A thought is a screen, not a mirror; that is why you live in a thought envelope, untouched by Reality.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Thoughts block direct experience of reality rather than reflecting it.
- In plain terms
- Your thoughts are screens that hide reality from you.
- What can you take from it?
- Move beyond thinking to see reality clearly.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When do thoughts distort reality?
- How can you notice your mental screens?
Another view
Thinking is necessary for many practical tasks.
More from Anthony de Mello
A disciple said to him, 'I am ready, in the quest for God, to give up anything: wealth, friends, family, country, life itself. What else can a person give up?'…
Permalink to quote #1 A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, 'Wait.' Each year the discipl…
Permalink to quote #3 All I did was sit on the riverbank handing out river water. After I'm gone, I trust you will notice the river.
Permalink to quote #4
Related quotes
'The conventional mind is at best a petty piece of machinery. It is oyster-like in its functioning, or, perhaps better, clam-like. It has its little siphon of …
Theodore DreiserTheodore Dreiser quote #12 Our minds are circumscribed by our immediate reality but we stop short at the thought of it.
OvidOvid quote #75 Depression presents itself as a realism regarding the rottenness of the world in general and the rottenness of your life in particular.
Jonathan FranzenJonathan Franzen quote #1