Fruits of Humility

We should make our hearts the source of love for the entire universe and should have so much humility that even if a person does evil to us, we should return love for the same. In truth, one who is embellished with humility loses the capacity of stinging others. Even if any one harms him, he does not think evil of him.

Sheikh Sa'adi says, "I have imbibed so much humility that people trample on me like an ant and I do not sting like a honey bee."

I am like an ant which is trampled. I am not like a bee which stings.

Egoism or pride is not liked by the Lord. He showers His Grace on those whose mind is full of humility and meekness. Water does not gather at the top of hills but flows down and accumulates there. He who bends drinks water but he who holds his head high remains thirsty.

Kabir Sahib says:

Water does not accumulate at high places but does so at low places; he, who bends, drinks; the stiff-necked remains thirsty.

In order to obtain the bounty of Grace of the Lord the ground of our heart should be dyed in the hue of humility. The Lord does not like proud persons but showers His mercy on the humble.

Saint James says:

God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble.

Hafiz Sahib says that the devout owing to pride¹ could not tread on the path of spirituality but the devotees owing to become recipients of His mercy and reach their destination.

The devout was proud and did not tread the path safely. The devotee owing to humility, reached the destination.

Humility is a good means of imbibing virtues of others. If we wish to imbibe them, we should be humble and poor.

Guru Arjan Sahib says that you should come to Him when you have become the dust of the feet of others.

After becoming the dust of the feet of others come to me.

Maru War M5, 1102-11

The path of finding the Lord consists in becoming humble and meek because we cannot deserve His Grace and carry out wishes of the Indescribable unless we give up pride and vainglory and meet some God intoxicated Saint and become His servants.

Those who are Lord's own, live as servants of His servants. They surrender their mind and intellect at the feet of the Master and by His Grace carry out the directions of the Undescribable.

Belawal M4, 834-16

When we give up all pride and bow at His door, our souls become pure and we are saved from being burnt by the fire of passions. When we become servants of His servants, we find a place at His door.

Wash His feet and serve the Master. He takes away the suffering and fever of the soul. When he becomes servant of His servants, he finds a place at His door.

Asa M5, 377-17

Pride goes before a fall and a proud man does not imbibe the virtues of others. The humble and the meek can get spiritual wealth from the spiritually-minded persons. After finding the path he in all humility assiduously treats it. This is due to the Grace of the Lord and the Master. If we do not take a humble and meek attitude before doing a good deed, do not retain it while doing and do not consider it a gift by the Grace of the Lord and the Master after it is done, it is snatched from our hands by pride amidst our rejoicings.

The Way to God is firstly humility, secondly humility and thirdly humility.

Again, unless humility precedes, accompanies and follows every good action which we perform, pride wrests wholly from our hands any good work on which we are congratulating ourselves.

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Footnote:

1) This refers to the fact that the practice of strict religious rituals often raises pride in the practitioner.