The everyday invitation to soul-based living.
(26.10.23)
“What will it profit a person, if she gains the whole world and forfeits her life?” (Matthew 16:26)
In his sharp edged and delightful small book, The way to love (1991), Anthony DeMello invites his readers to consider a series of contrasts between soul-based and worldly feelings and affects:
- The contrast between the feeling of being praised, approved, and applauded and the feeling of looking at a sunset or sunrise, being in nature, reading a book or seeing a movie that you thoroughly enjoy … the first feeling comes from self-glorification … a worldly feeling, the second from self-fulfilment, a soul feeling.
- The contrast between the feeling you have when you finally succeed, make it to the top, win a game, a bet, an argument, and the feeling that comes from really enjoying the job that you are doing and are absorbed in … again the first (fleeting and elusive) is a worldly feeling, the second (a constant possibility) a soul feeling.
- The contrast between the feeling of having power over others and being popular (worldly) and the feeling of intimacy, companionship, enjoyment, fun and laughter with a friend or group (soul).
DeMello’s argument is that the kind of worldly feelings illustrated above are based on socially constructed expectations and assumptions, are fleeting, addictive, and hold the potential to blind a person from the generous banquet of life available to each of us who are free to focus on practices and choices that lead to soul-based feelings of self-fulfilment. This is his interpretation of the saying of Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s gospel. I wonder what you think of his argument. It very much appealed to me. Reading further into his book you would find the possibility of being able to enjoy things like success and applause if one is not addicted to them and could freely live with their absence.
What strikes me in these illustrative contrasts is the idea of freedom of choice. I can torture myself over the pursuit of an unobtainable or elusive social/professional goal, or I could daily choose a more soul-based existence and embrace my work and life for its own value and giftedness. I can defer happiness to some future time when all my ducks are in a row, the holy grail of public and/or material achievement has been grasped, or I can look around me at the banquet of goodness that is on offer to me now, through the land, the sky, the music, the comedy, the relationships, and the work that is in front of me today.
Peace out.
A message from the Author
