The Red Faced Donkey
Humility
This is a fascinating chapter. Let us start by looking at the very last paragraph of this short chapter.
I will reproduce that paragraph here:
Dare to manifest without the fear of humiliation.
This exercise of intentiona1 humiliation, along with
the repair of the heart by following the moving
manifestations of the machine during manual labor,
and the ascension onto the Cross, the intersection of
time and space, by contemplation upon-and
psychoemotional identification with-the sensations
and emotions of the Man on the Cross, is the
Western monk’s great secret.
PWOS – page 134 – English Edition (page 162 Spanish edition)
The chapter is one of finding exercises to place oneself in the face of this above mentioned “intentional humiliation.” Let us take a moment to look at the various faces of humility.
On its basic sense humility takes the form of external comparisons. Your car is more humble than his. Or, your home more humble than hers. You are not as strong as another is a typical form. Then, it can be said that one is humbled by the other. This form of humility is the handmaiden of Pride. False humility arises from this form of humility. Here there is a false sense of being humble, when the person simply wants to avoid the basic comparison. They are still caught in the loop of Pride/Humility. No help.
In its basic form, it is of little value to the inner worker. However, this form of humility is fundamental to the manner in which society operates. It is from this form of simple comparison that our class system arises.
To use humility as a tool of transformation, more is needed. Here the aspirant must watch something different. During the first form of humility, the person is totally focused on the external. Now in this second form of humility the aspirant watches the inner mechanism that arises from “being humbled.” At this point the seeker uses the same mechanism called forth in the ‘worldly form’ of humility, but rather than looking to the other, we pay close attention to what is happening within ones machine.
If we pay close attention, we feel a burning type sensation when we are humiliated in the world. That is a cleansing radiation that is burning the ego in a manner particular to the aspirant. Let us say you have pride in the selection of your clothing. Then, someone says that you simply do not know how to dress. There may be a momentary spark of pain. At that time, the first thing we do is start to “prove” the person was wrong. That method is keeping us in the external. But, if you are lucky enough to feel that pain, then, watch it carefully. Let it wash through you. That is the sensation we seek.
It is very hard to place yourself in a position of humiliation. The sleeping machine has designed its existence such that all the areas of potential humility have been carefully ‘taken off the table.’ So, if you have a hidden pride of your physical appearance, but you fear the comparisons, you may dress slovenly so no one will ever draw the comparison. But, our objective is to pierce the veil of the ego. You will find it hard to find sufficient ways and means of constructing a scenario of humiliation.
Let us distinguish between humility and embarrassment. Embarrassment may be said to be a mishap or error in conforming to social conventions. This is external. Humility would be one where you are judged for a lack of character, something about your personal nature.
Mostly we speak of using humility as a means of breaking one’s pride. But, what of humility as a virtue?