Humility Really Cannot be Considered a Virtue
La Humildad no puede ser realmente considerada una Virtud--por Swami Dayananda Saraswati (Oct 05, 2015)
El ego y el orgullo están estrechamente relacionados, son casi efectos sinónimos nacidos de la misma causa, ignorancia de la relación del sentido individualizado del Yo con el mundo. (…) Aunque, adornado por el libre albedrío tengo el poder de elegir mis acciones, no tengo poder real sobre el resultado de la acción elegida; el resultado que yo anticipo no puede ser nunca más que una probabilidad entre todas las posibilidades. Yo no causo el resultado. El resultado de cualquiera de mis actos, ocurre tanto como producto de materiales que yo no he creado como el resultado de muchas circunstancias, pasadas y presentes, conocidas y desconocidas, las cuales han de funcionar en sintonía para que el resultado dado ocurra.
Si mi brazo fuerte y hábil lanza el pase ganador en los segundos finales de un partido de fútbol Americano, el material y los factores circunstanciales que vienen juntos para producir esto son demasiados para que el resultado final sea una cuestión de orgullo personal. Yo no soy ni el creador del fútbol en sí, ni el de mi cuerpo atlético. Muchas personas y experiencias contribuyeron al desarrollo de la habilidad en el brazo que lanzó la pelota. Yo no soy responsable de que el tiempo se despejase y no tuviesen que cancelar el partido, o del brusco temblor de tierra que ocurrió 60 segundos después de mi `pase, si hubiese sido un minuto antes, mi pase se hubiese echado a perder. Tampoco puedo reclamar los méritos de mi compañero del cual recibí el pase que convirtió la posibilidad en los puntos ganadores.
El orgullo y el ego, cuando se les examina, resultan tan tontos que la humildad no puede ser considerada una virtud. La humildad es solo el entendimiento del mundo, incluido yo mism@ porque yo soy parte del mundo, tal y como es. Cuando entienda las cosas como son, no estaré ni orgullos@ ni me auto-condenaré. La auto-condena es también una expresión del ego (…), que ha de ser limpiada por el entendimiento de que no hay ningún otro lugar para la condena que un pensamiento particular. (…) Veo que el motivo de orgullo personal por cualquier cosa es irrelevante y no puede ser corroborado. Yo simplemente disfruto del mundo como un campo para el descubrimiento del conocimiento, sin orgullo, sin egocentrismo.
Sacado del libro de Swami Dayananda Sawaswati, "El Valor de los Valores."
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo me relaciono con la noción de que la humildad es simplemente entender el mundo? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de alguna ocasión en la que hayas sido honrado por este entendimiento? ¿Qué práctica te ha ayudado a desarrollar este entendimiento?
Excerpted from Swami Dayananda Sawaswati's book, "The Value of Values."
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that humility is simply understanding the world? Can you share a personal story of a time you were humbled by such an understanding? What practice has helped you develop such an understanding?
Add Your Reflection
9 Past Reflections
On Oct 6, 2015 Ronald wrote :
I sense that I am proud that I am commenting here and that my sense of self importance is running rampant, but I am OK with it and see my ego is just like a small child creating games and fantasies in the playground. My cat is centering me as she sits on my lap with m=no ego or pretense or need to impress. Thanks for this site.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 6, 2015 Jay Shah wrote :
It is really necessary to appreciate that humility is not a virtue because if it is considered a virtue then there is very likelihood of rising of ego to claim that virtue. It is a matter of appreciating that this is just a right way of living life which by no means come naturally.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 6, 2015 yoginder wrote :
I agree fully with the substance of the post. It is a lucid amplification of the vedic wisdom that "I/You am/are NOT the Doer" and "You have the right to action NOT the result thereof"- I have lived by these for 80 years and validated them empirically beyond any doubt. But how does that justify the title 'Humility cannot be considered a virtue'? If not, is its absence a 'virtue'? No way. Vanity/pride/Ahankar which are the flip side of 'humility' are definitely NOT virtues! Request reconcile-anyone!
Post Your Reply
On Oct 5, 2015 victoria koruna kaur wrote :
Post Your Reply
On Oct 4, 2015 Bradley wrote :
Wow...this is something that I need to read, and re-read often. I haven't thought about self-condemnation being part of the ego, just as pride is. Two sides of the same sword, I suppose. I often feel the need to give credit to the universe for the successes in my life, but then I take the blame when things my not go as well. In the end, I need to learn to just experience the moment; feel the moment; but not get attached to the moment. Specifically, don't attach "I" to the moment. Annica <3.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 4, 2015 Abhishek wrote :
So true! And yet it leaves me wondering the value of individual action - and how we 'uphold' actions of individuals, acknowledge them and their achievements all the time.. :)
Holding this polarity I guess is the practice....to recognize people for their beauty and actions, and yet remember that the most Beautiful of all is existence :)
Post Your Reply
On Oct 3, 2015 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Post Your Reply
On Oct 3, 2015 david doane wrote :
We are one with the world and cosmos, with one another and all that is. We are interbeing. Karma refers to everything affecting everything. I choose my action and the outcome is beyond my control and is the result of the very complex interaction of all that is. My job is to act impeccably and not try to control outcome. Humility is understanding that, or at least appreciating that. Hum-ility and hum-ous have the same root, suggesting that humility is the state of being aware of being part of the complex interrelated world in which I don't control outcome. I'm humbled by that understanding right now as I am thinking and writing about it -- it is awesome to me. What has helped me develop this understanding is reflecting and meditation related to oneness and interrelatedness that we all are part of.
Post Your Reply
On Oct 1, 2015 Sara wrote :
A beautiful teaching... to "simply enjoy the world as a field for the discovery of knowledge"... This speaks to the power of being in a space of continual learning & active experimentation with one's experiencing. If we start to believe we have the ultimate answer, we are already stagnating, because any ultimate answer would be impossible to capture within the constraints of time, space and words. Rather, experiencing an ultimate answer would be needed, and in order to be experiencing, the experience has to continue, not any conclusion-making.