Awareness: Conversations with the Masters

by Anthony de Mello

Book Overview

"Wisdom from one of the greatest spiritual masters of our time."--James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

The heart of Anthony de Mello's bestselling spiritual message is awareness. Mixing Christian spirituality, Buddhist parables, Hindu breathing exercises, and psychological insight, de Mello's words of hope come together in Awareness in a grand synthesis.

In short chapters for reading in quiet moments...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385249373
• ISBN13: 9780385249379
• Release Date: May 1992
• Publisher: Doubleday Religion
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Great book!

First time I read one of his books. Awareness is so key in life and this book has a great way of explaining how to remain in awareness. I have since purchased some of his other books. Started reading “walking on Water” . Continues on the awareness theme plus has easy exercises to experience more awareness and silence. His books are an easy read, exercises are so simple to use throughout the day, and also life changing!

Question Authority

Question authority and begin to do so by observing your conditioned “self”. This book will help you look and see for yourself.

Amazing book.

There are a few books that are so good that I have bought them many times to give away. This is one of them. De Mello is a gift. He bridges conceptual gaps that keep us from Reality with such grace and in easy to digest short sections. It is as perfect of a book as u can find.

Awareness

An intense book to help you learn more about yourself. Different then most books of this kind. It is not an easy read. Had to digest, re-read many parts. Its one to keep you thinking!

The last book on this subject I'll ever read.

If you had told me, an depressive athiest with a history of alcoholism and self-loathing, five years ago that I'd find the greatest book on the most revolutionary wisdom in the Christian section of the bookstore, I would have told you a) get away from me, and b) gimme whatever you're smoking. Since that time I've come into a bit of a "spiritual path", and read countless books on awareness/mindfulness/presence, or whatever you'd like to call this path. Many are wonderful. This was the finest of all, though. This is not a Christian book at all. It is simply another expression of the "one true wisdom" which cuts across all spiritual teachings, religious or otherwise. It is what the Buddha was talking about. It is what Jesus was talking about. It is what Lao Tzu was talking about. It is what Eckhart Tolle, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Tara Brach, Thich Nhat Hahn, Byron Katie are talking about today. There's really only one teaching over the past six thousand years or so. You pick your favorite teacher. De Mello is, after reading this book, mine. Perfectly hilarious and light, but forceful and to the point, without getting bogged down in words. Like someone who so confidently knows the subject matter, so confidently lives it, that there is no need for pretense. If you don't like it because it goes against your doctrine, your dogma, your beliefs, that's fine. When you have suffered enough, you will be ready to wake up from your dream.

Waking up is hard to do ... or is it?

My reaction to this book is similar to most of those who have given it 5 stars so I won't repeat what they have all said. It's certainly a refreshing point of view that de Mello offers here and anybody who has found themselves questioning their religion, depressed and despondent about the state of their life or just not content within their current spiritual life practices can potentially gain from reading AWARENESS. It is so unlike the many self-help books that attempt to convince people they must change themselves or others to be more whatever it is is they think is right or good or happy or enlightened (i.e. "don't sweat the small stuff", etc.). This book makes it clear that the author holds no such illusions. You won't change anybody by reading this book. You won't even change yourself. You might, however, just start curiously observing or reflecting on yourself and your actions or feelings in a different way, a way more authentic to the person you really and truly are and what that person you call "I" wants or needs from life. And that little tweak in the way you perceive and experience your life can ripple widely and resonate deeply in you. You might just find that you no longer have such strong desires to change yourself or others and instead find in its place a developing sense of humorous detachment and delight as you begin to see through the folly that was ensnaring you and continues to ensnare others and simply enjoy a life free of your earlier immature mental and spiritual constraints. That is how I assess the effect of this book on my own life as it has become part of it through reading and re-reading this book from time to time.

a highly recommended classic

This is an excellent book. De Mello went far beyond the orthodox catholic dogma by addressing what (to me) is one of the most important practical and existential issues facing us: how does one learn to live one's life with the bittersweet delightfulness that accompanies us when we manage to be present and aware. In other words, how do we learn to become a free person. Typically, our awareness is clouded by others' expectations and by our desires to escape the perceived unpleasantness of the present moment. In order to free ourselves from the desires and escapism we need to be aware; de Mello's book is a classic (and still unsurpassed) manual that guides us into the conscious universe where we can finally heave a sigh of relief and start enjoying this great gift of life.

This book changed my life

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.