Radhe Radhe!
What is true humility?
I remember I asked Swami this same question on the call many months ago... it was one of the first times I posed a question on the call. Swami gave a definition (which I of course forgot...sorry!). He then went on to explain how two things kept Krsna in our hearts - offenselessness and humility. Of the two offenselessness isn't in our complete control (being the errant Kali yuga jivas that were are!)... the other, humility is in our grasp, and we can make a sincere endeavor to cultivate it, so that Krsna resides in our heart, and the Holy Name vibrates effectively on our tongues...
I wish Swami would post his working definition of humility here. I wish I hadn't forgotten it (or maybe that's why Krsna's making you ask it again here on TV!)
Take care.
I have heard Guru Maharaja define humility as "the absense of the enjoying spirit", I think quoting Srila Saraswati Thakur.
Here's a link to a nice article getting into the subtleties of humility,
Arcana Siddhi wrote that was published in BTG last year called Humble and Feeling Good.
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/con...nd-feeling-good
Here's a link to a nice article getting into the subtleties of humility,Arcana Siddhi wrote that was published in BTG last year called Humble and Feeling Good.
http://www.vaisnavafamilyresources.org/con...nd-feeling-good
This article is good. I still feel that self-deprecation is good though we don't need to express it in public and make a show of that. The second verse of sikshastakam is about self-deprecation and the stage is still sadhana bhakti not suddha bhakti. So I think it is good to get self-deprecating thoughts even when one is doing in sadhana.
In my personal life being self-deprecating in private has been the greatest good for my spiritual life.
I wish Swami would post his working definition of humility here. I wish I hadn't forgotten it (or maybe that's why Krsna's making you ask it again here on TV!)
I will reserve my own comments on humility for the upcoming discussion of Siksastakam.
This article is good. I still feel that self-deprecation is good though we don't need to express it in public and make a show of that. The second verse of sikshastakam is about self-deprecation and the stage is still sadhana bhakti not suddha bhakti. So I think it is good to get self-deprecating thoughts even when one is doing in sadhana.In my personal life being self-deprecating in private has been the greatest good for my spiritual life.
I know what you are saying, though I don't know if "self deprecation" is the best term--at least for me, and my association with the word. The dictionary definition is to express disapproval of, belittle, disparage. I think the value of self deprecation would depend on what it is based on, whether materially being down on our self, or as in Lord Chaitanya's prayer, seeing our unfortunate lack of taste and fully taking shelter of the name. I would say that those two perspective are very different. It is interesting to think about the distinctions between false are real humility, and to analyze our position and motivations.
I know what you are saying, though I don't know if "self deprecation" is the best term--at least for me, and my association with the word. The dictionary definition is to express disapproval of, belittle, disparage. I think the value of self deprecation would depend on what it is based on, whether materially being down on our self, or as in Lord Chaitanya's prayer, seeing our unfortunate lack of taste and fully taking shelter of the name. I would say that those two perspective are very different. It is interesting to think about the distinctions between false are real humility, and to analyze our position and motivations.
I agree with you on this Karnam. I too find my associations with the term 'self-deprecation' disallow me from using it in a constructive way when examining humility.
Ok you can change the word and I understand I should not use self-abnegation or self-deprecation in today's context. SSM did use self-abnegation.