Thought of the Week – 9th June 2025 (3)
humility
a humble heart draws the heaven to itself….
Have you ever seen a pigeon’s nest? Broken, messy and sometimes it’s not even there, have you wondered why it is so?
There was a time when pigeons used to lay eggs in the bushes; fox would come and eat the eggs. When pigeons couldn’t find a way to guard the eggs they went to the sparrows for help.
Sparrows said, ‘There is no other option but to build a nest on the tree.’
Pigeons made a nest, but it wasn’t done properly. Finally, they decided to take help from the sparrows to build the nest.
The birds were happy to teach the pigeons to make a good nest. When they had just begun to build the nest, pigeons said.. ‘Even we know how to build it like this, we will make it on our own.’
relinquish the desire to be ‘right’ or of imaginary value to society…
– David Hawkins, The Eye of the I: From Which Nothing is Hidden
Learning to fight without the Ego
There is a Sufi story: It happened in the life of Omar, a great Mohammedan Caliph. He was fighting with an enemy for thirty years. The enemy was very strong and the fight continued – a lifetime of war. In the end, it happened one day that the opportunity came. The enemy fell off his horse and Omar jumped on him with his spear. In just one second the spear would have pierced the heart of the man and everything would have been finished. But in that small gap the enemy did one thing: he spat on Omar’s face – and the spear stopped. Omar touched his face, got up and told the enemy, ‘Tomorrow we start again.’ The enemy was puzzled. He said, ‘What is the matter? I have been waiting for this for thirty years, and you have been waiting for this for thirty years.
I have been waiting, hoping that someday or other I would be on your chest with my spear and the thing would be finished. That opportunity never came to me, but it came your way. You could have finished me in a single moment. What is the matter with you?’
Humility, unlike humiliation, is liberating
When you feel humble, you don’t mind acknowledging your flaws and getting creative with your limitations. Narcissists resist humility, confusing it with humiliation….
….Where pride closes the heart and defends us from others, humility opens the heart and allows others in…
Humility
Humility does not come easily for people brought up on bullet points and clear answers. For Americans in particular, who have raised pride and self-esteem to a high art, even the word ‘humility’ raises hackles. It is more acceptable – even expected – for Americans to sing their own praises. When Mohammad Ali was taken to task, chided for arrogance when he claimed he was “the greatest,” he said “It ain’t arrogant if you can do it!” Fifty years later, young Americans are still told this story by their sports coaches as they are encouraged to succeed. Maybe for winning at sports it’s not bad advice, but as a preparation for life in the messy uncertainties of the 21st century it has all the hallmarks of a neurotic response…..
Humility
Humility is vastly undervalued in our modern Western culture. It is a prevalent belief that humility is fine for the pious or holy, but in the “real” world it won’t get you very far. Continue reading
ONE TUSK 