Anthony de Mello, biography of a reference in spiritual psychology

Anthony de Mello was an Indian Jesuit priest, spiritual guide and psychotherapist who achieved notable fame for his books, his lectures and unique personality. She was an uncomfortable figure to many and inspiring to others. She approached all religions to extol the most beautiful and interesting of each one, giving us, in turn, valuable advice on personal growth.

His approach was always vital, unique and effective. In books like Rediscover your lifewhich would be his last work, It tells us that all people come into the world being happy.. However, little by little we drift into those personal prisons of suffering where we stop being aware of our potential. Our own thoughts, he points out, are always our worst enemies.

On the other hand, something that De Mello he invoked was the need to accept our spiritual nature. He accepted absolutely all religious beliefs, he felt comfortable in all of them and considered them his home. His often pantheistic approach was something that the Catholic Church did not like very much. In fact, his teachings were banned during the period of Pope Ratsinger. However, this ban would be lifted later.

Father Anthony de Mello is, without a doubt, one of the writers who has sold the most books on spirituality. His texts and messages are an invitation to personal growth, but also a very inspiring revolutionary exercise. In phrases like “take a sentence and shake it until all the words fall and only what sets your heart on fire is left” he shows us the essence of his character.

His main influences were the Theravada Buddhist teacher Chah Subhatto and the philosopher J. Krishnamurti. Even though more than thirty years have passed since his death, his books continue to sell and inspire new generations. Few figures taught us in such an illustrative way to resolve conflicts, to work on our freedom and happiness.

Anthony de Mello biography

Anthony de Mello was born on September 4, 1931 in Bombay, India. He belonged to a middle-class Catholic family. His father Frank and his mother Louisa, both natives of a Portuguese territory called Goa, hoped that his eldest son would prosper in the railway business or better yet, that she would attend university.

Now, Anthony de Mello showed a clear vocation early on: he wanted to become a Jesuit priest. It was in July 1947 when he finally decided to join the Society of Jesus at the Vinalaya seminary, on the outskirts of Bombay. Later, and starting in 1952, he began his academic training. First he spent three years in Barcelona, ​​Spain, studying philosophy.

Later, he would travel to Loyola University in Chicago to train as a psychologist. Here he had the influence and inspiration of Carl Rogers, famous American psychologist, initiator along with Abraham Maslow of the humanistic approach in psychology. Thus, and throughout this student career, De Mello was able to learn from different cultures, and studied Spanish, French, Portuguese and Marathi.

Antony de Mello and the search for spirituality in all religions

It was during the 70s when Anthony de Mello opened his mind and heart to the practice of vipassana meditation.. At this moment, he began to show a closeness to Buddhist spirituality, finding in it benefits that further enriched everything that the Jesuits had taught him.

In his opinion, all religions could offer healing perspectives for human beings. Therefore, he accepted them all and was inspired by all of them. Because in his opinion, The spiritual response of Jesus Christ was just as valid as that given by Confucius, Lao Tzu or Buddha. Thus, in books such as The Song of the Bird, published in 1982, Anthony de Mello defines spirituality in the following way:

In addition, Another well-known facet of this Indian Jesuit and psychotherapist was his great ability to conduct spiritual retreats. in which to guide and inspire others. She had a lot of charisma and a personality that many defined as overwhelming. Now, to some he was little more than a heretic.

He dared to formulate ideas and defend positions that more traditional Catholics could not understand. He was that interreligious teacher who appreciated and defended Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Catholicism in equal parts., because all the religious formulas were valid and inspiring. His charisma always made him always convincing and he brought thousands of followers with him.

A spiritual teacher in the United States

In the 70s he founded the Sadhana Pastoral Counseling in India. Later, he would dedicate his entire life to introducing Eastern spirituality through stories and exercises, in the United States. He was that spiritual healer and psychologist who traveled from east to west, teaching people a type of prayers based on vipassana meditation.

His conferences were a success. Just like those talks that help people focus on the present, to be more aware of their emotions, thoughts and needs. St. Louis University, for example, received him every summer waiting for his courses, as well as the presentation of his books. He wrote 18 in total, an absolute bestseller to inspire millions of people around the world.

Sadly, Anthony de Mello died suddenly at the age of 55. A heart attack took him away in 1987 in New York. After that, his spiritual and theoretical legacy extended even further, fulfilling, in some way, many of his purposes. He taught us to be more aware of our worth, and He invited us, above all, to “wake up”, to contact ourselves and what surrounds us. Only in this way will we find greater opportunities to be happy.

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