Monday Morning Greetings 2026 #14 – Humility! Humility! Humility!

Humility! Humility! Humility! [1]

This was St. Augustine’s answer to the rhetorical question he posed to the faithful gathered to hear him speak: “What is the most important quality for spiritual advancement?”

As humility is of paramount importance to spiritual life, I have discussed this subject many times. My focus has ranged from posts defining humility to discussions of how it is distinguished from low self-esteem. This week, I had an inspiration to define humility in yet another way: humility is moving out of the center.

When I refer to the center here, I am referring to the self-centered conception that the world should revolve around our desires and that happiness occurs when that is achieved. Moving out of the center is placing God at the center instead with the faith that true happiness will be found when we rest in the periphery of existence as His servant. Here are some thoughts on the ways a spiritual aspirant cultivates humility by “moving out of the center.”

Family Life

A sannyāsī once told his student monks (brahmacārīs), “If you want to remain a monk, you must be the humble servant of everyone. Otherwise, you should get married and at least be the humble servant of a wife and family.” Marriage and family are meant to teach us that there is something higher than ourselves. Of course, there is always the risk of misusing marriage to center oneself for enjoyment and control.

Community

The purpose of proper community is to inspire us that serving a common interest is higher than simply serving our self-interest. It can thus serve, especially in a spiritual community, as an important tool to help a congregation cultivate humility.

Discipleship

Disciple means one who moves out of the center and puts guru and Krishna there. It is the fundamental principle in cultivating humility.

Don’t Become Guru

If a guru is the center of his disciples’ lives, how then can that guru remain humble? In that regard, I was once given good advice by a senior Vaiṣṇava before I took the position of a guru, “Don’t think you’re guru but do it as a service to your spiritual master!” If a spiritual teacher wavers from that consciousness and moves to the center, the result will be pride. That teacher’s spiritual life will be doomed.

Coming to the Path of Bhakti

The path of bhakti begins with the realization that attempts to be the center of existence have only led to duality and fear which impel us to take the humble position of desiring a truth higher than our own failed authority.

The Mood of Bhakti

The practice of bhakti is the process of putting God in the center of our lives by moving to the periphery for service and vigilantly resisting the false ego’s constant attempt to drag us back.

Bhakti–śāstra

By hearing Krishna’s glories, we become increasingly attracted to Him. Devotion puts the object of our love in the center of our lives. It inspires us to take the position of servant. Thus, study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the crux of humility and the core of the bhakti practice.

Shunning Praise

Material consciousness means we like to be praised, because it puts us in the center where we can control and enjoy. A bhakta thus militantly deflects or shuns praise and cultivates humility.

Wisdom

The only place where God’s love does not shine is the center where we shield ourselves from His mercy by the cloud of self-centeredness. Why are we so attached to the only place where love and happiness do not flow?

I think it’s clear why St. Augustine was so emphatic: “Humility! Humility! Humility!”

“Be silent and listen: Have you recognized your madness, and do you admit it?” — Carl Jung

[1] When I look back on my old posts I realize by the grace of Śrī Śrī Guru and Gauranga how much my writing has improved. This is an article from six years ago (December 7, 2020) which I have completely re-written here. Here is the old article: https://wavesofdevotion.com/2020/12/07/humility-humility-humility/.