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boy, is he ever wrong, sad.

well if he means beware of dogma, then I agree

I don't agree with him at all - life does have meaning. We all look at life with our own distinct perceptions!
Jim

Yes, Pamela, he is INDEED saying, 'Beware of Dogma'!
He is also saying that LIFE has ONLY the MEANING that YOU assign it. Not one iota less, but not one iota more!
Each LIFE, as defined by one's own perceptions, is a totally unique VIEW of MEANING. What is most often found WANTING about this statement, by those who DO view life through the, stained-glass window, of an IDEOLOGY, is thrusted upon them by the DICTATES of that IDEOLOGY! And THAT, is precisely what, Mr. de Mello, is trying to get across with his statement!
Every existence is totally unique, unto itself, there are NO BASKETS to put ANY of them into! (BASKETS, here, referring to IDEOLOGIES)

Namaste

Thank you Wisewolf, I find his words actually quite beautiful. And I posted it to try and get some open minded conversation going, I just love to ponder ALL THAT IS, and I do so thank you for your beautiful addition.

Beautiful Wisewolf.
Every existence is totally unique,unto itself,
biologically too they are the perfect combination
of the 23 chromosomes of father and another 23 chromo-
soomes of mother, bringing into a unique 23 chromosomes
of your own. So remember no ideologies holds good until
you search for your own and find the truth. Truth is truth
and Truth forever.

You all explained it much better than the author of the quote. It makes sense now.

DeMello has had a great impact on me over the years.

Here, in part, he is insisting upon our inability to articulate through words and concepts our experience. He would ask, "can you by words convey the experience of the scent of a rose to a person who has never smelled one?" Certainly not. Reality is too complex for words and concepts, and this is what we make dogma out of--words and concepts. So DeMello pushes us to the direct experience itself--unmediated, undistorted by limiting thoughts. The full impact of things as they are. And there, in the wordless receipt of life's experience, we sense the fullness and meaningfulness of the most ordinary experience.

That observation about the limitation of words and concepts can push us on many more fronts. I take this observation and realize that I have to listen to as many perspectives about what is going on in the world as I can find. My liberal friends hate Fox News, but in Fox News I hear things I can't find in the New York Times. I have to keep listening and listening to everybody. Somewhere in there a sense of the truth arises--temporary, provisional, waiting for more information, but some sense of truth. Articulating that to someone else can be very difficult though, especially the face of the awareness of the inadequacy of words.

I'm reading a book by Eckhart Tolle, in which I find almost the same statement. He is using it to make the point that we should put more importance on realizing our true self, beyond thought or daily life and live in the present, being more concerned about the health of our spiritual self.

I stumbled upon Eckhart Tolle a couple of years ago and read "A New Earth" a little at a time at someone else's home ... over a period of a couple months ... I bought the book and re-read it often :)