The Method of acquiring True Greatness

In order to get true respect and prestige it is necessary to have humility and meekness. Only he who has them can worship and treat others with courtesy.

Kabir Sahib says:

Have humility, purity and meekness and treat others with courtesy. Oh Kabir, he is truly great who is good tempered.

Some persons consider humility and meekness as weakness and helplessness. They believe in tit for tat. However, what can be achieved with humility cannot be had by using harsher methods. Fire has its own place but it is only when in humility it is reduced to ashes that it can be applied to the forehead. Those who wish to attain true greatness and glory should develop above-mentioned virtues.

Jesus Christ says:

He that is least among you all, the same is great.

He who considers himself to be the meanest is the greatest.

Guru Arjan Sahib also says to the same effect:

He who considers himself to be the meanest, consider him to be the highest.

Gauri M5, 2661-7

The tenth Guru has said that as a man progresses, he grows in humility also. Laotse, the great Chinese Saint, while describing the virtues of a good man has mentioned love, sympathy, gentle disposition, frugality and humility or meekness amongst them. It is due to humility that such a man becomes a leader of men.

If one gives up these virtues and tries to become great through wealth, selfishness, pride, falsehood, deceit, cleverness, pretence, exhibition of knowledge or propaganda, it is conclusive proof of his being mean. He is like a date tree which can provide no shade to a traveller nor can its fruit remove the hunger, as being very high, it is out of reach.

Kabir Sahib says:

What does it matter if you are tall like a date tree? It provides no shade to the traveller and its fruit is too high.

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