Rediscovering Life: Jalan Sederhana Menuju Kebahagiaan Hidup

by Anthony de Mello

"Ketika mata tidak terganggu, hasilnya adalah penglihatan.
Ketika telinga tidak terganggu, hasilnya adalah pendengaran.
Ketika mulut tidak terganggu, hasilnya adalah cita rasa.
Ketika pikiran tidak terganggu, hasilnya adalah kebenaran.
Dan ketika hari tidak terganggu, hasilnya adalah kegembiraan dan cinta.
Anda sudah mendapatkan semuanya, tetapi terganggu.
Lepaskanlah gangguan itu."

Rediscovering Life mengajak kita untuk menyingkap arti lebih dalam dari hidup kita. Dengan menjadi sadar akan sifat alami dan kompleksitas pikiran-pikiran kita yang membatasi, kita akan menemukan solusi sederhana yang akan melepaskan kita dari perasaan terasing, amarah, kesedihan, dan depresi. Singkatnya, buku ini menawarkan pada kita sebuah cara baru untuk melihat dunia dan Tuhan, cara yang akan mentransformasi hidup kita. Selain itu, buku ini juga tentang berbelas kasih, berbela rasa yang akan menggugah kesadaran Anda terhadap keindahan pengalaman manusia dan meningkatkan kemampuan Anda untuk menemukan Dia di dalam segala.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Religion, Unfinished

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist who became widely known for his books on spirituality. An internationally acclaimed spiritual guide, writer and public speaker, de Mello hosted many spiritual conferences.

The few talks which he allowed to be filmed, such as "A Rediscovery of Life" and "A Way to God for Today," have inspired many viewers and audiences throughout the United States, Canada, and Central America. De Mello established a prayer center in India. He died suddenly in 1987. His works are readily available and additional writings were published after his death.

In 1998, some of his opinions were condemned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, wrote for the Congregation:
"But already in certain passages in [his] early works and to a greater degree in his later publications, one notices a progressive distancing from the essential contents of the Christian faith. ... With the present Notification, in order to protect the good of the Christian faithful, this Congregation declares that the above-mentioned positions are incompatible with the Catholic faith and can cause grave harm."

Some editions of his books have since been supplemented with the insertion of a caution:
"The books of Father Anthony de Mello were written in a multi-religious context to help the followers of other religions, agnostics and atheists in their spiritual search, and they were not intended by the author as manuals of instruction of the Catholic faithful in Christian doctrine or dogma."

Reviews

[Jokoloyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great short book with simple universal message. This book is linking Christian philosophy with Eastern philosophy. The message is simple, but I don't think all people can do it easily.

The writing style is more like interviews or the author answering questions. When reading this book, I wish I could asked the author too.

I have some concerns: I read the Indonesian edition and I found some questions on this book were not answered completely. I am not sure if there are lost in translation processes or else. If only I have access to the original English edition to make sure.

[Matthew Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book.

The essence of this book is

#1. The root of all suffering is not desire but attachments. And the key to understanding happiness is not what it feels like to be happy but what to see what in our life the attachments that make us unhappy and through by and by of seeing we can know the feeling of happiness.

#2. The know that all attachments in our lives have come from conditioning. It's nobody's fault in fact you should not blame your parents, the culture you grew up in, and don't even blame yourself. The fact is nobody really knew they were operating in their life's based on conditionings. Maturity is when you don't point the blame, but you see the conditioning, you see the attachments and you go about remedying them.

I would certainly read this it's probably beginners level material but even for someone who's been into spirituality could certainly gain something from it.

Good Read I'd give it a B.

[◾ Najoua Fatima ◾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accepter la vie comme elle vient est le secret d'une existence sereine

[Hitesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reality of life in just few pages. book to be treasured.

[Alyssa Manske · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came to me at exactly the right moment in my life. It was recommended to me by a close friend and the points De Mello makes in this book are life-changing yet incredibly simple. As an atheist, I was curious as I started the book about what perspective De Mello would go in regards to his advice (being a Jesuit Priest), but I was pleasantly surprised; not only does he answer many questions about rediscovering life in regards to being Christian, he also uses many parables and stories from other religions that are applicable and beneficial to us all. No matter what religion or background you are from, releasing one’s self from attachments to your career, loved ones, or anything else you desire is the only way we can truly experience freedom, happiness, love....and life to the fullest. Thank you for this excellent read. I cannot wait to recommend this book to all my friends and family.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from GoodReads First Read program.

This is a short book that covers Anthony de Mello's last lecture on finding happiness in this life. The key is to avoid all attachments. Seems very simple and I do think he is correct in his analysis. The problem to this is that we have personal relationships such as marriage and children that come with attachments. I think it is a helpful book though in order to see how we are programmed to suffer the misery we suffer and that can be avoided. Questions from the audience are asked and de Mello answers them.

Good quick read that will get you thinking.

[Stephanie Barko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite DeMello's in-your-face style at the beginning, I ended up liking this book.
It made for an engaging discussion at South Austin Spiritual Book Group, where it was our selection for September this year.

[Siska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly deep insights, described with such clarity and lightness. This is a book I'm sure I will re-read and recommend to everyone.

[Aliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony de Mello... Prva njegova knjiga koju sam pročitala bila je Buđenje svijesti i to davno, slučajno, na preporuku jedne cure koja ju je čitala na putovanju na kojem sam i ja bila... I kad sam krenula čitati... O, kako nisam bila spremna na tu eksploziju misli... Baš mi je otvorio vidike. Bila sam tad mlađa, puno, puno mlađa i uzimajući sad nastavak knjige koja mi je tada poljuljala svijet i potaknula me da se zamislim, snažno promislim... Pitala sam se hoće li tako biti i sada kad sam starija. I mogu reći da me i dalje šokira, ali pozitivno. Nije za nježne dušice.

[Nelson R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Del Mello!

He’s just a great teacher of life, of reality. His mind is like no other, I don’t agree with everything he says but it’s just an amazing idea of how self awareness can see the cracks of life.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If one wants to possess a mellow outlook on life, who better to learn that from De Mello himself.

[Cameron Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary book that has truly transformed the way I approach my daily life.

[Paulina Kowalska · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Umysł ludzki jest niezwykły. Wymyślił komputer. Rozszczepił atom. Posłał statki kosmiczne w przestrzeń. Nie rozwiązał jednak problemu ludzkiego cierpienia, lęku, samotności, pustki, rozpaczy."

"Sądzę więc teraz, że zmarnowałem kawał życia. Ale nie żałowałem nawet przez minutę. Po co tracić choćby minutę na żal nad przeszłością?"

"Otóż taka jest kondycja wszystkich ludzi. Nie słuchają. Nie chcą słuchać. Mówisz im, że życie jest nadzwyczajne, życie jest cudowne: możecie się nim cieszyć. Nie będziecie żyli ani minuty w napięciu, ani jednej. Nie będziecie odczuwali żadnej presji. Żadnego niepokoju. Chcecie tego? Odpowiedź: — Niemożliwe. Nie uda się. To nie może się udać."

"Tak więc pierwsza rzecz: przyznajcie, że wasze życie jest w nieładzie. I druga — ta jest trochę trudniejsza. Gotowi? Oto ona: Nie chcecie z niego wyjść. Nie chcecie wyjść z nieładu. Porozmawiajcie z jakimkolwiek uznanym psychologiem, a to potwierdzi. Ostatnią rzeczą, jakiej pragnie klient, jest wyzdrowienie. On nie chce wyzdrowieć, chce doznać ulgi."

"Nie możesz zrobić niczego, żeby być szczęśliwym, głuptasie. Skoro myślisz, że musisz coś zrobić, żeby być szczęśliwym, widać, jak zła była twoja teologiczna edukacja. Żeby być szczęśliwym, nie musisz niczego robić. Szczęścia nie możesz zdobyć. Wiesz dlaczego? Ponieważ już je masz. Dostałeś je od razu. Tylko przez cały czas je blokujesz swoją głupotą. Blokujesz je. Przestań je blokować, a będziesz je miał. A jeśli pokażę wam, jak pozbyć się konfliktów, niepokojów, napięć, presji, pustki, samotności, rozpaczy, nieszczęścia— i jeśli zdołacie pozbyć się tego wszystkiego — to co wam zostanie? Czyste, nierozcieńczone szczęście, oto, co będziecie mieć."

"Chcę dać wam coś do przemyślenia na ten temat. Czy przyszło wam kiedykolwiek do głowy, że to, co nazywacie szczęściem, w rzeczywistości zakuwa was w kajdany? Czy na przykład nazywacie kogoś swoim szczęściem? Czy mówicie: „Jesteś moją radością”? To może być małżeństwo, biznes, stopień naukowy, cokolwiek. W kim lub czym znajdujecie swoje szczęście? Bez względu na to, jak brzmi odpowiedź, to właśnie ta rzecz jest waszym więzieniem. O, to bardzo trudna sprawa. Zastanówcie się jednak nad tymi słowami — tnąc, skrobiąc, topiąc."

"A oto on: Świat jest pełen smutku. Korzeniem smutku jest pragnienie. Wykorzenieniem smutku jest pozbycie się pragnień."

"Świat jest pełen smutku. Korzeniem smutku jest przywiązanie. Wykorzenienie smutku oznacza wykorzenienie, porzucenie przywiązań. Wiecie, istnieją pragnienia, od spełnienia których moje szczęście nie zależy. W rzeczywistości macie mnóstwo pragnień, od spełnienia których wasze szczęście nie zależy. Bo inaczej chodzilibyście po ścianach; bylibyście nerwowymi wrakami. My wszyscy mamy dwa typy pragnień. Mamy pewne pragnienia i jesteśmy nadzwyczaj szczęśliwi, kiedy je spełnimy, a kiedy ich nie spełnimy, też jest dobrze, po prostu pech. Nie jesteśmy nieszczęśliwi. Ale mamy też inne pragnienia — dobry Boże — jeśli ich nie spełnimy, będziemy naprawdę nieszczęśliwi. Właśnie to rozumiem przez przywiązanie."

"— Chcesz powiedzieć, że jeśli nie zdobędę Mary Jane (albo nie zdobędę Johna), będę szczęśliwy (szczęśliwa)? Hej, poczekaj, jak się nad tym zastanowić, to masz rację. Zanim ją poznałem (go poznałam), byłem szczęśliwy (byłam szczęśliwa). — Wiesz co? Kiedyś zakochałem się w kimś i potem, no wiesz, straciłem ją i miałem złamane serce. I co się stało? Teraz czuję się dobrze. Zatem ona nie była moim szczęściem, jednak nie. Pamiętacie, jak byliście dziećmi i coś zgubiliście i myśleliście: „Nie będę bez tego szczęśliwy”. I co się stało? Gdybyśmy dali wam to dzisiaj, nawet byście na to nie spojrzeli."

"A więc: świat jest pełen smutku. Korzeniem smutku jest przywiązanie- pragnienie. Wykorzenieniem smutku jest porzucenie przywiązań. Jak można porzucić przywiązanie? Wystarczy spojrzeć i zrozumieć, że jest ono oparte na fałszywym przekonaniu — przekonaniu, że bez niego nie mogę być szczęśliwy. To fałsz. W chwili, gdy zrozumiesz, że to przekonanie jest fałszywe, będziesz wolny. Powodzenia. Może wystarczy na to minuta, a może będzie trzeba dwudziestu pięciu lat. Jednak w dniu, w którym to zrozumiesz, będziesz wolny."

"Szczęście jest stanem nieprzywiązania."

"Nie byłbym pogrążony w żalu, gdybym nie był przywiązany. Nie byłbym pogrążony w żalu, gdyby to nie była moja strata. Nie byłbym pogrążony w żalu, gdyby ta osoba, w jakiś sposób, nie była moim szczęściem. Kiedy jednak cieszę się tobą w pełni, kocham cię w takim sensie: „Jestem wrażliwy, troszczę się. Pragnę twego dobra”. I zostawiam ci wolność. I nie jesteś moim szczęściem. Nie daję ci władzy decydowania, czy będę szczęśliwy, czy nie. Wówczas nie opłakuję twojej nieobecności ani twojego odrzucenia. Ani twojej śmierci. To trudne. Być może będziecie potrzebowali wielu miesięcy, aby to przetrawić. Mimo wszystko żal jest jednak czymś cudownym. Usuwamy go ze swojego organizmu stopniowo i wtedy znowu wracamy do życia."

"Przygotuj swoją duszę na szok. Uwaga! Powiem to po prostu; mam zamiar rzucić bombę między was. Posłuchajcie: nic w rzeczywistości, nic w życiu, nic, co jest na świecie, was nie martwi. Nic nie ma mocy was zmartwić. Czy ktoś wam o tym powiedział? Całe przygnębienie istnieje w was, a nie w rzeczywistości. Możecie podkreślić słowo „całe”. Całe. Całe. Całe. Całe przygnębienie istnieje w was, nie w życiu. Nie w rzeczywistości. Nie na świecie. Ono jest w was."

"Nic na świecie nie ma mocy, aby was wytrącić z równowagi. Nic. Tak naprawdę nic was nie wytrąca z równowagi. Nikt was nie krzywdzi. To wy głupio krzywdzicie sami siebie."

"„On mnie nie denerwuje. Ja się nie denerwuję. To zaprogramowanie mnie denerwuje”. Jak to naprawić? Znacie słynną wschodnią odpowiedź? Nie naprawiaj tego. Zostaw w spokoju. To samo odejdzie. Im bardziej będziesz się starać to naprawić, tym silniejsze się to stanie."

"Wędrówka tysiąca mil zaczyna się od pierwszego kroku."

"Prawdziwe szczęście nie jest niczym spowodowane. Prawdziwe szczęście nie ma przyczyny. Jeśli zapytacie mistyka, dlaczego jest szczęśliwy, odpowie wam: „A dlaczego nie?”. Żadnych przeszkód, żadnego zablokowania. Dlaczego nie?"

"Może to robisz. Można wszystko zrobić z tymi ludzkimi małpami. Wystarczy tylko, że im powiesz, że ich lubisz, i jeszcze coś dobrego na ich temat. Najpierw będą zachwyceni, potem będą cię kochać. Oczywiście to, co oni nazywają miłością, jest tak naprawdę małpią miłością. Wiecie, jaka to miłość? Popatrzcie. „Bądź dla mnie dobry. A ja będę dobry dla ciebie. Dajesz mi to, czego chcę, i ja cię lubię. Nie dajesz mi tego, czego chcę, nie lubię cię”. To ma być miłość?"

[Melishes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at emotional dependencies and attachment, and how to rid oneself of both.

[Veronica Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different perspective on happiness and life. Some of the things he mentioned already are making a change for me.

[Il Priorato Dei Bibliofili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellissimo, scorrevole e illuminante. Lo suggerisco assolutamente.

[Nick Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, once again. A simple and refreshing read with a lasting message. Guaranteed to have one content for weeks after.

[Beau Robicheaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding meditation for those who enjoyed de Mello's more comprehensive work—Awareness.

If you've already read Awareness, you probably don't really need to read Rediscovering Life; he doesn't really cover new ground here. He does answer some questions put forth to him in this work, which is a nice touch. But I'd say the value of this book is really that it functions as a fairly quick refresher on the principles he discusses in Awareness.

As a Catholic, de Mello is an author I struggle with. There's some mis-information out there on him, with folks mentioning that he was "excommunicated" from the church, or that his books were banned by Pope Benedict, etc. None of those statements are accurate. In fact, Ratzinger writes in his "Notification" concerning de Mello's writing that, "His works, which almost always take the form of brief stories, contain some valid elements of oriental wisdom. These can be helpful in achieving self-mastery, in breaking the bonds and feelings that keep us from being free, and in approaching with serenity the various vicissitudes of life."

So I take some comfort in the fact that his teachings on "self-mastery" are within the scope of Catholic orthodoxy. The main criticisms of de Mello (as expressed in Ratzinger's written notification) are around his view of God (an "intuition of God without form or image), his view of religion ("one of the major obstacles to the discovery of truth"), the nature of Jesus ("he considers Jesus as a master alongside others. The only difference from other men is that Jesus is 'awake' and fully free, while others are not"), and the nature of Good and Evil ("Good and evil are simply mental evaluations imposed upon reality").

For those who are concerned regarding de Mello's teachings, in my opinion, Rediscovering Life seemed to stay largely within the bounds of Church teaching; nor, in this work, does he deny the presence of Good and Evil as objective realities, distinct from our mental evaluations. Nor does he indicate in this work, that we should not work to correct injustices. For example, he writes, regarding a question posed to him about taking action to stop injustices that "[. . .] may you take action? Go right ahead and take action. Take all the action you want. Yes, it's okay. The point is, you're taking action to right a wrong. You're not taking action to relieve an upset feeling."

If I had the opportunity to ask de Mello anything, it likely would be around the topic of grieving for the loss of a loved one. De Mello indicates that one should not grieve, since that is an indication of an attachment; that we are essentially grieving for ourselves, that we have lost someone we are emotionally dependent upon (which he would indicate is not true love). Yet I'd be curious how he reconciles that with the famous quote from John "And Jesus wept" upon seeing the dead body of Lazarus. I suspect he'd argue that Jesus wept at the presence of evil (death) and not because of his emotional attachment to Lazarus, but I wish someone had asked him that question!

All that said, I find his message on detachment to be incredibly powerful and I've found myself working this year to at least be aware of my attachments and how they impact my happiness and behaviors, with an eye to not relying on possessions and peoples' opinions and labels to derive happiness.

Next time someone compliments you, and you feel larger than life, think about de Mello's teachings. I've found it centers me in emotional self-mastery and helps me block out the beats of others' drums, which often march me down the paths of unhappiness.

[T. Laane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one makes me a bit sad - recorded only a month before his death. Some random notes:
* Happiness arises from detachment. Specific desires and attachments - whether to people, things, or outcomes - are the root of misery. True joy comes from embracing freedom and the ability to love without need or possession.
* The Illusion of Progress: Technological advancement is hollow if it doesn’t lead to inner peace and connectedness. True progress must transform the heart, not just the external world.
* Freedom from ego comes when we no longer seek validation by comparing ourselves to others. Letting go of the need to "be better" or "win" allows for authentic self-expression.
* Emotional pain often stems from internal programming, not external events. Maturity means letting go of blame - toward others, the world, or oneself - and understanding that reactions are conditioned, not inevitable.
* Love without attachment or desire is pure and liberating. It is not about possession or needing someone, but about freely giving and receiving without conditions.
* Society emphasizes achievement and productivity, often at the cost of individual happiness. True fulfillment comes from questioning these expectations and choosing joy over societal pressures.
* Loneliness stems from the belief that we need others to feel whole. True connection is about mutual reliance for practical needs, not emotional dependence for happiness.
* Achievements and material gains bring temporary joy. Once they become routine, we seek the next thrill. True contentment lies beyond this cycle.
* Action, whether for justice or to right a wrong, should come from a place of calm, not anger or upset. Emotional detachment allows for clearer, more effective decisions.

[Joy Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

🇪🇦 Este libro ha sido un regalo y me ha encantado, habla sobre el amor, la programación, la felicidad y nuestros condicionamientos y límites impuestos. Es un libro que puede ser un más en tu vida y una lectura muy recomendada🤞

🟠 Habla del apego que tenemos a las cosas y la dependencia emocional hacia las personas, sobre creencias e ilusiones falsas, nuestras ideas erróneas, cómo nos podemos despegar de la esperanza, los sueños y el duelo, habla del miedo irreal, de la libertad y muchos más temas sorprendentes🫶

🔵 Me ha gustado mucho la forma de redactar y cómo el autor va empujándote por cada tema, cómo te lleva hacia esas respuestas que ve necesario que conozcas, incluso, cómo te adentra en cada tema de una forma amena, tranquila y corta, se entiende muy bien y habla con sencillez y dinamismo, he podido subrayar y quedarme con lo importante. Está entre mis recomendados😘❤️
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🇬🇧 This book has been a gift and I have loved it, it talks about love, programming, happiness and our imposed limits and conditions. It is a book that can be one more in your life and a highly recommendeded one🤞

🟠 It talks about the attachment we have to things and emotional dependence towards people, about false beliefs and illusions, our misconceptions, how we can take off from hope, dreams and mourning, talks about an unreal fear, freedom and many more surprising subjects 🫶

🔵 I have liked the way to write and how the author is pushing you around every subject, how he leads you to those answers that you need to know, even how he gets you into each subject in a nice, quiet and short way, to help you to understand the book and talks with simplicity and dynamism, he had been able to emphasize and keep the important things. It's among my recommended ones😘❤️

[Max Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short book containing notes from de Mello's lectures.

While this is nice enough, I recommend reading de Mello's book Awareness instead. Awareness contains the same key ideas, they are just more deeply explored there.

In any case, I selected two quotes from Rediscovering Life that I believe sum up the core of the message.

The argues that a false sense of attachment is the root of our dissatisfaction with life:

The world is full of sorrow. The root of sorrow is attachment/desire. The uprooting of sorrow is the dropping of attachment. How does one drop attachment? You only look and see that it is based on a false belief—the belief that, without this, I cannot be happy. That’s false. The moment you see that belief is false, you’re free. Good luck to you. It may take you one minute, it may take you twenty-five years.

The suggests that even as we have let go of attachment, we can apply ourselves to our lives:

Plunge into the heat of battle and keep your heart at the lotus feet of the Lord. At peace. Is it possible to go into the din of battle, to fight the good fight, and be at peace? Of course, it is. All the great mystics attained that. Because if you’re not at peace, believe me, you’re going to do much more damage than good. You know why? Because it isn’t the Lord’s battle you’re fighting, it’s the ego’s battle.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony de Mello's Rediscovering Life: Awaken to Reality is a powerfully insightful read and a wonderful blend of the author/teacher's style and approach. Published posthumously, this book serves as a wonderful companion piece to Awareness (see my review from 6/19/17). What I really enjoyed about Rediscovering Life was that it works as a mosaic of De Mello's lifelong teachings. De Mello speaks in the confident, authenticate voice he is known for, giving us life lessons and examples on how to implement them in the real word. Additionally, this book contains memorable parables like "the tourists on the bus" and "the lion who thought he was a sheep." But what I found most striking was the Q&A section where the publishers added real questions and answers from De Mello's
seminars . I thought this worked very well.

My final thoughts: this another great book from Anthony De Mello that continues his message of love and awareness as pathways to inner-peace and enlightenment. I highly, highly recommend reading this one. One last note: first-time readers of Anthony de Mello can certainly start with Rediscovering Life, but I recommend reading Awareness first.

[Raman Munjal · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you intend to read this book , it works best if you are willing to believe that " Your life is in a mess " ; which is the author's argument. Your life is in a mess if you're unhappy or sad or feel lonely at times.
I know it sounds like a normal part of the human experience, but the author doesn't stand it. That is his definition. If you can't accept to name anger , desperation , loneliness or emptiness as a state of being in a mess , he won't entertain you any further.
And another way , another life is possible , one full of happiness.
This book is about that other life.
Spirituality has often moved me. But I always felt closest to Bukowski , Marie Howe , Sarah Kane etc etc.
This book changed my life. I was happier the day after and have been relatively much happier and at peace in the week since I read this book.
All you need to do is to listen closely.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often that I find someone who's words are so refreshingly honest and self reflective. Despite being a Jesuit priest, Mello shares knowledge across Hinduism and Buddhism (he lives in India). His words are humorous yet insightful. Some wisdom that truly resonated with me (paraphrased).

- There is no one doing "it" to us, only us doing it to ourselves. Thus, all problems are created in our minds.

- There is no need to become upset in order to take action. Take appropriate action without being an additional person who will be suffering.

- Happiness is always available but the veil of attachment blurs it. If I want true happiness, I have to give up my programming.

Brilliant and short read. Highly recommended!

[Alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

A short book that could be even shorter. The main idea is simple and, I would say, good in its core, but the way it is handed to the reader is somewhere between funny and condescending.

The author states that it is simple, yet continues to call it a "secret" that he discovered and it can take us minutes or years to understand it. And if we do not agree with the author, it is our bad that we fail to understand this secret (lol). This creates a sort of mystical vibe that just feels fake to me - even more with the Christian and Buddhist references and the sureness of the author that there are no other approaches or explanations of love, life, and happiness.

(but yeah, maybe I am just not ready to see the depth of this book)

[Andrew Austin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know I’ll read an extra book this year, otherwise I would not have even counted this ridiculous drivel toward my reading goal. Really a pamphlet, stretched out with huge typesetting and margin - this rambling book says the same thing for 100 pages. And not only do you have to sit through his new age nonsense, he throws in Jesus too. My aunt gave me this book so I gave it a try. Basically - you can be happy if you let yourself- you’ve been programmed to be unhappy. Break from that. Oh and the Catholic Church saying this to a reader is hysterical on its own. This review is basically as long as the book.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor chap

The thrust of the book is this: we're unhappy because of our desires. All of these "desires" aren't natural, despite what theologians, scholars and scientists have told us. These "desires" have been programmed unto us by society. I generously gave this book 3 stars because yes, expectations can be unrealistic. We can in fact stretch our happiness to others. To deny our God given feelings is an exercise in futility. The author has never been married or had any children. Rather than acknowledge his sorrow over this, he goes to great lengths to convince himself that we're the ones missing out?

[Marichu Huerta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indiscutible la grandeza de las palabras y el conocimiento de Antony de Melo. Todo en él es sabiduría. El uso de diferentes cuentos para acercar el conocimiento a nosotros me encanta y considero que es una herramienta valiosisima.
Pero creo que en este caso la traducción a español hace que de pierda mucho de la esencia de su mensaje. Creo que es una traducción tecnica sin entender realmente el mensaje que con llevan las palabras que él dice. Se empobrece el te to en el tipo de traducción utilizado.
Es un grande Antony de Melo.

[David Torgerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, powerful book by a Jesuit priest who has conducted seminars world-wide, on how we can, with practice, live in undisturbed peace, being aware of our programming that blames others for our own suffering. Kind of Buddhist and Jesus's teaching put in modern terms. He also does a good job explaining what real love is. He uses many stories to get his points across. I highly recommend this book if you are on a spiritual path.

[Anhudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of Anthony de Mello's that I've read. "Awareness" was my introduction to the unique style of professing wisdom that this author has. "Rediscovering Life" was a spiritual kick in the gut- in the best way possible. This book reminds you that nothing intrinsically makes you upset other than yourself. I like how to the point and brief these books are. Easily can be read in two days with impacts that'll last years.