Humility is the essence of being human. Although often thought of as the spiritual antidote of pride, for me humility is the marrow of a selfless person. Ultimately, our spiritual struggles are with the many faces of ingrained self involvement and our self centered ways. We tend to be Copernican in our thinking, acting, and motivation. The obviousness of this reveals itself the longer we travel a spiritual path.
Whether I am in awe over galactic pictures of the dynamic universe or pondering the miracle of the wind singing through the autumn leaves of an aspen, the incredulity of the natural world humbles me to the roots of my existence. Of course the steady stream of my faux paux, the limitations of my empathy for other people, the stepping on toes of those I love, the bumps and bruises of cruising through a world that is poisoning the environment, practicing genocide, dying from viruses, ad infinitum, as well as my own greediness, resentments, and inflation, all add to the karmic mix of an ordinary person attempting to walk a humble path. What can I say...Oy!
In spite of our deeply ingrained self reference points, humility can awaken as a compass. With the passing of years we can ripen, the cliffs of separation can erode with the wind of compassion and the breeze of clarity. We can know the world as ourselves and respond to it as all beings reveal our very heart and mind, we can loosen the bonds that divide us from all manifestations of wonder and glory and grace, which is to say, we can be completely alive by dropping our notions of 'me' and 'I' and 'mine' and by allowing our humble mind to function freely throughout the day. The obstacles we face in life are continual reminders about taking an ordinary and well worn road.
A rusty shovel
beneath a bare maple,
The world sheds it skin
Humility Lessons
