Anthony de Mello was a psychotherapist, Jesuit priest, and author of popular personal development books on spirituality.
Up until his death in 1987, he directed the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counseling in Poona, India. His writings urged people to awaken to their spiritual natures and learn how to pray and fully live.Anthony de Mello may no longer be with us, but his personal development advice continues to inspire and transform.
The Background Of Anthony de Mello
Anthony de Mello was born in Bombay, India in September 1931. He had an interest in spirituality at an early age and spent his lifetime learning and teaching.
He traveled to countries all around the world during his learning years as his spiritual understanding developed. Later he traveled the world to spread his message to other spiritual seekers.
In an effort to spread his urgent message of awakening to spirit he conducted numerous workshops, made CDs and videos, and wrote books and essays. He was a gifted writer and eloquent speaker who touched the hearts of many people around the globe.
He was actively teaching and furthering his work when he suddenly had a heart attack and died at the young age of 56.You will find that a lot of the books described below are also available as ebooks and audibles.
The Works Of Anthony de Mello
This book is a collection of 124 parables that illustrate spiritual principles as they relate to everyday realities. The stories have roots in many different traditions, some of them modern and some ancient.
• “Sadhana, a Way to God: Christian Exercises in Eastern Form” was published in 1984.
In this work, Anthony de Mello offers readers personal development tips complete with exercises designed to increase self-awareness and promote spiritual growth. The exercises are derived from Western and Eastern forms of meditation, spiritual therapies, and human psychology.
• “Wellsprings : A Book of Spiritual Exercises“was published in 1986. In this book he presents readers with many short meditative exercises that are designed to bring peace of mind and enhance inner power. This book offers personal development advice derived from a blending of ancient Eastern traditions with modern Western psychology.
• “One Minute Wisdom” is a comprehensive collection of exercises and parables written and published in 1988. There are over 200 lessons in the book that guide readers toward wisdom, harmony, and enlightenment. The spiritual teachings are a blend of practices from the West and East.
• “Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality” was published in 1990 and is available as a book and Kindle ebook. This book offers readers personal development advice on how to know themselves better and live a more aware life. Unlike traditional self help books that try to get people to change, this book takes a different approach, and tries to get people to become aware of their authentic selves.
• “The Way to Love: The Last Meditations of Anthony de Mello“was published in 1992 and is also available as a book and ebook. It contains 31 meditations on the subject of love. The personal development advice offered in this book urges readers to look beyond the illusion of love and realize that true love is born from spiritual awareness.
• “Walking on Water” is a collection of stories published in 2008 after the death of Anthony de Mello. The book contains stories about diverse subjects as rabbis, soldiers, fairy tales, and legends. It is written in familiar parable style and highlights the wit, warmth, and humor of Anthony de Mello.
• “Taking Flight” was published in 1990. In some countries, this book had the title, “The Prayer of the Frog Vol. 1.” This contains more than 250 stories to be used as meditations for contemplating a more emriched life based upon spiritual understanding and self knowledge.
• “Heart of the Enlightened” was published in 1997. This book is a sequel to “Taking Flight” and in some countries had the title, “The Prayer of the Frog Vol. 2.” This book has parables, tales, and stories. Each one is a story designed to teach a spiritual life lesson.
• “Seek God Everywhere: Reflections on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius” was published in 2010 and is also available as a Kindle ebook. This book is based upon the lectures given by Anthony de Mello before his death. It covers topics such as learning to hear the Divine, repentance, love, inner growth, and spiritual awakening.
Anthony de Mello And The Controversy Over His Books
The personal development advice offered in these books brought him worldwide acclaim and appreciation.
His gentle, humorous writing style made him quite popular among readers. Plus, his unusual approach of teaching through parables and stories was widely admired.
However, his work did generate controversy.
Although the Catholic Church didn’t necessarily disagree with the work of Anthony de Mello, some didn’t think it reflected well upon Catholic doctrine, and since Anthony de Mello was a priest, they feared it may look like the Church approved of his work.
To amicably settle this disagreement, many of the works of Anthony de Mello came to be published with a disclaimer that they were intended for spiritual seekers of all beliefs and were not intended to be used for instruction in the Catholic faith.
The Legacy Of Anthony de Mello
Anthony de Mello may no longer be with us, but his personal development advice continues to inspire and transform.
Books continue to be published based upon his many lectures and workshops.
The DeMello Spirituality Center holds retreats and conferences where attendees can learn first hand from the teachings of Anthony de Mello. The Center also maintains a website and publishes articles there to promote spiritual awakening. In addition, they maintain a bookstore where visitors can order books by Anthony de Mello as well as DVDs of his old lectures.
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