The Heart of The Enlightened

Thanks to Lim Chiew Boey of Penang, Malaysia for the above exhibit which rekindled memories of my introduction to Anthony de Mello in 2007.

Point to Ponder: "Said the river to the seeker: 'Does one really have to fret about enlightenment? No matter which way I turn, I'm homeward bound.'" --Anthony de Mello

Story Line: From The Heart of The Enlightened.

We are like bears pacing in a cage, Anthony de Mello says. Even if the cage is removed, we keep pacing in the same timid limits. We are afraid to get out. And we think that the only way out is by endless striving and thinking. But this profound healer and spiritual master shows us another way.

*The Heart of the Enlightened contains more than two hundred of de Mello's favorite stories. Whether Buddhist tales, Hindu fables, Islamic sayings, or Christian parables, the stories de Mello has chosen are sure to seep through to the heart. They touch on relationships, human nature, service, spirituality, and enlightenment. These are stories to be read slowly and savored. They are the key to liberating us from all that would pen us in.*

A few short stories from the book:

"Excellent sermon," said the parishioner, as she pumped the hand of the preacher. "Everything you said applies to someone or the other I know."

Whatever your treasure must be held in the hollow of your hand as water is held. Clutch at it and it is gone. Appropriate it to yourself and you soil it. Set it free and is forever yours.

When they came to tell a man that his house had been carried away by the flood, he laughed and said, " Impossible! I have the key to the house right here in my pocket!"

The human mind makes foolish divisions in what Love sees as One.

Plutarch tells the story of how Alexander the Great came upon Diogenes looking attentively at a heap of human bones. "What are you looking for?" asked Alexander.

"Something I cannnot find," said the philosopher.

"And what is that?"

" The difference between your father's bones and those of his slaves."

REFLECTION from the memory lane: It was a late night in early November 2007 in Ireland. I had just arrived at the Maynooth station from Dublin. After a long wait, I finally got a taxi. During travel to my hotel, I noticed that the taxi driver had a long last name that ended in Coelho, his first name was Luis. So I asked Luis if he had any connection with the well-known author Paulo Coelho. He told me that the only connection was that he had read all of Paulo’s books. Luis was very well-read person and sparked conversations between us that lasted for a half an hour after we reached my hotel; us still talking in his taxi and him ignoring many calls for the service. On my last day in Dublin, Luis came to the hotel and gave me the book, "The Heart or the Enlightened" by Anthony De Mello.

Anthony De Mello? The first time I had heard about him was only two weeks prior when I was in Costa Rica. I was at the hotel desk, inquiring about the tour to Arenal Volcano. Lee, a retiree of the American corporate world and frequent visitor to Costa Rica, happened to overhear my question and offered some tips. That started a conversation which converged to our common interests in books and travel, and him mentioning Anthony De Mello. 

 

The chance enocunters with these two gentlemen resulted in my introduction to Anthony de Mello and his books.

 

So here is a some profound wisdom about story telling from “The Heart of The Enlightened” by Anthony De Mello.

 

"It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for Truth in which it alone it finds liberation and delight, the first reaction of human beings to Truth is one of hostility and fear. So the Spiritual Teachers of humanity, like Buddha and Jesus, created a device to circumvent the opposition of their listeners: the story. They knew that the most entrancing words a language holds are 'Once upon a time...,' that it is common to oppose a truth but impossible to resist a story. Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, says that if you listen carefully to a story you will never be the same again. That is because the story will worm its way into your heart and break down the barriers to the divine. You have to understand, my dears, that the shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story."

 

* Description From the book review in internet

Comments

[HARSHVIR SINGH]

The reflection , this Friday, will stay in my heart and soul for a long long time.
And thanks for introduction to the Author - Anthony de Mello and the book.

[Sam]

Great set of stories Anand! I have not read or heard Anthondy de Mello, but the commonality I am finding with some authors is that our focus on trying to control the "outside" is the source of a lot of our pain. Trying to make ourselves look good in front of others, having people comment on our abilities etc. All these efforts are source of pain inside us, because the truth is that we cannot control the outside as much as we want.

[humble warrior]

another picture saved to evernote from FR... profound once again... thanks for the book recommendation as well

[Nandeep]

The Friday Vitamin to a Tired Mind - Thank you Anand!

[Timothy J Maloney]

Intel travel as a path to enlightenment! My stories seem less worthy of publication but, in the interest of the theme here, we should focus on how these connections and chance encounters made us better people. Very nice piece, Anand.