Pranams,
"Humility means one does not impose his conceptions upon others and he is fully dependent on the mercy of the Lord."
-Srila Bhakti Swarup Damodar Maharaj
The subject and practice of humility is certainly of really great importance. I can really take great inspiration from my own Guru H.H Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, who was a deeply humble person and loved by almost all who met Him, if they were devotee or not they still could feel his natural humility.
I was lucky to have a fair bit of association with Him, and in a simple manner He would often say that Knowledge would never be perfected until one has humility. Maharaja would not only speak about humility in parts but he demonstrated it in His daily life and practice, for me and many others He was a living example of this fine and essential quality. One thing humility is not and that is weak, it is the greatest strength the key to full union.
If He left any instruction within me then it would be three things to attain perfection in Sadhana, life and realization, and that is Meditation ( contemplative reflection, among other things ), Synthesis and Humility.
In Gaudia Vaishnavasim Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu left only 8 verse by his own hand and one that is a nice recitation and contemplation trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna amanina mana-dena kirtaniyah sada harih
["One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord." (Adi-lila 17.31)]
The state of Saranagati is apparently before true Bhakti arises in the heart. Sadly this is very often used in the wrong way.
I have been reflecting on humility and one of my considerations is the divine state of humility is where one realizes how great one is, but that greatness is a state of awareness of all the things that it is witness to, the sheer scope of full God consciousness is so mighty that one can only feel humility, joy, mysticism and Bhakti and at same time be in pure a state of wonder amazement and love. Humility is not just about feeling lowly and having low esteem as is practiced in some schools, sometimes I wonder why there is that fear to teach the divine aspect of being. I think Avadhuta Gita is a master piece. But we always need to keep our feet on the ground and always be on guard of the kleśa in our samskaras or else our divinity is ruined, we are born to be divine, it is our birth right, the divine realm is ever invitiing us, time to stop wasting time in the trivia of material identification.
Ys
Md
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