Those famous words in the bible, I never really understood them. Then again, I'm not much of a bible scholar to begin with, so there was never much hope.
However, I stumbled upon a book by Anthony De Mello that has impacted my thoughts on life, bringing me closer to an understanding. I encourage any reader to take a look at his works, I finished Awareness and have started on one about Love. The idea stems from the I vs. the me. As he defines it, the me is the ego. It is the part of each of us that gets hungry, tired, mad. The me craves things. The me goes from one desire to another, be it affection, a new car, ice cream, praise. The I represents the steady entity that is behind the me. The I is constant. The I does not change when the physical cells are shed and replenished, nor does it change with the latest mood or desire. The I defies description, yet each of us knows its presence.
He encourages getting more in touch with the I as a means to lasting happiness & fulfillment. And to distance oneself from the me... to remember that the hunger passes, the excitements fade, the toys break. As one distances oneself from the me, one is less effected by the ups and downs of the day.
His ideas ring very true to me. I have been trying to read the bible, along with working, staying fit, and writing a new life plan for myself. When reading the bible, I've been focusing on the quotes of Jesus. With this another things he says, I believe that his instructions were to give up the ties to the possessions and to go to God.
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