meditation

Pride and humility

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There are people who we associate or work with that need those spotlight moments. Even if they are menial successes or something that’s really part of their job description, they want it noticed as front page headlines, announcing to the world their tasks and accomplishments.

They say that “people who shine from within don’t need the spotlight”. But humility is wanting in many of us nowadays. There will always be someone, somewhere who somehow wants to be a star.

Pride will always want to get in the way because pride will always be concerned on who is right while humility with what is right. There’s a thin line that delineates between being confidence and arrogance. That line is called humility. Remember that confidence smiles while arrogance smirks.

The test of a great person is one’s humility. When one is humble, one has a modest opinion of one’s self importance and a lack of pretention, superiority and arrogance.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta writes about a “humility list”.

– speak as little as possible about yourself

– keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others

– avoid curiosity

– accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded

– accept small irritations with good humor

– do not dwell on the fruits of others

– accept censures even if unmerited

– give in to the will of others

– accept insults and injuries

– do not interfere in the affairs of others

– be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone

And yes, the list isn’t an easy one to follow especially when we need to fight for what is right and what is just. It is not asking us to give up what is fair and correct. It is asking us to be selfless. After all, to forgive takes love. To forget takes humility.

Meditation

kidatheartLeave a comment

There are two ways to face life’s challenges – one way is resolution by meditation, the other is by drowning ourselves in more work. The latter is what most of us consciously, or unconsciously do. I’ve seen people who cover one struggle by creating more struggles or immersing themselves in more work. In the end, we become so engrossed in so much work, that we actually forget the problem.

Some people say that in order to “forget” the problem, burying yourself in a lot of work is a good alternative. While there may be some wisdom in this idea, it’s an escapist’s thought. You see, while burying yourself in work in order to forget may seem a good idea from the get go, it’s like slowly killing yourself. We bury ourselves in a mound of problems as well.

Then there is meditation. Meditation is not for relaxation alone. As a matter of fact, “it’s primary purpose is to develop the capacity to respond skillfully and gracefully to life’s difficulties as well as its joys.”

Buddha was asked, “what have you gained from from meditation”? He replied, “Nothing! However, let me tell you what I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age, and death”.

In the humdrum of today’s world, finding peace and tranquility through meditation is a wonderful option we should learn to embrace. And there’s a difference when we pray and when we meditate. Often times my mom would always remind me (when I’m deep in thoughts when I’m faced with problems), to pray. I always tell her that she doesn’t get it – praying is when you talk to God. Meditating is when you listen to God. And there’s the big difference.

We often pray because we need to tell someone something. Talk to someone or some being. And blab away we go. You notice that even during confession it’s a one way street? We pray. For forgiveness. Question is, do we listen to God speak to us?

Like many routines in our daily lives, our way of dealing with problems and issues are through rote roles. We like talking. Not a lot love to listen.

Meditation is settling the mind to listen to what the universe has in store for us. It’s a deliberate effort at mastering calm during the storms of our lives.

Yoda in Star Wars says it succinctly,

Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.

With God on your side, we are all winners.