Those Who Exalt Will Be Humbled
When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place,” and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher,” then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Holy Bible, Luke, 14, 7-11
Ego works on the stature of a man like the rays of the morning sun on his shadow. In the morning, on account of the rays of sun, our shadow will be a very long one. As the sun goes higher in the sky, the length of the shadow caused by the sun’s rays will become smaller and smaller. In the same way, the stature of an egoist is something which has to go down and down as time goes on.
Humility, on the other hand works on your stature in a manner that can be compared to the effect of the evening sun’s rays on your shadow. The shadow in the afternoon will be small. As the sun goes down and down, as the evening comes on and on, the shadow that was quite small in the beginning, becomes larger and larger. Therefore, humility is good and indicates the path which is good for one’s life. Humility and obedience, although they look as if they are tiny things which do not confer on you any large powers, will really give you enriched and increased pleasure and happiness as time goes on.
Digest, p. 95
An argument arose among the disciples as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; For the least among all of you is the greatest.”
Holy Bible, Luke 9, 46-48
If there is ego and you think Swami is yours, then Swami gets imprisoned by your ego and cannot come to your help. But if you think, “ I belong to Swami,” then Swami becomes free to look after you and bring you spiritual progress. It is all a matter of humility and your attitude. Accept everything as God. God is everywhere, in everything… True realization of the omnipresence of God will knock out your ego, since it stands in the way of surrender.
Digest 2, pp. 115-116
