What Anthony de Mello's Awareness says about labels
Anthony de Mello’s Awareness comes from his talks. He says most people go through life asleep, reacting to labels.
De Mello was a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist from Bombay. He died in 1987, and Awareness was published in 1990.
He interrupts himself, tells stories and asks the room questions. We like it best a few pages at a time.
What De Mello says about attachment
What you are aware of you are in control of; what you are not aware of is in control of you.
Keep this one in mind when you sit down to write about a bad day.There is one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness. The name of that thing is attachment.
His definition follows: a belief that you can't be happy without some particular thing.You’ve got to drop the labels and you’ve got to understand that the negative feelings you experience are in you and not in the external world around you.
Do you know one sign that you’ve woken up? It’s when you are asking yourself, "Am I crazy, or are all of them crazy?"
Write the feeling down first
When something upsets you, write down the feeling and the label you've put on the person or the event. De Mello's method starts with naming, and a page gives you room to do it.
The cognitive distortions exercise in the free Astera workspace works the same way. You name the pattern in a thought before you decide what to do about it.
Try Cognitive Distortions
We built Cognitive Distortions into the free Astera workspace to go with this book. Your answers save as you go.
Try itThe book itself is Awareness by Anthony de Mello.
Questions
Is Awareness a religious book?
De Mello was a priest, and the book stays clear of doctrine. He draws on stories from several religions.
Did the Catholic Church object to his writing?
Yes. In 1998 the Vatican published a notification warning that parts of his work did not fit Catholic teaching.
What else did de Mello write?
Sadhana: A Way to God came out in 1978, and The Song of the Bird in 1982.