June 14

HUMILITY MONTH: DAY 14: “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” — Rabindranath Tagore

I read this morning of those traditions around the world where bowing to one-another is practiced. I have done this (bowing to others) since about 1971, because I learned how to honor another human being as having the same heart that I do. It makes a lot of folks uncomfortable, but it is a sign of not just respect, but of kinship. I AM you…not above or below…but the same. There are no hierarchies in the heart, just the condition of humanity that joins us together. When we are able to practice this kind of humility, we are reminded that the things that we know and do and see and hear and come upon during the course of a day (or a lifetime!) are there because we need to learn from them. This can be so simple, and we want to make it very complicated because we are ego-based and using our brains, not our hearts. The greatest wisdom in the world can be spoken in a whisper because those who choose to hear it, will. The greatest dishonesty in the world can be spoken in a scream, and yet not resonate with the heart. We all have the capacity to hear and understand with our heart, instead of our ego-based brain. What we listen with will be the thing that determines what we hear and learn. The longest mile in the world is the mile between our brains and our hearts. When I bow, it is so that I place myself in a posture that lowers my brain below my heart. In the tradition of Mr. Tagore, I cross my thumbs at my heart and hold my hands in the position we recognize as that of prayer. I love to greet and leave people with these bows, because it is always good to treat others with respect and the joy I have in my heart for them. I truly cherish almost everyone I meet, because they have a heart and a spirit that is just like mine, but with a whole set of interesting experiences and a story I love to hear about. When we look at each other’s eyes and open our hearts, we are truly, one. When we begin to brandish the ego-based brain and tell those stories with grandiosity and pride, the stories become unwholesome to my heart. This balance is quite often challenging to maintain. However, I have found that this circumstance gives me an extra bonus, because I can remember that they do this when they are frightened, just like a tiny kitten, clawing and scratching for its life. So I sometimes must bow twice and spend an extra 5 minutes or so in cherishing them with a prayer that I was taught long ago. It takes so little; and I hope it relieves some of their fear. Frightened people do things that do not come from their heart. I know, because I once walked through the world frightened of everyone and everything. Today my bowing practice is much more heart-felt and heart-centered. This gets better each day. I must lose myself each day to the practice of being humble…one of those things that is easier as time goes on, but can suddenly get lost in the heat of an ego-based thinking moment. Thank goodness this, as with all things spiritual, is called a “practice”.