Awareness: Conversations with the Masters

Marvellous Anthony de Mello. Superb an entertaining

The book opens with a thought-provoking and amusing little parable about an eagle who thinks he is a chicken because he was reared as a chicken. Basically he is not aware of who he really is. This whole book is about becoming aware of one's authentic self and opening up to the wonderful world of opportunity available to us for growth in our personal inner life whatever the outward circumstances. By becoming aware and losing all the inner chaff that clouds our vision we gain insight into why circumstances are as they are and learn to modify our reactions as a result of self-awareness. An easy read and a simple message for anyone, whatever their spiritual status or tradition, interested in personal growth. In fact you don't have to be interested in spiritual thought at all. Full of humourous short paradoxical stories and parables that illustrate how to awaken awareness of the reality of life and provide insights into ourselves and a glimpse of the mystery of a higher consciousness that pervades all. De Mello's psychological viewpoint is what really captures the reader's attention. He makes the reader stop and reflect on the stories rather than bombarding him/her with set beliefs. De Mello asks you to enquire into your own being and into the reality of life and its quirkiness and to extract the meaning for yourself. Such books should be welcomed as useful stepping stones to an awakened awareness of something beyond ourselves. Such books excite interest in the inner life and often provoke further exploration and reading and even the following of a spiritual path. Such books are beacons of light giving a taste of the potential beauty and depth of the inner life that can lead to a more wholesome view of life in every moment. Worth reading Anthony de Mello's autobiography if you find his many books a thought-provoking read.

Worth a read for sure. I’ve read it quite a number of times. One of the best books I’ve ever read!

So insightful, life changing if you take the author at his word. This was a book to chew over, reflect on and then decide if you want to be aware, be awake. I purchased it for a few friends/ family. When something is that good you want to share it.

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars. The general theme of this book is to help the reader find unconditional joy (ie awareness, pleasure in existence that does not depend on any other external factors being fulfilled). A necessary a recurring sub-theme is that of non-attachment (ie not letting your happiness depend on anything external to yourself). It is a very easy and engaging read, one of the best books of this type of genre I have read (and I have read lots of 'em! - suggests that none of them quite completely help given that I keep buying more, but...). Although de Mello was actually a Jesuit, he does not come across as a proselytising Christian - despite the name, he seems to be Indian, and is equally (or perhaps more) influenced by Eastern religions. One reservation I have about these kinds of books though is that they never seem to take our basic biology into account. Yes, it's great if you can be happy regardless of your environmental conditions - but it also seems not quite human. We get hungry because we need to eat, we shiver to generate more heat because we are cold, we are driven to groom to reduce risk of infection, etc - and similarly it seems to me that humans are social animals, so we have learned to depend on others as part of our biology. Humans even have entire hormone systems which are designed to enhance our sense of attachment to others (oxytocin for women and vasopressin in men), so the idea that you can just use your thoughts or force of will to overcome your basic biology seems a bit unrealistic to me... still, that said, I don't think he is necessary promoting complete detachment so much as non-attachment (ie that you can enjoy things without being dependent on them). I think there is a truth in there that is helpful, if applied as best fits the individual.

After having read all of the positive reviews before buying this book, I was looking forward to an advanced book that would give me another step up in my lifelong spritual and psychological journey. Nearly all of the reviewers reported that this was a 'life changing' book or that it would be read on an annual basis in order to learn its enclosed teachings. And, admittedly, such would have been the case for myself if I had initially read this book a number of decades ago. These teachings are no longer that; teachings. They became simply a way of life nearly thirty years ago. To me this has been how I have lived for most of my adult years and, being so, I can state that if you do put these ideals into practice, yes, you will lead a life of awareness and an ever closer feeling of being in tune with life itself. Yes, you will become quite different from those around you and the things you have in common with others will become less and less. Aloneness will be something that is treasured and no longer feared. Tasks and activities will be done for the joy of doing them and not as a means of receiving accolades from others. Life, regardless of your social standing, will have joy contained in it. You will no longer base your sense of worth on the opinions of others but, rather, rely solely on your inner spirit for the value and worth you have about yourself. And, when in doubt about what to do in any given situation, always do the 'hard thing'. It is only by doing this do we grow as a person and come to understand ourselves more. The 'easy way' is what you have done in the past and if you wish to grow, you must do the thing that is different, the thing that is hard. The author clearly states that one must get out of one own's personal prejudices, one own's cultural brain-washed ideas and one own's family taught traditions and shortcomings. Each one of us has all of the answers of life locked up inside of us and it only takes the energy necessary to unlearn all the useless trivia that we have been burdened with and to simply start all over again. It really is that simple! God never meant it to be hard. We are the ones who have made it so.

It's a book that's nice to read: 1. easy language, 2. practical conversation and connections, 3. he speaks with no authority of any kind, 4. the author comes across as "extra ordinary" (mind you, not special :), 5. clears a lot of stuff from the point of inputs (from your parents ie. from one's childhood to getting conditioned as we speak, 6. makes distinctions between tradition that tells us eg. "We must be children" to we must be able to "wonder as a child" do - so critical, 7.takes whatever comes (his mother's death) in his stride and ask his sister did she get upset with god (for taking away her mother) and not for taking aways 10's of thousands of Chinese people during the famine????? ..... explosive connections. It takes a extra ordinary human being to be born once into religion and then again into humanity. On that happy note .... stay well.

Full of stories, analogies, metaphors. Beautiful, simple and elegant words to talk about Real Love Reality A life worth living The origin of unhappiness (and how simple is to be happy) I recommended it to friends and loved ones already. Thank you Anthony 🙏🏽

This book is filled with awesome reminders of daily life, on consciousness, perception, behaviourism, mindfulness. I really love this book. Many AHA! moments as I read through, and the humour and some sarcasm is always appreciated, especially in spiritual books :) light-hearted and awakening.

Excelente libro, se convirtió en mi favorito.