate why before they take a step will spend their lives on one leg.” Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

I have neglected my blog for a few days-not that I was regular in the past; but I did
make a new year resolution to keep the blog updated and realise that resolutions, even with
the best intentions, are made to be broken. So from now onward, I have promised myself to attend to this blog whenever the urge presses me to attend to it. I share a story I posted on Tony's Facebook page a few days ago(Anthony deMello-Call to Love page) The outcome of this tale has yet to unfold but for the moment I'm still counting my blessings. I wish you all good health and happiness! Please read on:

Posted on Facebook page 15th October 2013.
A small change from the usual posts I have been offering here. I know how much you all appreciate Tony's Wisdom. So while this post may be a distraction from my usual daily posts, it has deep meaning for me.
I was due to leave for Bali today on a brief holiday. Yesterday though, a medical emergency took me to the local hospital where the doctor strongly recommended I cancel my trip. I was very disappointed, all but devastated. This trip was in the planning since June this year. Nevertheless, I followed his advise and stayed home while the others went on their way. Now, you may ask, what has this to do with Tony and his Wisdom? Well, had the medical emergency taken place this morning, I would have boarded the flight, only to be in big trouble on my arrival. I won't go into the details but to console myself, I thought of that little story which I have quoted in Tony's biography, The Happy Wanderer. All things do indeed turn out well. Please take a moment to read this gem from my brother:

There is a Chinese story of an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when all the farmer’s neighbours sympathised with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, ‘Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?’ A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, ‘Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?’ Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this was very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, ‘Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?’ Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg they let him off. Now was that good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?
Everything that seems on the surface to be an evil may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems good on the surface may really be an evil. So we are wise when we leave it to God to decide what is good luck and what bad, and thank him that all things turn out for good with those who love him. Then we shall see something of that marvellous mystical vision of Juliana of Norwich who uttered what for me is the loveliest and most consoling sentence I have ever read: ‘And all thing shall be well; and all thing shall be well; and all manner of thing shall be well!’
Anthony deMello SJ.
September 4th 1931 – June 1st 1987.

Sunday, November 10, 2013


Another example from another follower of Tony's work:
Hi Bill,
 
At this very moment Ann and I have already listened to tracks 1 to 3  of ‘The Way to Love’.   Just moments after we received the notice from you about the new audio presentation we purchased the audio from ITunes to which I am a member.  Subsequently I burned two CD’s so that we could listen to it on our CD player at home as well as in the car.  We both love the way you convey your brother’s meditations.  You careful intonation, subtle hesitation, lovely Indian dialect immediately reminded us of Anthony but also allowed us to hear you, for the first time personally.   What you have done, which must have required a lot of thought and effort is truly a work of God’s brotherly love.  Ann and I are immensely grateful to be included in this part of your wonderful family.  We can only hope for more.
 
Much love,
Bert & Ann

New comers and regulars- An alert or a reminder that Tony’s Call to Love audio album read by Bill deMello, is now available on the following sites:


Amazon MP3 downloads: http://www.amazon.com/Understand-Your-Program/dp/B00GAR1V50/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1384149314&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=Call+to+Love+Part+I+Anthony+deMello

Tony’s biography, The Happy Wanderer available by contacting the following websites:



Thank you for supporting and promoting Tony's work.

 

Saturday, November 9, 2013

In response to my last post about the audio album I have launched. This is but a sample of many others who love and appreciate Tony, more than 26 years after his death:
Dear Bill,
    How wonderful to hear from you and with such exciting news.  I will be checking out your latest labours of love on behalf of our beloved Tony very, very soon.  I look forward to savouring them and the wisdom contained therein.  How delighted I was to read that you discovered that second book Tony mentioned.  I've never read anything by Krishnamurti although I've known of him and of his acclaim as a wise spiritual teacher.  It seems I have my work cut out for me for the next year or so.  I can't tell you how amazing and wonderful it is to me that Tony continues to direct my spiritual unfolding from the other realm.  It feels to me like he is right here and this is so very Christ-like and a precious gift.
     Alas, I am not the one who keeps a copy of one of Tony's books in my glove compartment.  I carry them in my heart instead.  Blessings on all the good works you've been undertaking.  May you live to see your efforts blossoming good fruit.  We are living in such amazing times when the spiritual insights of so many that have travelled before us are so readily available to seekers of wisdom and truth everywhere.
In deepest gratitude for our continued friendship,
Cindy

Friday, November 8, 2013

Hello everyone,
Some of you may have heard of or have a copy of a book of meditations  published by Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, titled Call to Love, Meditations-Anthony deMello(1991). A couple of years later, Doubleday/Image published the same book titled- The Way to Love aimed at North American and European readers. The book originated from meditations composed by Tony which were found in his room after he died, in 1987. Thank goodness, someone saw fit to preserve these priceless gems and publish them!
Some years ago, one of my correspondents from the USA told me that she kept her pocket size copy of The Way to Love in the glove compartment of her car. During the long wait at a railroad crossing, she used to read a meditation or two from the book stashed in her glove box. She found the meditations very meaningful and benefitted from what she thought was one of my brothers best books. This doesn't surprise me because I would go a step further and say that Call to Love is in my opinion, Tony's BEST work. The meditations do not dwell on religion, faith or belief. They point to a structure we have adapted in our lives, as a result of our conditioning and programming. The meditations offer solutions on how best to undo the damage that was done by this programming. I continue to  benefit enormously from this book. I have opened my eyes and finally begun to see!
After giving it much consideration and having consulted with a few people, I concluded that my correspondent as well as others would appreciate an audio version of this brilliant collection of daily reflections/meditations. Why 'read' when one can 'listen' to the meditations instead? I'm sure it would be so much better to sit in the privacy of one's surrounds, even in one's car, in the hustle and bustle of traffic, listen and contemplate/meditate? With this in mind, I have recorded ten meditations titled Call to Love Part- I.
I concede, the voice in this album is not Tony's-it is mine. However, I have recorded the first ten meditations with the utmost respect and love for my brother and I sincerely hope that I have done justice to him by recording these meditations.
I am definitely NOT conducting or instructing. I have merely taken the words from my brother's book and read them to share with others.
The album is now available through iTunes as well as Amazon MP3 and Spotify. Should you decide to avail yourself of a copy for your own personal use or for that matter, to conduct group sessions with friends be aware that in doing so, you are helping a needy child. After royalties are paid to Gujarat Sahitya Prakash (for the right to record these meditations), proceeds from the sale of the album will be donated equally between UNICEF and Jesuit Mission.
You can listen to samples of each meditation and purchase your copy by clicking on the link below. Hover your mouse on each meditation and click it to hear the short sample. After sampling the album if you are satisfied, you  may purchase your copy.
Your feed back is important. I would be very grateful if you could also forward this message to like minded people on your contact list. The more copies sold means more funds for these two organisations to help needy children.  Please go to this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/call-to-love-pt.1/id734467873
With love and gratitude to all,
Bill.
Since Pope Francis has been elected, I have had a surge of hope that this man will unite the warring factions around the world. He comes across as being a loving compassionate man. I sincerely hope he succeeds. It would seem however, that forces within the so called Christian community are opposed to what he is trying to achieve-Unite all faiths and peoples. Here is an article I received a couple of days ago. It's an eye opener for those who think that everyone who takes shelter under the umbrella of the Christian faith, actually follow the teachings of Jesus. Poor Jesus, he must be crying tears of blood for those opposed to Francis' reforms as well as tears for the man who is trying to implement change for the betterment of humankind. Please click the link to read:
  http://ncronline.org/blogs/bulletins-human-side/pope-francis-guilty-being-Christian
Peace and Love..................

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Dear friends,
I believe Call to Love Part I- Anthony deMello audio album has been launched on iTunes.
Here is the link for all who are interested. I hope you enjoy these ten meditations.
Should there be interest, I will continue to record ...the next ten with the help my friend Christopher Arnott, the expert recording artist.
Your feedback is very important and if you like part I, please do promote the album to your other friends and contacts.
With love and gratitude to all of you who support Anthony deMello-Call to Love Facebook page,
Bill deMello-Tony's younger brother.
See More

Saturday, October 26, 2013

When something disturbing happens to us, we tend to immediately jump to conclusions - sometimes wrong.  This story about Buddha may help and give us some peace of mind when things do not go our way.
Thought by Buddha:

Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they
were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples, "I am thirsty.
Do please get me some water from the lake."

The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart
started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very
muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy
water to Buddha to drink?"

So he came back and told Buddha, "The water in there is very muddy.
I don't think it is fit to drink."

After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go
back to the lake.

The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy.
He returned and informed Buddha about the same.

After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.

This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water
was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought
it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and
said," See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and
the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water.

Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be.
Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have
to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is
effortless."
Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!

Thursday, October 24, 2013


ESCAPE

The Master became a legend in his lifetime. It was said that God once sought his advice: “I want to play a game of hide-and-seek with humankind. I’ve asked my angels what the best place is to hide in. Some say the depth of the ocean. Others the top of the highest mountain. Others still the far side of the moon or a distant star. What do you suggest?”
Said the Master, “Hide in the human heart. That’s the last place they will think of!”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

SPEECH
The disciple couldn’t wait to tell the Master the rumour he had heard in the marketplace.
“Wait a minute,” said the Master, “What you plan to-tell us is it true?”
“I don’t think it is.”
“Is it useful?”
“No. it isn’t.”
“Is it funny?”
“No.”
“Then why should we be hearing it?”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

My friends,
I just love todays treasure from my brother. It makes me sit up and realised how blessed I am. That I should appreciate what I have rather than complain about what I lack. I hope you all enjoy and savour this one:

HAPPINESS
“I am in desperate need of help—or I’ll go crazy. We’re living in a single room, my wife, my children and my in-laws. So our nerves are on edge, we yell and scream... at one another. The room is a hell.”
“Do you promise to do whatever I tell you?” said the Master gravely.
“I swear I shall do anything.”
“Very well. How many animals do you have?”
“A cow, a goat and six chickens.”
“Take them all into the room with you. Then come back after a week.”
The disciple was appalled. But he had promised to obey! So he took the animals in. A week later he came back, a pitiable figure moaning, “I’m a nervous wreck. The dirt! The stench! The noise! We’re all on the verge of madness!”
“Go back,” said the Master, “and put the animals out.”
The man ran all the way home. And came back the following day, his eyes sparkling with joy. “How sweet life is! The animals are out. The home is a paradise—so quiet and clean and roomy!”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

I am not remotely tempted to return to the church I left fifty years ago. I occasionally do go into a church to attend the wedding of friends, a funeral of a dear one or to witness the baptism of a baby. But I do not need to be within the confines of a church, no matter how simple or grand the structure, to find my way in this world. I have always found the hierarchy pompous, self-righteous and unsympathetic toward the poor and marginalised in society.
So it is with great pleasure that I welcome pope Francis to my blog today, after reading this interview. I can see from his words, I don't need to belong to the church or any organised sect or religion; that I am welcome as a human being no matter what my beliefs. I would like to share this interview with you my friends. This man brings great hope for world unity. Here is the link:
http://americamagazine.org/pope-interview

UNDERSTANDING
“How shall I get the grace of never judging my neighbour?”
“Through prayer.”
“Then why have I not found it yet?”
“Because you haven’t prayed in the right place.”
“Where is that?”
“In the heart of God.”
“And how do I get there?”
“Understand that anyone who sins does not know what he is doing and deserves to be forgiven.”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

UNDERSTANDING
“How shall I get the grace of never judging my neighbour?”
“Through prayer.”
“Then why have I not found it yet?”
“Because you haven’t prayed in the right place.”
“Where is that?”
“In the heart of God.”
“And how do I get there?”
“Understand that anyone who sins does not know what he is doing and deserves to be forgiven.”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

PRESENCE
“Where shall I look for Enlightenment?”
“Here.”
“When will it happen?”
“It is happening right now.”
“Then why don’t I experience it?”
“Because you do not look.”
“What should I look for?”
“Nothing. Just look.”
“At what?”...
“Anything your eyes alight upon.”
“Must I look in a special kind of way?”
“No. The ordinary way will do.”
“But don‘t I always look the ordinary way?”
“No.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because to look you must be here.
You ‘re mostly somewhere else.”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

A small diversion today, with a lovely forward I received. It's beautiful; and meaningful.
I would like to share it with you:

A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, ' God, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

God led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished.

They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it impossible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

God said, 'You have seen Hell.'

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.

The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, 'I don't understand... ..

It is simple,' said God .. 'It requires but one skill.

You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'
Remember that I will always share my spoon with you
                              
Source: Unknown.


CLARITY
“Don‘t look for God,” the Master said. “Just look —and all will be revealed.”
“But how is one to look?”
“Each time you look at anything, see only what is there and nothing else.”
The disciples were bewildered, so the Master made it simpler: “For instance: When you look at the moon, see the moon and nothing else.”
“What else could one see except the moon when one looks at the moon?”
“A hungry person could see a ball of cheese. A lover, the face of his beloved.”

Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.
SENSITIVITY
“How shall I experience my oneness with creation?”
“By listening,” said the Master.
“And how am I to listen?”
“Become an ear that gives heed to every single thing the universe is saying. The moment you hear something you yourself are saying, stop.”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.
RELIGION
The Governor on his travels stepped in to pay homage to the Master.
“Affairs of State leave me no time for lengthy dissertations,” he said. “Could you put the essence of religion into a paragraph or two for a busy man like me?”
“I shall put it into a single word for the benefit of Your Highness.”
“Incredible! What is that unusual word?”
“Silence.”
“And what is the way to Silence?”
“Meditation.”
“And what, may I ask, is meditation?”
“Silence.”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.
ABSURDITY
The Master kept scraping a brick against the floor of the room where his disciple sat in meditation.
At first the disciple was content, taking this to be a test of his powers of concentration. But when the sound became unbearable he burst out, “What on earth are you doing? Can’t you see I am in meditation?”
“I’m polishing this brick to make a mirror out of it,” said the Master.
“You’re crazy! How can you make a mirror out of a brick?”
“No crazier than you! How can you make a mediator out of the self?”
Anthony deMello-One Minute Wisdom.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Today I will begin to contribute morsels of Wisdom from my brother's book, One Minute Wisdom-Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, Anand, India(Publisher)
Many years ago, a very kind and gentle, caring man, Scott Reeves, used to moderate a mailing list called the Wisdom List in which he provided a daily dose from this book, so that the recipients could take time out in their busy day to take solace and comfort and to inject calm in their lives. Sadly, at the time Scott provided these gems of Wisdom, I was too preoccupied with getting on with (what I thought was 'Life'. More recently I have come to the realisation that I was 'existing' rather than 'living'.
So in my brother's memory and as a tribute to Scott, who recognised the value in his words, I will post One Minute Wisdom for all who care to avail themselves.
I send you all greetings of Peace, Happiness and Love. Please read the foreword to this treasure:
  
ONE MINUTE WISDOM

Tony de Mello

                                                       

A TRIBUTE TO THE AUTHOR

What’s behind this phenomenal success? Very simply, it is a manifestation of the hunger for the spiritual spreading around the world. It’s a hunger with very special characteristics. Peo­ple aren’t buying set formulas any more, or plus platitudes redolent of an era gone by; beaten tracks that did not succeed in bringing people to a spiritual awakening. There is an anguished search, sometimes confused in its direction, for a more liberal outlook. Modern man mired in profound cultural change first wants to know who he is, what imprisons his soul, what stands in the way of spiritual progress. He wants to re­discover the God beyond all that has been iden­tified through the years with the name of God: laws, norms, doctrines not made flesh, words stranged from life.

That is why Tony de Mello said that “our vi­olent spirituality has created problems for us”, that “Jesus Christ has got a bad name because of what is said of Him from pulpits” and that “it is very difficult to recognise a saint because he looks like the rest of us”. In short, what Tony de Mello is telling us is that if we want to make Christianity credible we need to plumb the depths of the human spirit, to reach beyond our present frontiers.

From “Vida Nueva”. Madrid. Sept, 12th. 1987,

 

“Is there such a thing as One Minute Wisdom?’ “There certainly is,” said the Master. “But surely one minute is too brief?” “It is fifty-nine seconds too long. “

To his puzzled disciples the Master later said. “How much time does it take to catch sight of the moon?”

“Then why all these years of spiritual endeavour?”

“Opening one’s eyes may take a lifetime. Seeing is done in a flash. “

 

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 7th century B.C. and the 20th 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.

It will only take a minute to read each of the anecdotes that follow. You will probably find the Master’s language baffling, exasperating even downright meaningless. This, alas, is not an easy book! It was written, not to instruct, but to Awaken. Concealed within its pages (not in the printed words, not even in the tales, but in its spirit, its mood, its atmosphere) is a Wisdom which cannot be conveyed in human speech. As you read the printed page and struggle with the Master’s cryptic language it is possible that you will unwittingly chance upon the Silent Teaching that lurks within the book, and be Awakened — and transformed. This is what Wisdom means: To be changed without the slightest effort on your part, to be transformed, believe it or not, merely by waking to the reality that is not words that lies beyond the reach of words.

If you are fortunate enough to be Awakened thus, you will know why the finest language is the one that is not spoken, the finest action is the one that is not done and the finest change is the one that is not willed.

Caution:  Take the tales in tiny doses — one or two at a time. An overdose will lower their potency.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

September 4th was Tony's birthday. Here is a meditation from his book Call to Love:

MEDITATION 6

CLINGING IS DYING

Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

M t. 8, 20

Here is a mistake that most people make in their relationships with others. They try to build a steady nesting place in the ever moving stream of life.

Think of someone whose love you desire. Do you want to be important to this person, to be especial and make a difference to his or her life?

Do you want this person to care for you and be concerned about you in a special way? If you do, open your eyes and see that you are foolishly inviting others to reserve you for themselves, to restrict your freedom for their benefit, to control your behaviour, your growth and development so that it will suit their interest.

It is as if the other person said to you, “If you want to be especial to me then you must meet my conditions. Because the moment you cease to live up to my expectations, you will cease to be especial.”

You wanted to be especial to someone, didn’t you? So you must pay a price in lost freedom. You must dance to the other person’s tune just as you demand that other persons dance to yours if they want to be especial to you.

Pause now to ask yourself if it is worth paying so much for so little.

Imagine you say to this person whose special love you want, “Leave me free to be myself, to think my thoughts, to indulge my taste, to follow my inclination, to behave in ways that I decide are to my liking.”

The moment you say those words you will understand that you are asking for the impossible. To ask to be especial to someone means essentially to be bound to the task of making yourself pleasing to this person. And therefore to lose your freedom. Take all the time you need to realize this.

May be now you are ready to say, “I’d rather have my freedom than your love.” If you could either have company in prison or walk the earth in freedom all alone, which would you choose?

Now say to this person, “I leave you free to be yourself, to think your thoughts, to indulge your taste, follow your inclinations and behave in any way that you decide is to your liking.”

The moment you say that you will observe one of two things:

Either your heart will resist those words and you will be exposed for the clinger and exploiter that you are -so now is the time to examine your false belief that without this person you cannot live or cannot be happy.

Or your heart will pronounce the words sincerely and in that very instant all control, manipulation, exploitation, possessiveness, and jealousy- will drop.

“I leave you free to be yourself- to think your thoughts, indulge your tastes, follow your inclinations and behave in ways that you decide are to your liking.”

And you will notice something else:

The person automatically ceases to be especial and important to you.

And he or she becomes important the way a sunset or a symphony is lovely in itself, the way a tree is especial in itself and not for the fruit or the shade that it can offer you. Your beloved will then belong not to you but to everyone or to no one- like the sunrise and the tree.

Test it by saying those words again- “I leave you free to be yourself to think your thoughts, indulge your tastes, follow your inclinations and behave in ways that you decide are to your liking.”
In saying those words you have set yourself free. You are now ready to love. For when you cling, what you offer the other is not love but a chain by which both you and your beloved are bound. Love can only exist in freedom. The true lover seeks the good of his beloved which requires especially the liberation of the beloved from the lover.
Yesterday, I established an official Facebook page devoted to my brother Anthony(Tony) deMello.
I have received a huge response to this page and I thank everyone who took the time and made the effort to visit and support the page Anthony deMello-Call to Love.
I will now keep updating the page with anecdotes, quotes and where possible, recordings of some of Tony's work from his books, and from his biography, which I published in April 2012. The Happy Wanderer is available in India through Gujarat Sahitya Prakash and throughout the world through Orbis Books, Maryknoll NY USA or if you prefer, Amazon.com
I look forward to your visits and encourage you to keep visiting as often as you can and to encourage your friends to do likewise.
Many thanks my friends. I wish you peace and love!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013


TRIBULATION

“Calamities can bring growth and enlightenment.” said the Master.

And he explained it thus:

Each day a bird would shelter in the withered branches of a tree that stood in the middle of a vast deserted plain. One day a whirlwind uprooted the tree forcing the poor bird to fly a hundred miles in search of shelter— till it finally came to a forest of fruit-laden trees.
Anthony deMello- One Minute Wisdom.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

My friends,
I continue to get some pretty amazing emails from people who still admire and follow my brother's philosophy, now more than twenty six years after his death. Here is one such email I have received.
It is articulate and the content wholesome. Food for spiritual thought so to speak:

Reflections On Modern Living

James Williams

 

If Anthony de Mello were alive today, what would he make of 21st century Westernized civilizations?
 When Tony presented the Rediscovery of Life satellite workshop at New York’s Fordham University in in the mid-1980s, here is how he reflected on society: “Despite our technological advances – we’ve yet to solve the problem of human suffering: loneliness, heartache, emptiness, depression, despair. The quality of our living has not been raised. We have more comfort, speed, entertainment, erudition – not less fighting, cruelty, or greed.” Are these striking words relevant now?
Human Suffering

Mental and emotional suffering is more prolific now, and the mass prescription of anxiety and depression medications has done nothing to eliminate the causes of suffering. These medications were initially designed and trialled as short-term support mechanisms to be used in combination with therapeutic approaches, yet nowadays therapy is skipped, and pills are prescribed and swallowed for decades. Rather than acknowledging and fully feeling our suffering in the moment, medical and pharmaceutical ‘ technologies’  have simply facilitated our psychological repression and done nothing to help us master and experience the suffering of the self.

Outside of the medical realm, mobile ‘phone companies advertise that their services are connecting people, yet often this is only through words on a screen instead of heartfelt, person-to-person contact. Loneliness, heart ache, emptiness, depression, and despair are not transformed by contact from other people using mobile devices; they are transformed by connecting with the reality of the situation that we have created for ourselves, fully tuning into our feelings, and then, if need be, to act differently.
Illusory Happiness

Comfort, speed, entertainment, and education are more readily available in a greater number of countries now, yet these can interfere with our ability to accurately perceive reality.  A more comfortable home, car, or work environment does nothing to permanently change the perception-distorting despair we feel about the inadequacy of our communication skills in interpersonal relationships, or the failure of our business ventures.

Comfort provides additional sensory stimulation and pleasure, yet these experiences of pleasure are very short-lived; our underlying anxiety, depression, or tension will resurface, and moves our awareness away from the perception of comfort back to the distress that is begging to be experienced in that moment.  Faster vehicles, speedier service, and faster Internet download speeds may save seconds, yet they do nothing to prevent us from wasting years living with a stressed mind, and missing out on the experience of happiness that is available in each moment.

Even a university education is perceived as a means to an end; a means to acquire a ‘better’ job after graduating (better than what, or who?); to get more money, which can then purchase the distractions of “comfort, speed, [and] entertainment,” that a higher salary can pay for. Still today, many people equate financial wealth and material comfort with happiness; these are often the same people taking the antidepressants and other medications. Yet happiness cannot be acquired through external means, let alone through a pill because happiness is our innate state.

Rather than using education as a vehicle to fuel personal growth, and to discover how one can serve and love the world, education has become an illusory trap. People believe that they need to acquire higher and higher levels of education to be able to contribute to the planet. Acquiring knowledge and degrees is no substitute for showing the ability to love.
Entertainment and Greed

Entertainment has become a significant distraction from experiencing the present moment. We may choose to watch films and television programs - and even participate in computer games - that depict graphic scenes of action, violence, drug use, power trips, and sex, and these hook the unconscious mind into a false sense of reality. Such forms of media can be so absorbing that we disengage our connection with what reality truly is. Researchers have already observed increases in stress in the human body while people watch gang violence in a movie, and aggressive words and behaviors by on-screen characters is also known to reinforce existing beliefs that behaving in this way, real life is acceptable.

Entertainment is also not bringing people together in the presence of reality; when two or more people watch television or a film together, more often than not, each person is watching the screen with little to no awareness of the other person’s experience; entertainment is becoming a solitary affair, and yet it can also be lovely by inviting meaningful and loving, present-moment engagement and interaction between people.

On fighting, cruelty, and greed, might Tony say that we have simply become more technologically sophisticated, and more emotionally-aloof from the consequences of our behaviour? Governments in certain countries continue to use false logic and then military force to achieve their goals to acquire resources from other lands for corporate shareholder profit. Greed has become commonplace through lobbyist-stimulated policy loopholes, turn-a-blind-eye operating practices in the financial sector, and institutional hierarchies rewarding the CEO or president, while paying the worker on the ground a minimum wage.
The CEO fails to see their interdependence on the ground-level worker, without whom, there would be no business and no profits to earn a bonus from.

Tony probably would be unsurprised at all of the changes that have occurred during the last 26 years since his passing. He would maybe quote Julian of Norwich and say that: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”  The reality is perhaps that society in Western countries has made no progress in reducing human suffering during the last 26 years, and yet in this present moment, as you read these words, all is indeed well.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

I used to have an lovely Aunt who faithfully recited her prayers from a prayer book. Tucked between the folds of the pages, was a list of people she prayed for. I am convinced that her intentions were of the purest nature. How effective her prayers were though, is hard to say. Here is a lovely quote from one of my brother's books-I love it.

Late one evening a poor farmer on his way back from the market found himself without his prayer book. The wheel of his cart had come off right in the middle of the woods and it distressed him that this day would pass without his having said his prayers.
So this is the prayer he made: “I have done something very foolish, Lord. I came away from home this morning without my prayer book and my memory is such that I cannot recite a single prayer without it. So this is what I am going to do: I shall recite the alphabet five times very slowly and you, to whom all prayers are known, can put the letters together to form the prayers I can’t remember.”
And the Lord said to his angels, “Of all the prayers I have heard today, this one was undoubtedly the best because it came from a heart that was simple and sincere.” - Anthony de Mello, S.J.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

I found this email very touching and want to share it with my friends:
Hi Bill,
I have been reading the "Happy Wanderer" and "the Way to Love" , many feelings reading this!
It seems as if I could listen Tony and if he were with me at the time that I read, I can´t believe that so many years have passed since he left. In one part of the "Happy Wanderer" I had the same feeling as you describe when there is a service in the Chapel in the USA, I felt the same when a loved cousin leave us. This has been my major lost because fortunately my parents are alive.
I can see Tony´s life pieces through your book and really love this man. As I mentioned since my first mail to you, he helped to me a lot and now he is continuing supporting to me. I also had a gratitude feeling to your parents, specially to your mother, thanks to them for this incredible family! All the best for you!
I am very, very happy to had the great opportunity to be in contact with you, many thanks Bill for your kind disposition to answer my e-mail. 
 
Kind Regards
Esther

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

I may have posted this quote from one of Tony's books before. Nevertheless, I find it so beautiful and meaningful that I can't resist posting it again(if I have done so before)

Once upon a time there was a forest where the birds sang by day and the insects by night. Trees flourished, flowers bloomed and all manner of creatures roamed about in freedom.

And all who entered there were led to Solitude which is the home of God who dwells in Nature’s silence and Nature’s beauty.

But then the Age of Unconsciousness arrived when it became possible for people to construct buildings a thousand feet high and to destroy rivers and forests and mountains in a month. So houses of worship were built from the wood of the forest trees and from the stone under the forest soil. Pinnacle, spire and minaret pointed towards the sky; the air was filled with the sound of bells, with prayer and chant and exhortation.

And God was suddenly without a home.

God hides things by putting them before our eyes!
Anthony deMello. Prayer of the Frog Vol I.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013


Dorothy's Story.
 
I have studied Anthony de Mello since 1991 and have offered video presentations on him in Hawaii over the past couple of years, as well as book studies.  I have seen Tony and his teachings make a difference in the lives of a number of people who have attended these offerings.  I would like to briefly share the story of one woman, Dorothy.

 Dorothy, who attended the video presentations and two concurrent book studies for almost two years, recently passed away.  She was in her 70's and resolutely independent.  Not being a meditator she was never one to get into the mindfulness meditations which I routinely included in the presentations and book studies.  I did this as Vipassana meditation; it was something Tony encouraged without actually saying so directly, at least in his U.S. presentations.  In one of the book studies when we would silently meditate, Dorothy would turn her chair from the group and just look out the window appreciating the beauty of nature.  This I would say was her own meditation, and actually appreciation of nature is something Tony encouraged.  In the first year or so during the book study discussions Dorothy would often say things like, “What's he talking about?  I don't get it.”  Then when myself or another group member would explain to the best of our ability what Tony was talking about, Dorothy might say, “Well, okay, but I still don't get it.”

Then a little over a year ago Dorothy surprisingly gave an informal testimonial to a group viewing "A Rediscovery of Life" for the first time.  She told the audience how much her life had changed in the past year due to Tony's teachings.  Dorothy stated how she felt "at peace,” then added, “But I'm scared....I don't know who I am anymore!"  When asked what she meant, Dorothy gave an example: “I used to fight on the board of the condo association for what I believed was right, but now I speak up without fighting.  This isn't the 'me' I used to know."  When asked if she liked being “at peace,” Dorothy promptly said: “Oh, yeah!” and smiled.  Dorothy clearly was embodying Tony's teaching about the “me” and the “I”.  She clearly did “get it.”

A couple months later Dorothy was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. When I called her in the hospital, she was very calm.  I was impressed by this and said her so.  Again Dorothy simply said she was “at peace” and added: "My family and friends don't know what to make of me anymore.  So I just tell them, 'It's the new Dorothy.'  I feel at peace....and I owe it all to Tony." 

Dorothy lived out her last year very much “at peace.”  She truly has been an inspiration to all who knew her and continues to be so even now.  Her spirit indeed lives on.  Dorothy's name means “God's gift,” and she has certainly been, and still is, “a gift of God” to us all.

With much love and Aloha,

Richard Hennessey.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

I share another review from another Tony admirer today:

I just finished reading your book, Anthony deMello, The Happy Wanderer. I am so happy that you chose such a project! I learned so much about the life of your brother and your family as well.
It was such a pleasure to discover the intimate details of Tony's life. It's hard to believe but I look at your brother with even greater respect. I didn't realize just how much he did in his life. I attend a Jesuit High School in Cleveland> St. Ignatius and I realize the extensive years of training and study that a Jesuit priest goes through before officially joining the priesthood. I just had no idea that Tony did all that was required plus so much more! The amount of time he spent writing, praying, teaching, speaking, guiding, listening, helping, traveling...and much more is simple amazing. I really don't know how he it did it all. As you mention in your book he had a calling and he did his life's work full of grace.
Its also somehow comforting to know what Tony went through. I don't mean it in a bad way at all. I only mean to say that as you mention in the book, Tony was human after all. The fact that he had tough times but through prayer, awareness and work he not only overcame but excelled better than most that have ever lived!
As I said I am very happy to have read your book. I truly appreciate the hard work, time, energy that you went through to obtain letters, comments, research and everything else that made "The Happy Wanderer" such a joy to read.
One last comment. I had a cool experience as I was reading the last page of your book. The phrase all shall be well has been coming to mind more and more lately and I had that thought on the last page. As you know the book ends, and all shall be well, all shall be well, all shall be well.
Thank you and all the best.
Your friend,
Jed Cogan

REALISM

A gambler once said to the Master. “I was caught cheating at cards yesterday so my partners beat me up and threw me out of the window. What would you advise me to do?”

The Master looked straight through the man and said, “If I were you, from now on I would play on the ground floor.”

This startled the disciples.“Why didn’t you tell him to stop gambling?” they demanded.

“Because I knew he wouldn’t.” was the Master’s simple and sagacious explanation.
Anthony deMello. One Minute Wisdom.

Thursday, March 28, 2013


HAPPINESS
 
A few days ago, I posted an amusing story my father told me when I was very young, about being happy and content with what I have. Here is a piece of Wisdon from my brother to back up that advice I received from Dad all those years ago:

“I am in desperate need of help—or I’ll go crazy. We’re living in a single room, my wife, my children and my in-laws. So our nerves are on edge, we yell and scream at one another. The room is a hell.”
“Do you promise to do whatever I tell you?” said the Master gravely.
“I swear I shall do anything.”
“Very well. How many animals do you have?”
“A cow, a goat and six chickens.”
“Take them all into the room with you. Then come back after a week.”

The disciple was appalled. But he had promised to obey! So he took the animals in. A week later he came back, a pitiable figure moaning, “I’m a nervous wreck. The dirt! The stench! The noise! We’re all on the verge of madness!”

“Go back,” said the Master, “and put the animals out.”

The man ran all the way home. And came back the following day, his eyes sparkling with joy. “How sweet life is! The animals are out. The home is a paradise—so quiet and clean and roomy!”
One Minute Wisdom. Anthony deMello SJ ( Publisher-Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, Anand India July 1985)

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Here is another contribution from an ardent Tony follower:

I have been infinitely blessed with the wisdom shared by Tony DeMello for many, many years. Seeking Woman became Finding Woman in the pages of his many books from which I drank with relish long and deep. From the first pages of Song of The Bird and through his lectures and workshops others have kindly shared online, my heart and spirit took flight. The journey became clear and life became a joyous celebration. The stories he shares are priceless and his genius in ordering them undeniable. I feel extremely blessed and lucky to have had this master sent to me at a time when the student was ready. I've worn many professional hats during my life but make a humble living crafting jewerly from sea glass, semi precious stones and metals. It is enough. Thank you, Bill, for doing the work of fleshing out the details of the life of the man we have come to know and love. After completing Tony's Awareness workshop, it occurred to me that he has fleshed out a ninth beatitude and, if I may be so presumptuous as to put it to paper for him, I believe he would offer his assent to it: Blessed are those who are awake for to them has been given the power to really love. 
Cindy Khun.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

My friends,
Now that The Happy Wanderer, Tony's biography, has been launched globally(Orbis books and Amazon) I feel it is time to begin publishing some of the messages I have been receiving from way back when I first posted the short e-biography on the Internet in 2000 as well as more recent messages from people. I am amazed at the number of times I read the lines-"Your brother( or Tony) changed/transformed my life". Today is the first of many I intend posting here so stay tuned and if you wish to either comment(use the "Comment" bar) or send me your review, I shall be happy to post it here too. Here is the first:

Hi Bill,

I would just like to thank you for putting the short biography of Tony on-line.
It has been very interesting to read, giving a sense of how Tony lived whilst he was with us.
On a personal level I can say that his work has transformed my life, new insights and direction have come from practising awareness. My family and friends have also benefited as have the clients I work with in my counselling capacity.
I guess just sending this to you gives me a connection to the most influential person in my life, it feels like there has been a gift of freedom given to me and that this gift will be passed on to souls who are looking to be awakened. Most of my work is in the area of fear and I use many of Tony's teaching to help me and others move into true happiness
Kindest regards to you and your family   
John Doherty
http://thegloriousroad.wordpress.com/

Monday, March 18, 2013

 Swimming Match.
Or- All that Glitters...........
In case you're wondering what these two pictures have to do with my blog, read on....

 My dear father (bless his gentle soul) told me a story many years ago years ago; I'll never forget it! It all came about when I, as a child would come home from school complaining and grumbling about how unfortunate I was.  I always had comparisons to make about how others were better off than me. If it wasn't toys, it was something else. Special food maybe, or a picture show(as they called it in those days-the movies today) they had seen and I had missed out on. One day, Dad sat me down and said he wanted to tell me a ‘true’ story about a very funny but meaningful event he experienced when he was a bachelor. His story was my lesson for life. I’ll quote Dad:
Everybody thinks that they are worse off than their neighbour. Be content with what you have Bill. Don't look over the fence, you may have a treasure right where you are and not realise it. In fact, have you ever wondered whether all your friends are telling the truth? Do you really think they are better off than you? Let me tell you about an incident that took place when I was a young man many years ago. I was new to Bombay, in my job with the Indian Railways. My friends and I had nothing to do in our spare time after work. So we looked for distractions and entertainment. We played cards, went to the sea shore and occupied our time in other activities to keep us distracted and occupied. The big event though, the one which ran for a full two weeks was when once a year the Circus came to town.  Besides the Big Top, there were all sorts of other attractions like freak shows, weight lifters, target shooting  etc. And we all indulged in these activities, depending on our budget. 
One year, we noticed a new attraction at the Circus. A big tent, with large photos of beautiful women painted on the sides of the tent, clad in swimming costumes.{ Those pictures would have been similar to the one's above} There was a big board on the front entrance which read- Swimming Match. We could clearly hear the sound of  splashing water coming from within the tent and our imaginations ran wild. We imagined all these beautiful women swimming and splashing around  in a big pool. 
At this stage of the story, Mum would interject with "Umm, nothing seems to have changed" and Dad would ignore the remark with a smile and a wink continue with his story… :)
In those days, the entry fee was more than we could afford. Expensive as it was, some of us paid the entrance fee against our better judgement, thinking that we could always economise on something else. After all, the Circus only came to town once a year! And the new attraction was unusual ,to say the least.

 Once we had paid the entrance fee, we were directed to enter the tent and passed through a corridor with cloth sheets on the side where the sound was coming from so that while we heard the sound of splashing water, we could not see the ladies. Eventually, after pushing and shoving the fellows in front of us, we entered an arena and the first thing we saw was a man beating water in a very large tub, with a big flat paddle. We did not realise of course, that this was the source of the splashing we had heard outside the tent. All we were thinking of and searching for was, “Where is the 'Swimming Match' and the ladies?”
When we asked the man who was beating the water in the tub where the swimming match was, all he did was indicate with a nod of his head, to a large bowl of water, on a pedestal, in the centre of the arena, with a matchstick floating in it!

After looking at this basin with the matchstick floating in it, we realised  that we had been taken for a ride. Of course, we were angry and demanded our money back. But the man with the paddle told us, “Listen you fools, I promised you a swimming match and I've given you just that. That matchstick in the bowl of water is swimming. Now, do you want to go out there and make fools of yourselves? Or, would you rather tell other fellows about the 'Fantastic' sights you have seen, so that all of you leave with your egos intact?
That’s exactly what we did. When we left the tent, we rolled our eyes, oohed and aaahed and told our companions outside what a great show we had witnessed. And we secretly laughed when we saw them lining up to go into the tent.
Remember Bill, the grass is never greener on the other side. All that glitters is not necessarly gold. Never believe everything you hear AND be content with what you have and you will be happy all your life.

I've never forgotten that story-I am blessed indeed- and Happy!