Individuals and nations are losing communication at the altar of their ego and pride. Family as a unit of society is under stress as ego takes over individuals over possessions, looks and wealth. Society is under the strain of caste, class and regions due to a false sense of pride over these by one section over other. Nations refuse dialogue and conflict resolution based on their ego derived from the scale and modernity of their weaponry and self-proclaimed exalted status. In all of these, humility and its sweetness can play the beautiful role of a catalyst and ease the situation. Spiritually-inclined Bhupinder Singh, through his deep love of Guru Nanak, narrates how humility has been described in Gurbani and how and why it is necessary to stay humble.

THE FIRST MASTER, THE FOUNDER OF THE SIKH WAY OF LIFE, Guru Nanak beautifully describes humility and its importance in life.  Guru Nanak Dev Ji has succinctly talked about the sweetness of humility in these words:

“ਮਿਠਤੁ ਨੀਵੀ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਗੁਣ ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ਤਤੁ ॥”
Translation: There is the sweetness of humility, O Nanak, it is the essence of all virtues and goodness.  -Guru Granth Sahib, page 470

The above quote is from the composition where Guru Nanak Ji starts by describing the sweetness of humility with the example of its nemesis, the Simmal. It is also called Semal (botanical name: Bombax ceiba) and is commonly known in English as Silk Cotton Tree. This native Indian tree bears bright red attractive flowers during the months of January to March, with fruits about the size of a Ping-Pong ball. It is a fast-growing tree, that shoots up like a tall arrow and can have a solid girth of 2 to 3 meters. Guru Ji says its beauty attracts the birds who come there with hopes. But its fruit is tasteless, flowers are unwholesome, and its leaves are useless (no nutritional value).

By providing the example, Guru Ji cautions against becoming majestic, attractive, and good looking, yet useless. While some famous and accomplished in life may appear attractive as a resource to help us to mitigate our life challenges, but we may be disappointed in them. Then Guru Sahib says that humility is sweetness, which will not disappoint those who come with hopes and expectations.

Guru Ji wants us to inculcate humility and to become humble in life. Becoming humble is recognizing that we are not here to see how important we can become, but to see what difference we can make in the life of others. Let us try to see to explore this virtue of humility.

What is humility?

“ਹੋਦੈ ਤਾਣਿ ਨਿਤਾਣੀਆ ਰਹਹਿ ਨਿਮਾਨਣੀਆਹ ॥”
Translation: They remain powerless, even while they have power; they remain humble and meek. -Guru Granth Sahib, page 85

But in reality, what is the state of humankind? Guru Ji describes it as, “Virtuous is our talk, but our deeds are evil. Pitch dark (totally evil) are our minds, but from our outward appearance, we present ourselves as (angelic) white.
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 85.

In simple words, there is a dichotomy between our words and deeds, because of ego. Guru Ji wants us to shun our pride and ego in these words:
“ਚਤੁਰ ਸਿਆਣਾ ਸੁਘੜੁ ਸੋਇ ਜਿਨਿ ਤਜਿਆ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥”
Translation: One who renounces egotistical pride is intelligent, wise, and refined. –Guru Granth Sahib, Page 297

Where did these traits come from? These are intrinsic, as we are born with them.

Guru Ji has described the construct of the humans as:

“ਅਵਗੁਣੀ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਹੈ ਗੁਣ ਭੀ ਵਸਹਿ ਨਾਲਿ ॥”
Translation: He (man) is overflowing with faults and demerits, but virtue dwells within him as well.  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 936

Guru Ji is sharing with us that we humans are packaged with both virtues and imperfections. Virtues are there as the Creator Himself dwells within each of us as the soul. Additionally, imperfections or faults are also present in each of us, as the Creator has imparted those within the human body too. Interestingly, both these coexist in everyone.

Brimming with such contradictions, becoming humble will be a paradoxical challenge. When we look at the life of Guru Nanak, we can see that he was the epitome of humility. His words as enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, his personal interactions with others and his selection criteria for his own successor, reflect the significance of humility. In fact, during the successor selection process during the Guru period, the trait of humility was a preeminent consideration. Here is one quote by Guru Nanak Dev Ji that offers his personal perspective:

“ਨੀਚਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਨੀਚ ਜਾਤਿ ਨੀਚੀ ਹੂ ਅਤਿ ਨੀਚੁ ॥
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤਿਨ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਾਥਿ ਵਡਿਆ ਸਿਉ ਕਿਆ ਰੀਸ ॥
ਜਿਥੈ ਨੀਚ ਸਮਾਲੀਅਨਿ ਤਿਥੈ ਨਦਰਿ ਤੇਰੀ ਬਖਸੀਸ ॥੪॥੩॥”
Translation: Nanak seeks the company of the lowest of the low class, the very lowest of the low. Why should he try to compete with the (so-called) great? In that place where the lowly are cared for, there the Blessings of Your Glance of Grace rains down.  –Guru Granth Sahib, Page 15

Guru Ji sees no need to compete with the elite, affluent, successful, or those belonging to a higher caste by birth – he is happy with the lowliest. Guru Ji demonstrated this trait when he spurned the invitation of elite state official Malik Bhago, in Saidpur but knocked on the door of poor carpenter Lalo -uninvited. In the quote as under, Guru Ji addressed the subject of caste discrimination in these words:

“ਹਉ ਢਾਢੀ ਕਾ ਨੀਚ ਜਾਤਿ ਹੋਰਿ ਉਤਮ ਜਾਤਿ ਸਦਾਇਦੇ ॥”
Translation: I am the Lord’s minstrel, of low social status; others call themselves high caste. –Guru Granth Sahib, Page 468

By declaring himself as belonging to the low caste, Guru Ji exposed the hollowness and futility of discrimination simply based on birth/caste/class. Despite belonging to the Khatri caste, considered upper class in the class hierarchy, Guru Ji proclaimed himself to be a minstrel, labelled as a lower caste and discriminated against. By doing so, Guru Ji displayed his true humility and simultaneously raised his voice against the practice of the caste system.

Folly of Pride

Humility and its nemesis Ego, and pride are within every human being, a universal presence. Ego grows like wild weeds when humility is not nurtured and cultivated. The pre-eminence of ego, pride and the haughty nature in humans is essentially declaring that ‘I am something or something in the making’. The Punjabi words for these traits are ‘houmai’ and ‘hankaar’. Guru Ji has described its prevalence in humans in these words as:

“ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗੁ ਮਾਨੁਖ ਕਉ ਦੀਨਾ ॥”
Translation: (Entire) Mankind is afflicted with the disease of egotism.
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1140

Guru Ji has made it very clear that pride is the deadliest vice, by calling it a chronic disease by Guru Ji in these words:
“ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ……”
Translation: Egotism is a chronic disease.   -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 466

Guru Ji calls it a chronic disease as it is so self-deceiving; everyone else can see it clearly, yet the person himself is always totally blind to it. The mind under the influence of pride is always self-serving, and wanting more:

“ਘਣੋ ਘਣੋ ਘਣੋ ਸਦ ਲੋੜੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਲਹਣੇ ਕੈਠੈ ਪਾਇਓ ਰੇ ॥”
Translation: More and more, he continually yearns for more (gripped by pride and attachment); but unless he is destined to receive, how can he obtain it?
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 715

Pride leverages minds into believing in an exaggerated sense of self, and the term narcissistic has been coined for it. Pride in self translates into prejudice against others. In Guru Ji words the one gripped by pride is a walking testament of a lunatic:
“ਜਬ ਇਹੁ ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਕਰਤ ਗੁਮਾਨਾ ॥ ਤਬ ਇਹੁ ਬਾਵਰੁ ਫਿਰਤ ਬਿਗਾਨਾ ॥”
Translation: When this mind is filled with pride, then it wanders around like a madman and a lunatic.  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 235 

Wisdom of becoming Humble:

Pride and ego consume those who possess it, just as termite consumes the big tree from inside by hollowing it. These become self-destructing traits. As we can see ego is concerned with establishing who is right, but Humility is concerned only with what is right. Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s had succinctly summed the wisdom of becoming humble in these words:

“ਸੁਖੀ ਬਸੈ ਮਸਕੀਨੀਆ ਆਪੁ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ਤਲੇ ॥ ਬਡੇ ਬਡੇ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੀਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਗਰਬਿ ਗਲੇ ॥੧॥”
Translation: The humble beings abide in peace; subduing egotism, they are meek. They are very proud and arrogant persons, O Nanak, who are consumed by their own pride. ||1||  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 278

Guru Ji advises us to get rid of hubristic ego in these words:
“ਭੋਲਿਆ ਹਉਮੈ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਵਿਸਾਰਿ ॥ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰਿ ਬੀਚਾਰਿ ਮਨ ਗੁਣ ਵਿਚਿ ਗੁਣੁ ਲੈ ਸਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥”
Translation: O ignorant one, forget your egotistical intellect. Subdue your ego and contemplate Him in your mind; gather in the virtues of the Sublime, Virtuous Lord. ||1||Pause||  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1168

We can see Guru Ji is extolling us to efface ego. To efface ego Guru Ji wants us to enshrine in our mind the sublime virtues of God’s Naam. Naam means remembrance of the existence of God in the entire creation. The act of remembrance has not received its due recognition as a transformational tool. That remembrance effaces ego, planting, and nurturing humility instead. Thus, the act of remembrance is an act of chiselling the persona by removing ego. The act of remembrance affirms the power of God thus increasing faith and building positive feelings. Guru Ji shares with us the benefits in these words:

“ਸੁਖੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਕਾ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰ ॥”
Translation: The peace and joy (that emanates) from the meditative remembrance of God are limitless.  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 263

In order to experience those benefits Guru Ji wants us to inculcate humility in these words:
“ਬੁਧਿ ਗਰੀਬੀ ਖਰਚੁ ਲੈਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਜਾਰਹੁ ॥”
Translation: Take wisdom and humility as your supplies and burn away the poison of pride. -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 399

This is preparation for receiving divine grace. Guru Ji has advised that ego is only effaced by divine grace. He has asked us to seek grace from Almighty. Guru Nanak Dev Ji has clarified that grace eradicates pride completely. Once ego completely disappears the mind becomes immaculate:

“ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰੀ ॥”
Translation: When Egotism has been conquered, then this mind will become immaculate.  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1049 
When it becomes immaculate then it merges with the Creator God:

“ਹਉਮੈ ਜਾਈ ਤਾ ਕੰਤ ਸਮਾਈ ॥”
Translation: If one gets rid of ego, then one merges with Husband Lord.
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 750 

Cultivating Humility

Pride is the biggest obstacle to the inculcation of humility, yet fully invisible to self. So, instead of reining in our ego, we enable it by feeding it as we grow in age, as well as become successful. Then what should we do to become humble? Guru Ji has prescribed the method of singing the praises. Guru Ji has not just prescribed the path but has provided us with the words and mechanism to accomplish it. The technique provided by Guru Ji is Keertan (singing) and words are in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Ji says:

“ਵਾਹੁ ਵਾਹੁ ਕਰਤਿਆ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਜਾਇ ॥
Translation: Chanting Waaho! Waaho! The mind is purified, and egotism departs from within.  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 515 

Saying “Vaahu, Vaahu” is praising and is the only avenue of access to God. This is a method that Guru Nanak Ji adopted and encouraged everyone else to practice. Have we not failed to exercise it? If we had not, then we would have known about its benefits. Praise is acceptance of the situation we find ourselves in. It is acceptance of one’s own inadequacy to handle and asking for Divine intervention. It is so powerful that it brings a paradigm shift from me to Him. Its nature is to draw our attention away from our problems, no matter how overwhelming and lift our gaze to God. Praise changes relationships, hearts, and mindsets. Guru Arjan Dev Ji demonstrated its efficacy when Sulhi Khan mounted an attack on Guru Ji from Lahore and his Shabads on the subject of attaching paint to the picture.

Guru Ji created a fountain of praises in form of Sri Guru Granth Sahib for us and sealed it for posterity to prevent its doctoring and plagiarizing. Guru Ji has not just set the words in poetic meters and strung them on musical scales, but also set the style of singing for its optimal effect on the mind. The result is that these words just don’t reach our ears but can penetrate the deeper core – the soul within, transforming it. In the process, we witness our own limitations, while offering us a dazzling display of the magnanimous nature of God. These words can become the catalyst for our resizing of ourselves, in the process deflating our ballooned ego. The ego is the wall that separates us from our Creator God. So, what should we ask from our Guru Ji? Guru Ji even provides an answer for that as:

“ਸਾ ਮਤਿ ਦੇਹੁ ਦਇਆਲ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜਿਤੁ ਤੁਮਹਿ ਅਰਾਧਾ ॥”
Translation: Bless me with such understanding, O Merciful Lord God, that I might engage in Your adoration.   -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 678

Let us take the first step to go to Guru Ji, with complete faith and in total surrender. There, the process of transformation will be initiated by listening and believing; and both these activities are associated with the mind alone. When one listens attentively and starts believing, then a sacred shrine develops within. Thus, awareness of pride is the prerequisite for the humility cultivation process to take place. By incorporating these processes with reverence, progress is made, humility is cultivated, and one experiences cleansing of the mind. When one is reminded that one is lacking virtues inside, it produces an immediate humbling effect. As the malignant growth of ego is curtailed, prayer is born and humility blossoms from within. Such is the humble prayer to the Almighty to bless with virtues. Because without virtues, the progress on the path of spiritual evolution cannot take place, as Guru Nanak Dev Ji has advised:

“ਵਿਣੁ ਗੁਣ ਕੀਤੇ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥”
Meaning: Without virtue, there is no devotional worship possible.
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 4 

Guru Ji has shared the fact that the Creator is the reservoir of virtues, and these can only be acquired when one is blessed by Him, in grace. So, this becomes a starting point of realization of the need of Guru. It is through that relationship the connection with Almighty will develop, for the journey on the road to humility. In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Sheikh Fareed Ji has taken the example of a floor mat made of riverbed grass to describe how humble one has to become. He says:

“ਫਰੀਦਾ ਥੀਉ ਪਵਾਹੀ ਦਭੁ॥
ਜੇ ਸਾਂਈ ਲੋੜਹਿ ਸਭੁ॥
ਇਕੁ ਛਿਜਹਿ ਬਿਆ ਲਤਾੜੀਅਹਿ॥
ਤਾਂ ਸਾਈ ਦੈ ਦਰਿ ਵਾੜੀਅਹਿ ॥੧੬॥”
Translation: Farid, become the grass on the path, if you long for the Lord of all. One will cut you down, and another will trample you underfoot; then, you shall enter the Court of the Lord.  -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1378 

To paint a complete picture of humility, Farid Ji uses the metaphor of a variety of grass that grows on riverbanks used to make floor mats. In this example, first, the grass is cut that symbolizes giving up or total surrender. Then the cut grass gets trampled upon to flatten it, finally woven into a floor mat. Only then does it qualify to become the mat that graces the door of the house of Lord, picking up dust from the feet of the devotees. When it becomes the floormat at the place of worship, then worshippers in reverence pick up dust from it and apply it on their foreheads. Thus, the grass because of its humility was elevated to become an object of reverence. In fact, Guru Arjan Dev Ji has recommended a two-pronged attack on the ego from his own personal experience as:

“ਪ੍ਰਥਮੇ ਤਿਆਗੀ ਹਉਮੈ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥ ਦੁਤੀਆ ਤਿਆਗੀ ਲੋਗਾ ਰੀਤਿ ॥”
Meaning: First, I renounced my egoistical love of the self. Second, I renounced the ways of the world. -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 370

Here, Guru Ji is talking about abandoning self-hood, the ego that is afflicting everyone. It is the thinking of the mind in terms of “I, me, mine” alone. The ego likes to rule over everyone but does not relish the thought of becoming subservient to anyone else. That is how slavery, caste systems and feudal systems made inroads and were established firmly in societies. These were later scorned upon as perverse and are now slowly working their way out of society.

We all want to be successful in life. Unfortunately, the gauge of our success in life comes from the acknowledgement and endorsement of others. In order to declare our success to the world, we paint our own poster with the brush of a lavish lifestyle. That lifestyle is a demonstration to the world, that we have made it big on the world stage; that we are worthy of endorsement. The influence of celebrities in our lives can be gauged from the way we try to imitate their lifestyles, dresses, their sense of fashion, mannerisms, hairstyles, etc.

In fact, if we go to the magazine section in bookstores, we can see that celebrity magazines are doing roaring business, but mind-stimulating magazines have their sales plummeting. Our only objective from all these senseless imitations is to declare to the world that we have joined the elites club. Now we are the glitterati ourselves. These lavish lifestyles are food and nourishment to the ego. The ego desires respect and recognition from others. In one short sentence, Guru Ji provided a strategy to tame ego with a double pronged attack. Guru Ji’s prescription is to give up ego and cease conforming to the norms of the society which only result in ego enhancements. According to Guru Ji, by adopting this double pronged strategy, a big transformation will take place. Faith and humility are garnered while the ego is tamed. Then the race to do what everybody else is doing takes backseat.
So, how to prepare ourselves to rid the filth of ego? Guru Ji declares that the ego is only washed away when the love for God wells up inside:

“ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਲੁ ਖੋਇ ॥”
Meaning: In the Love of God, the filth of ego is washed away.
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 391 

When the filth of ego is washed away, then through the teachings of Guru a clear understanding and realization that the divine light is within everyone is enkindled. Thus, Guru Ji has clarified that getting rid of the ego is a pre-requisite for cultivating humility. So, when in the midst of crisis and we remember God, we have accepted that the difficult or unpleasant situation as God’s plan, whose outcome will be beneficial for our growth. This is contrary to mere acceptance of the situation as fate and becoming complacent. Instead, it is an endeavor to precisely gauge the situation, and plan for commensurate course of action. Such a course of action leads to dissolution of ego and growth to take place. Guru Nanak Dev Ji has very clearly defined those growth areas for human form as:

“ਤਿਥੈ ਘੜੀਐ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਮਤਿ ਮਨਿ ਬੁਧਿ ॥”
Translation: The intuitive consciousness, intellect and understanding of the mind are shaped there. -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 7

Guru Ji is talking about development not just at intellectual level but the spiritual. Guru Ji has defined the four faculties where development needs to take place as:

1. Thorough development of awareness
2. Acquiring higher understanding
3. Complete evolution of perception
4. Thorough development of logic and rationality

Guru Ji calls those who embark on this journey as “Spiritual Warriors”. These warriors develop these four faculties, and a realization of the One consciousness is behind all the forms. Our current dilemma is with lack of complete awareness, the higher thought processes and understanding is not in our realm. So, how can these four faculties be developed? These faculties can only be developed if humility is cultivated. Guru Nanak Dev Ji has advised us about it in these words:

“ਸੁਣਿਆ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਮਨਿ ਕੀਤਾ ਭਾਉ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਗਤਿ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਮਲਿ ਨਾਉ ॥”
Meaning: By listening and believing in reverence with humility in mind, one cleanses the sacred shrine (soul) within. -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 4 

Guru Arjan Dev Ji has suggested:
“ਮਨ ਕੀ ਮਤਿ ਤਿਆਗੀਐ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥”
Meaning: So, renounce the intellectual cleverness of your mind, and listen to the (divine) Teachings (from Guru). -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 814 

Guru Ji wants us to be convinced without a doubt that whatever Guru Ji’s teachings are, they are for our good and to have complete faith in them:

“ਜੋ ਗੁਰੁ ਕਹੈ ਸੋਈ ਭਲ ਮਾਨਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਨਿਰਾਲੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥”
Meaning: Whatever the Guru says, accept that as good; the sermon of the Lord, Har, Har, is unique and wonderful. 1. Pause. -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 667

It is through the words of the Guru; the ego gets completely eradicated:
“ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਖੋਇ ॥”
Meaning: Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, egotism is eradicated from within. -Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1173

Guru Ji’s words or teachings share with us the greatness, benevolence, infinite capability, art, and intelligence of God, who made the entire creation and is sustaining it continuously. It is again Guru Ji’s teachings that make us realize that our own strength, capability, faculties, and intelligence are quite limited. Guru Ji’s words perform the work of a life coach, transforming life. The outcome is clarified by Guru Ji as follows:

“ਹੋਇ ਸਗਲ ਕੀ ਰੇਣੁਕਾ ਹਰਿ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਮਾਵਉ ॥”
Translation: Become the dust of all men’s feet, and so merge with the Lord.
-Guru Granth Sahib, Page 322

Now, this is true exalting of the humble. This is the true sweetness of humility, a result of God’s grace. The path prescribed by Guru is through remembrance and praise of God.

References:
1. Singh, Bhupinder. Humility: A Spiritual Journey. Gracious Books, Patiala, 2018
2. Pierce, Virginia. The Power of Remembering.
3. www.Sikhitothemax.com
4. https://www.foundationofpraise.org/powerinpraise.html