Oct 21 2007, 05:20 PM Bởi: duynhien

ON WAKING UP - Anthony de Mello

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Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don't know it, are asleep. They're born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, they are all unanimous, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - they are all unanimous on one thing, and that one thing is: all is well, all is well. Everything is a mess, and all is well. Strange paradox. But, tragically, most people never get to see that, they never get to see that all is well, because they are asleep. They are in a nightmare.

In talking about sleeping reminds me: last year on Spanish television I saw a nice little story about this elderly gentleman who knocked at the door of his son who was asleep . He said "Jaime, wake up!" And Jaime said, "I don't want to get up, Papa." And the old man said "Get up, you’ve got to go to school." Jaime said, "I don't want to go to school." "Why not?" said the old man. "Because, first, it's so dull; second, the kids all tease me; and third, I hate school." So the old man said "I am going to give you three reasons why you must go to school. First, because it is your duty; second, because you are forty-five years old, and third, because you are the headmaster." Wake up, wake up! You've grown up. You're too big to be asleep. Wake up! Stop playing with your toys.

Most people tell you that they want to get out of kindergarten, but don't believe them. Don't believe them! All they want for you to do is to mend their broken toys. "Give me back my wife. Give me back my job. Give me back my money. Give me back my reputation, my success." That is what they want; they want their toys repaired. That's all. Now, even the best psychologist will tell you that, they will tell you people don't really want to be cured. What they want is relief. A cure is painful..

Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice and comfortable in bed. And at least, as long as you are asleep, it's irritating to be woken up. That's the reason why I told you the wise guru will not attempt to wake people up. I hope I'm going to be wise these days and make no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. None of my business. My business is to do my thing, to dance my dance. If you profit from it, fine; if you don't, too bad! As the Arabs say, "The nature of the rain is the same, but it grows thorns in the marshes and flowers in the garden”