Eschew pride: Cherish humility
Not only does he who does
not wish to become good but is keen to be called good practice self-deception,
but even he who having become good to some extent prides himself on it
undoubtedly suffers thereby.
A man should incessantly
strive to become good in every sphere, but he should never pride himself on his
goodness. Many an evil crops as soon as pride himself on his goodness. Many an
evil crops up as soon as pride of a haughty man; this gives rise to bickering
and hatred and the endeavour of a man to become good turns into a bid for
hating one another.
Constant pursuit of truth is
highly commendable and must be undertaken. But one should not boast that one
never tells a lie, that one has never told a lie. Introspection would reveal
that even the statement that one has never told a lie is untrue. Despite all
vigilance a lie escapes one’s lips at times through error. Observing
truthfulness by grace of God one should give credit to Divine Grace alone.
A man who boasts that he
never errs commits egregious blunders. He who brags that he is never agitated
gets agitated very soon. Paying for strength from God to cure one’s weakness
one should remain on one’s guard to see that one’s mind does not get agitated.
Those who have few critics
and more admirers get agitated very soon; for they are not at all not to use
hearing their criticism. Under such circumstances, in the heat of agitation
they utter words which they do not approve when they turn their thought to them
and then, in order to hide their weakness, they have to fall back upon lying by
inventing new excuses.
The sense of a man have an outgoing tendency,
his mind is seized with infatuation for the world of matter; even those who are
constantly vigilant lapse into error. A man should not therefore complacently
believe that all weakness and evil thoughts have not altogether disappeared
from his life nor should he ever give way to pride. Ever remaining meek in the
presence of the Lord he should repent for the least fault of his and hold
himself guilty. The more does a believer in God recognize himself to be
imbecile through weakness and lacking in recourse to that strength?
Pride removes one to a distance from the Lord, while meekness takes
one to the feet of the Lord.
- Eschew pride Cherish humility