Posted March 18, 2003
Spirituality Means Waking Up
Anthony De Mello, SJ
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, no matter what their theology, no matter what
their religion -- are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is
well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be
sure. But, tragically, most people never get to see that all is well
because they are asleep. They are having a nightmare.
Last year on Spanish television I heard a story about this gentleman who
knocks on his son's door. "Jaime," he says, "wake up!" Jaime answers, "I
don't want to get up, Papa." The father shouts, "Get up, you have to go to
school." Jaime says, "I don't want to go to school." "Why not?" asks the
father. "Three reasons," says Jaime. "First, because it's so dull;
second, the kids tease me; and third, I hate school." And the father says,
"Well, 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 they want to get out of kindergarten, but don't
believe them. Don't believe them! All they want 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." This is what they want;
they want their toys replaced. That's all. Even the best psychologist
will tell you that, that 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. It's irritating to be woken up. That's the reason the wise guru will
not attempt to wake people up. I hope I'm going to be wise here and make
no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It is really none
of my business, even though I say to you at times, "Wake up!" 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 rain is the same, but it
makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens."
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