One Minute Wisdom

by Anthony De Mello

Overview

Through profound spiritual insights and his unique approach to the inner life, internationally acclaimed author Anthony de Mello points the way toward new levels of contemplation, happiness, love, wisdom, and enlightenment.

In more than two hundred parables and lessons about living life fully yet simply, de Mello gives examples filled with wisdom that cannot be conveyed in regular direct discourse. Rooted in the spirit of the Gospel and spanning the mystical traditions of East and West, this invigorating volume — like all the author's previous books — is intended to enliven our faith and free us from whatever imprisons our mind, body, and soul.

One Minute Wisdom will lead from sense to sensitivity, from mood to meaning, from thought to feeling. And as de Mello writes, "Wisdom can come without the slightest effort—in the time it takes to open your eyes."

Wherever your spiritual belief may lie—or even if you have no beliefs at all—you will find in these pages needed and helpful direction on continuing the process of self-discovering and on finding the satisfying riches that lie deep within you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385242905
Publisher:	The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/01/1988
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.41(w) x 8.15(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Anthony de Mello, SJ, is the author of many spiritual bestsellers, including Sadhana, Awareness, and The Way to Love. A native and lifelong resident of India, de Mello taught throughout the world, and his books have been translated into more than thirty-five languages.

Read an Excerpt

"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 endeavor?"

"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, 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 seventh century B.C. and the twentieth 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 in this book. 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.