The three most difficult things

I’m posting this for me to remember later from the superb book Awareness by Anthony De Mello.

“Someone once said, “The three most difficult things for human being are not physical feats or intellectual achievements. They are, first, returning love for hate; second, including the excluded; third, admitting that you are wrong.””

There is a fourth thing as well, which is understanding that happiness is not dependent on something outside ourselves:

“We were told that happiness is a smooth complexion, a holiday resort. It isn’t these things, but we have subtle ways of making our happiness depend on other things, both within us and outside us. We say, “I refuse to be happy until my neurosis goes.” I have good news for you: You can be happy right now, with the neurosis, You want even better news?

There’s only one reason why you’re not experiencing what in India we call anand [bliss]. There’s only one reason why you’re not experiencing bliss at this present moment, and it’s because you’re thinking or focusing on what you don’t have. Otherwise you would be experiencing bliss.

You’re focusing on what you don’t have. But, right now you have everything you need to be in bliss.”