![]() ![]() Humble people generally have a great appreciation for living and for day-to-day experiences, they are often family- and relationship-oriented. Humility is also associated with personal happiness. We generally perceive humility as a positive trait in people, even feel naturally drawn to humble individuals. Humility is associated with avoiding conflict, fostering reconciliation, acceptance, and peaceful coexistence. ![]() The opposite of presumptuousness and egotism is humility, which has important benefits to the individual and society. The Humble Have an Appreciation for Living As with everything else, balance is the key to optimal thriving in life. On the other hand, too much competitiveness may be alienating and can provoke conflicts that may be detrimental to the individual and the species. Egotism and ambition may also lead to achievements among a group that may benefit others, e.g., invention or business. It’s intuitive that more powerful individuals have more resources to attract mating partners and provide for offspring, i.e., fulfill the evolutionary mandate. The drive for power and influence is one of many human instincts which may be associated with some benefit to the species. Humility is frequently perceived as a weakness. General wisdom is that it’s harder to advance our career when we humbly stand back instead of promoting ourselves (“nice guys finish last”). Particularly in Western societies, there is a remarkable conflict between the call for humility by spiritual sources and the societal value system that rewards materialism, competitiveness, and prominence. We don’t want to be like others-we want to be above them. Yet, we tend to spend most of our lives working to achieve the opposite of humility-we strive for recognition, exceptionalism, and elitism. Humility is also considered a virtue by many philosophers, even considered central by Immanuel Kant. In Matthew 18:4, Jesus says: “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Similar sentiments can be found in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions. Humility is associated with a larger appreciation of life, and love can't prevail without humility.Ī call for humility is a core element of most major religions or spiritual teachings. The key to our happiness is knowing and prioritizing what truly makes us happy. Shabkar’s style is direct and fresh his realization infuses his instructions with an authenticity that will continue to inspire Buddhist practitioners for years to come.The demands of Western societies do not promote humility. His nonsectarian approach is evident in his teachings on the nature of mind according to the Mahamudra tradition of Milarepa, his practical explanations of Saraha’s songs of realization, and the attainment of buddhahood without meditation, which draws on the teachings of the Great Perfection, Dzogchen. ![]() In twenty-three pieces of advice, he explains the need to renounce the world, how to develop genuine compassion, and methods for achieving an undistracted mind that can unite meditation on emptiness with compassion. It presents the essence of the entire graded path to enlightenment, using Tsongkhapa’s Great Graded Path ( Lam rim chen mo) as its model. Instructions for traversing the entire Vajrayana path to enlightenment from one of Tibet's most famous wandering yogis.Ĭomposed by Shabkar at the Cave of Miracles close to Mount Kailash around 1815, this compendium of spiritual instructions is written in the form of questions and answers, alternating verse and prose, between Shabkar and his disciples. Science Fiction & Fantasy - Available Now.Armchair Explorers for Children and Teens. ![]()
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