Dear friends,
I’d like to write this week about pride. Pride is a form of ego attachment. It is our natural self-centeredness that keeps us from Spirit and closes our hearts to others. By self-centeredness I do not mean we are merely concerned for or interested in ourselves, but that we are the center of reality so far as we are concerned.
I came across a beautiful quote recently (it escapes me where I discovered it, unfortunately): “When I became such that I was no longer the center of my own life, I found I was able to see Spirit everywhere.”
So what about pride? Whenever we focus on how good we are at something, we separate ourselves from others and close in on our own littleness.
To be fair, it is not the factual statement that is the problem. It is the pride we take in it. I myself am good at business. I have started or turned around many businesses in my life. They have all worked. So what? I truly believe that the only reason I am good at business is because in previous lives I have messed up so many businesses in every possible way, I finally learned what not to do! Where is the pride in having made 5,000 errors, and finally getting something right on the next try? “Goodness gracious, it’s about time!” is all I can say.
Every aspect of life is like that. Is a college student “brilliant” or “special” because he knows more than a sixth grader? Everyone is at a different stage in each aspect of life, in life in general, and on the path. My teacher used to say, “There is always someone ahead of you on the highway.” So what?
The word “maya” is Sanskrit and refers to the ultimate delusion of this world: the belief that Matter is more real than Spirit. That if we could get everything around us just right, then we’d finally be deeply happy and satisfied. It is also the Sanskrit word for “measurer.” Interesting. This is better than that. I need more of that thing over there. He is better than I am. I am better than they are. I am lacking in such-and-such. And on and on and on.
I have always laughed inwardly at exchanges such as the following: Someone sees a tall person and says to him, “You are nice and tall” whereupon the tall fellow replies, “Thank you.” For what? Was it a real effort on his part to be born tall? Did he have to work hard at it? Has he mastered height after years of perseverance and study?
May we each recognize that any natural quality we have (good or bad!) comes from Spirit and is not our own creation. May we work to lessen the qualities that keep us from Spirit, and be humble and grateful for the ones we are pleased to have, for they too are merely welcome gifts. Gratitude is always more appropriate than pride.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the Gang at East West