The door of humility
We separate ourselves from God. Our subtle (or not so subtle) habits of pride, arrogance, and of pretending to knowledge cloud our awareness of the Divine Presence. In this state we ignore how beautifully and subtly Allah has arranged our education, how perfectly events and circumstances are designed and measured to reveal to us our illusions. While we fear that we are going to be deprived of some happiness, or judge others for not being what we think they should be, or expect continual validation from external sources, or feel ourselves the center of our worlds, we are not able to truly see. But there are many doors of humility that are available to us. We can walk through them anytime and be changed. The Qur’an, for instance, says: “Lower the wing of humility to your parents.” So many relationships and situations would benefit from more humility. This does not mean losing confidence in ourselves or giving up our point of view, as much as knowing that we can drop some of our complaints, defenses, aggressiveness, and self-righteousness. Humility is for our own well-being as much as for others. One of the Masters had a vision of Paradise. There were many doors into the Garden. Most of the doors were thronged with crowds of people trying to enter. But the gate of humility was nearly empty. Where do we need more humility in our lives? Where is the door of humility for us now?