HUMILITY AND SELF-RESPECT

It is a great degradation to be conceited. Look at the crow—how wise it thinks itself to be ! It never falls into a snare. It flies off at the slightest approach of danger, and steals food with the greatest dexterity. But the poor creature cannot help eating filth. This is the result of being over-wise or having the wisdom of a pettifogger.

To become great one must be humble. The nest of the sky-lark is on the earth below, but it soars high into the sky. High ground is not fit for cultivation : low ground is necessary, so that water may stand on it.

The tree laden with fruits always bends low. If you wish to be great, be lowly and meek.

Our duty is to fall down and adore where others only bow.

One should not entertain egotistical feeling, such as the conceit of the preacher, " I am lecturing, hear me, all of you !" Egotism exists in ignorance, not in Knowledge. He attains the Truth who is devoid of conceit. The rain water stands in low places, but runs off from high places.

In a balance, the scale that is heavy bends down, but the lighter one rises up. So the man of merit and ability is always humble and meek, while the fool is puffed up with vain conceit.

Be as devoid of vanity as the cast-away leaf carried by the high wind.

If you wish to thread a needle, make the thread pointed and remove all protruding fibres. Then it will easily pass through the eye of the needle. So, if thou wish to concentrate your heart and soul on God, be meek, humble and poor in spirit and remove all the spreading filaments of desire.

Many a man with a show of humility says, ' I am like an earth-worm grovelling in the dust. In this way, thinking themselves always to be worms, in time they become weak in spirit like worms. Let not despondency ever enter into your heart. Despair is the greatest enemy in the path of progress. As a man thinks, so he becomes.

A true man (Manush) is only he who is a Man-hus—one endowed with a sense of self-respect. Others are men only in name.

No pride is pride that expresses the glory of the soul. No humility is humility that humiliates the self.