Midweek Thought For Meditation- 5/6/26
Hi Everyone,
This week we move on to another spiritual quality: humility. Humility does not play well in our prevailing culture that stresses self-assertion, power, and celebrity as the real virtues. As we’ll see from our readings these verses share one call: choose humility over pride. By lowering ourselves and lifting others, we draw closer to God and one another. Humility becomes a quiet strength that honors both God and the dignity of others.
Be humble and modest, not proud.
Humility is my mace: to become the dust under everyone’s feet is my dagger. These weapons no evildoer dare withstand.
Sikhism. Guru Granth Sahib, Sorath, p. 628
CHRISTIANITY
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
Clothe yourself with humility toward one another… Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6
ISLAM
Do not walk proudly on earth. Qur’an 17.37
Let your gait be modest and your voice low: The most hideous of voices is the braying of an ass. Qur’an 31.19
If you have in your heart as much pride as a grain of mustard seed, you will not enter paradise. Hadith of Muslim
BUDDHISM
Give up anger; renounce pride; transcend all worldly attachments. Dhammapada 221
There are two inner methods that can save all who practice them – one is humility and the other is shame. Those who have a sense of shame will do no evil, while those who have a sense of humility will never lead others to evil. Mahaparinirvana Sutra
HINDUISM
Humility and pleasant words are the jewels that adorn a person, there are none other. Tirukkural 95
Shun all pride and jealousy. Bhagavata Purana 11.4
Be humble, be harmless…aware of the weakness in mortal nature. Bhagavata Gita 13.7-8
Judaism
Be of excellent humble spirit, for the end of a person is the worm. Abot 4.4
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16.18
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6.8
CONFUCIANISM
The sense of humility and deference is the starting point of propriety. Mencius II.A.6
The humans are high- minded, not proud: the vulgar are proud, but not high-minded. Analects 13.26
TAOISM
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light… Those who boast of their accomplishments diminish the things that they have done. TaoTe Ching 24
How can one liberate the many? By first liberating one's own being. You do this not by elevating yourself, but by lowering yourself… you become a master of simplicity, modesty, truth. Hua Hu Ching 77
*Musical links help deepen our understanding of the theme and invite us to allow ourselves to release any rigid attachments to being right, and instead open our hearts to being kind.
Humble and Kind https://youtu.be/Bb_qGChk0GI?si=Id8NqGLhQeyXVLnm
The Servant Song https://youtu.be/kdmgpMfnjdU?si=wBDluxPldeEhUkpU
Owen’s Pick
The Humility Of Christ https://youtu.be/Aohl_p37RZU
Thank you, Owen!
Hi Everyone,
This week we move on to another spiritual quality: humility. Humility does not play well in our prevailing culture that stresses self-assertion, power, and celebrity as the real virtues. As we’ll see from our readings these verses share one call: choose humility over pride. By lowering ourselves and lifting others, we draw closer to God and one another. Humility becomes a quiet strength that honors both God and the dignity of others.
Be humble and modest, not proud.
Humility is my mace: to become the dust under everyone’s feet is my dagger. These weapons no evildoer dare withstand.
Sikhism. Guru Granth Sahib, Sorath, p. 628
CHRISTIANITY
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
Clothe yourself with humility toward one another… Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6
ISLAM
Do not walk proudly on earth. Qur’an 17.37
Let your gait be modest and your voice low: The most hideous of voices is the braying of an ass. Qur’an 31.19
If you have in your heart as much pride as a grain of mustard seed, you will not enter paradise. Hadith of Muslim
BUDDHISM
Give up anger; renounce pride; transcend all worldly attachments. Dhammapada 221
There are two inner methods that can save all who practice them – one is humility and the other is shame. Those who have a sense of shame will do no evil, while those who have a sense of humility will never lead others to evil. Mahaparinirvana Sutra
HINDUISM
Humility and pleasant words are the jewels that adorn a person, there are none other. Tirukkural 95
Shun all pride and jealousy. Bhagavata Purana 11.4
Be humble, be harmless…aware of the weakness in mortal nature. Bhagavata Gita 13.7-8
Judaism
Be of excellent humble spirit, for the end of a person is the worm. Abot 4.4
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16.18
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6.8
CONFUCIANISM
The sense of humility and deference is the starting point of propriety. Mencius II.A.6
The humans are high- minded, not proud: the vulgar are proud, but not high-minded. Analects 13.26
TAOISM
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light… Those who boast of their accomplishments diminish the things that they have done. TaoTe Ching 24
How can one liberate the many? By first liberating one's own being. You do this not by elevating yourself, but by lowering yourself… you become a master of simplicity, modesty, truth. Hua Hu Ching 77
*Musical links help deepen our understanding of the theme and invite us to allow ourselves to release any rigid attachments to being right, and instead open our hearts to being kind.
Humble and Kind https://youtu.be/Bb_qGChk0GI?si=Id8NqGLhQeyXVLnm
The Servant Song https://youtu.be/kdmgpMfnjdU?si=wBDluxPldeEhUkpU
Owen’s Pick
The Humility Of Christ https://youtu.be/Aohl_p37RZU
Thank you, Owen!
