The Starting-On-The-Path-to-Humility-Mantra

The Starting on the path to humility mantra is some inspiration to the thought process around learning humility. The word humility comes from Latin meaning to lower one's self, and that's exactly what no one really seems to want to do these days. That, in itself, is probably the truest sign of how much it's needed!

Mantra:
1. I will give up the assumption that other people should be doing anything other than what they are doing.
--That means you will not criticize others (in thought, word or action) for what they do, because you acknowledge the perfectness of each individual to do what they have to do in life regardless of how you feel about it. It means that even if the guy in front of you is going FIVE miles per hour, you will still not criticize or assume that he has to be driving 30, or 50, or 100.

2. I will give up the assumption that what I think is right.
--That means you will not assume (in thought, word or action) that you know more than others, because this assumption undermines the basic human preface of each person being on the planet to give the planet what they give the planet. My teacher used to say, "What is the difference between good and bad? - - - What you think." And it's true. Just because your experience causes you to believe the way you do and think the way you do, doesn't mean that someone else isn't equally justified to have their own experience making them believe and think the way they do. Both are right.

3. I will give up the assumption that things have to go the way I think they should.
--That means you will stop assuming that what you think is the highest and holiest and you will acknowledge that maybe God/Universe/Higher Power knows more than you. Things are going the way they are meant to go. By always wanting them to be different, you are expending way too much effort in resistance to presence and thereby passing over the moment without truly experiencing it. By getting present you can cultivate gratitude and learn from the beauty and richness of each moment.

It's just a start, but when you consider that a new year is upon us, it's a great start. If you give yourself this food for thought on a regular (i.e. daily) basis, you might just start questioning why you make those assumptions in the first place, and that's an open door we could all stand to live with.

Blessings.
- Darshan


(c) 2009 Darshan F Jessop