Customer Reviews

Awareness

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read in my life. It's amazing how that saying is the truth..."when the student is ready, the teacher will come" This book came at the perfect time and it rocked my world. What an awesome truth teller. Read it slowly and savor each word

Sometimes I'll read a book and, maybe a couple of times along the way, I'll be forced to stop and just let my mind calm down. Just because something the author has written is so thought-provoking.

With this book I had to do that on almost every page. I don't think it's ever taken me so long to read 184 pages before.

I'm actually glad Cardinal Ratzinger, Chief of the Vatican Thought Police, decided to condemn Fr. de Mello's work. If it wasn't for the ensuing controversy, I might never have become aware of the work of this truly enlightened priest.

I don't approve of censorship, but sometimes these things happen when Catholic priests (or nuns) throw pearls before swine (which is unavoidable in the world of mass market publishing).

No bother. This book would not be appropriate for the handful of people who actually care about anything Ratzinger has to say, anyway. Not because they don't need to wake up reality, mind you -- they're just so enjoying living in a dreamworld, any attempt to disturb their slumber will only irritate them. You don't want to disturb the simple faithful.

Of course, maybe if they were disturbed a little bit, they wouldn't be so simple?

This is the strangest thing I ever read. I always thought the world was problematic. It never occurred to me that I am the problem, not the world. Dale Carnegie once said "success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get". I never understood that until I read this book. You are in for the shock of your life, assuming that you are ready to understand it. As he says, your ability to understand this is relational to how much truth you can take before you run away. People will always tell you "I just want the truth", but don't believe them, even for a second. What they REALLY want is to be right, first and foremost. The right God, the right philosophy, the right facts..... Then, if there's some room left over for the truth, so be it. THAT'S how people operate. They never consider that life is not the problem, THEY are the problem. He will prove this to you, and although that sounds painful, it's actually joyful and liberating. No need to judge the world anymore. He will shatter the belief system that makes you unhappy, and whether you know it or not, you are unhappy. One can be the happiest person in the entire depression ward of a hospital and can truely believe that they are happy based on relative comparison, but they are not happy. They don't know what true, unconditional happiness is. He will show you TRUE happiness, TRUE love, TRUE peace. Are you ready for that? I'll bet you're not.

Although Father De Mello died in 1987, I will speak of him as living because through his writings he is certainly alive and well. He is so alive, in fact, that The Vatican Information Services has a web page ("Notification concerning the writings of Fr. Anthony De Mello, SJ") devoted to discrediting De Mello's work. Here is my summary of that page: "Father DeMello does not think like we want him to think, so Catholics should disregard what he has to say."

...

Awareness is the simplest and most profound book I have ever read. It is less than 200 pages, and I imagine I can (and might) spend the rest of my life reading it. So consider this my "notification" to you about the writings of Anthony DeMello: to the degree that any of us allow ourselves to be awakened by this book --- or any other of his books --- we will be changed forever.

And apparently that makes the Pope nervous.

-Thom Rutledge, ...

This is a sweet and funny and profound book which warmed up my heart and consistently made me laugh. De Mello was a universally respected Jesuit priest who managed to go far beyond the orthodox catholic dogma and into the very heart of spiritual alivennes and connectedness. Several centuries earlier a similar attempt was made by Loyola, another Jesuit troublemaker; however, in A., DeMello dispenses with the extraneous mumbo jumbo and goes straight to the heart of the matter. God is presence itself and through awareness we are simultaneously connected to who we truly are and to the sacredness of all life. De Mello reminds us time and again of this simple yet profound truth; i especially admire his skilfull use of anecdote and parable, which reminds me of another great spiritual teacher... Perhaps it is not coincidental that De Mello lived and worked in Goa, that syncretic ex-Portuguese colony known for its eccentric inhabitants and practices. What impresses me the most about this book is that DeMello manages to weave into his teachings the best elements of Buddhist and Hindu traditions (their emphasis on awareness, mindfulness) and combines them with what is best in Christianity (the emphasis on love, openness of the heart). In addition to that, he is consistently funny (no mean feat for a work on spiritual matters)... and even manages to be cranky in a way that makes me laugh. Perhaps as importantly, the book shows that Christianity may not be all about biblethumping -in the right hands it is a vibrant, contemporary, compassionate, and profound spiritual practice. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about mindfulness from a master teacher.

This was the hardest book I have ever read. Each page threw up another challange to my way of thinking. It shattered forever my view of the world and my role within it. But in the end it showed me how to become awake and alive and happy. I am no longer a slave to my programming. I no longer concern myself with how others see me. The fear I lived with for years is gone. I read this book two years ago and have enjoyed peace of mind and freedom from fear ever since, even though I have been through some very tough times. This book will challange you to the core but if you can accept its message you can find your own path to awareness.

Anthony de Mello's book Awareness is the most direct book I have ever read about what the really important questions in life really are. De Mello wastes no time placating or hedging: he states succinctly and with amazing clarity exactly what the "real" questions are and tells us how to "answer" them: Awareness. Truthfully, he lays little claim to direct answers, his point is that awareness is not an answer because no answer is appropriate -- the point is to be aware, not to answer questions nor solve problems nor to "fix" things. Life is not broken.

Regardless, if you feel your life is not what you want it to be, if it lacks a spark of some kind, but you can't quite figure out what is missing, I highly, highly recommend this book -- I think you are in the perfect place to find value in this book, if not immediately, definitely soon. I am continually amazed as I read every page how _true_ de Mello's words are. I would say it's "unfortunate" or "sad" but I think these things are meaningless to describe the fact that few people will even appreciate this book and fewer still will truly understand it. I can say that I think it would be nice if everyone was able to read this book and really consider de Mello's words with an open, honest mind.

Anthony de Mello suggests an incredible opportunity for a life worth living in this book and I want you to take advantage of it. Read this book.

Live well.

This will be a brief review, to cast my vote "for" this wonderful book and to offer some advice. I was greatly impressed with Father De Mello's advice to stop thinking about being aware and Just DO IT! That advice -- to be aware of the blessings of God in our world and in the brief section of the world we call our life -- is superb and valid no matter what your faith or outlook (assuming it is basically positive).
Just one word of advice -- the Vatican has, indeed, cast some aspersions on this book (at least for now; who knows when that may change). I would recommend this book be read by someone who feels comfortable with their faith and with their trust in the Lord. The book can seem a bit new age-y but it can also bless one's prayer life and one's response to the wonderful creation, which includes one's awareness.

I am forever indebted to this book, for it was the start of many eye opening experiences to come. Though I did not take the Christian route, I stumbled into Zen Buddhism as a result of it. That was 5 years ago. Little did I know how different my entire outlook upon life would change when innocently opening that first page!

Basically he made me comfortably nervous. I started to ask myself zillions of questions as a result of this book, questions I never would have dreamed up otherwise. But every page I turned I kept saying, "my goodness, he is so dang right!" I couldn't argue against his words, they were very clear, very open, and very insightful. Since then I have read a few other works by this Jesuit priest, and I must say Awareness is the best. Perhaps that is due to it being a replica of talks he gave-that it brings out his "natural voice", rather then his "author voice." But yes, this book certainly has life changing potential. But perhaps it was just a book that was there for me at a specific time that, looking back, has a few errors within as well. Not a big deal-so maybe the conditions for you in this life are right. Perhaps this book can kickstart an awakening within you-a desire to embark upon a spiritual journey-regardless of theological, ideological, or even philosophical backgrounds.

I hope this book can do for you, what it had done for me. Enjoy;)

To the author I would say, "Bravo, you're making people think." To other Christians I would ask, "Are you ready to think for yourself? Or are you content to have people do your thinking for you?"