The ABCs: H is for (Radical) Humility

Get a Little Dirty

In many spiritual traditions, there is a practice in which a selected scriptural passage becomes the theme for the week. At Radical Spirituality, we do the same thing, but in a radical way.

Each Sunday, I offer The ABC’s of Radical Spirituality, a single, simple word distilled from the common principles of all the world’s faith and wisdom teachings that serves as the exploration for the week. They are the roots of Radical Spirituality. And because I am that person, the words are in alphabetical order. We start with A and go to Z.

It’s a simple practice to get to the roots of what matters on our spiritual path. The best part is that you will get out of it what you put into it. If you just keep the word on a sticky-note on your computer, it will still work it’s magic. But to dig deeper, delve in, dive in, and see what you find.

H is for (Radical) Humility

Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash

One must become as humble as the dust before he can discover truth. – Mahatma Gandhi

Humility is a critical attribute on any spiritual path. Summed up, Humility is about keeping our pride and arrogance in check, accepting that we don’t know everything, and we aren’t in charge. (Now, that’s a Radical thought!)

Humility is about questions, not answers. To be humble means we approach life as a student, knowing that there is always something else to learn, and others always have something to offer. It’s not false modesty, self-deprecation, or servility, but a proportionate sense of self in relation to all.

In Humility, we have a sense of gratitude for what we are given (Be a good guest!). We let go of entitlement, believing in our own specialness. We do not put ourselves about others, but see all as equally Divine, deserving, and worthy. That’s what all the spiritual traditions teach (and sadly, is the opposite of our current social media-fueled self-aggrandizement).

But there is a more radical way of understanding Humility. Humility comes from the Latin root, humilis, meaning “low,” or, even more fundamentally, humus, or earth. Humility then implies someone or something that is close to the ground. But humus is also the root of “Human.” We aren’t just low to the ground, we ARE the ground, the fertile rich soil from which life grows. Our humility is the essence of our humanity.

Humility is the very ground of our being: we are ALL of the earth, in all its fecund potentiality, thus none of us is higher, more special, or more important than any other. At its deepest root, then, Humility is the recognition of the equality of all beings: we all belong here...equally.

This week, we explore Humility: what does it mean to be “of the earth?”

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Deeper Roots

"The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being."
— Genesis 2:7

"By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return."
— Genesis 3:19

These biblical verses are, of course, the root of the idea that we come from the earth and return to the earth. They explain why we are inherently humble. Dust to dust. If there is anything that will humble you, it’s your own mortality. No matter how hard we try, we have not yet succeeded in cheating death. Death is the ultimate leveler.

This echoes the teachings of Buddhism and Daoism. We are impermanent and are subject to the cycles and laws of nature. There is no escaping that reality. We arise and fall, are born and die. So does everything from galaxies to grasshoppers. That’s just the way things are, and we must have the humility to accept that we can’t do anything about it.

Humility is relational. It’s about recognizing that our sense of separateness is an illusion. As all teachings will tell us, we are not separate from one another, from anything in this cosmos, or from the Divine. Life is a collaboration. We are mutually dependent upon one another; it takes quite a bit of chutzpah to hold oneself apart as separate and independent. We can’t do it all ourselves, we don’t do it all ourselves, and we need to drop our arrogance long enough to acknowledge that we need others, they need us, and there is something larger than us at work in all of it.

Humility, then, is related to a sense of gratitude. If we are constantly being gifted with the benefit of life, supported by everything in the cosmos, it behooves us to have thankfulness. We recognize that although we are unique and beautiful beings with much to offer in the world, we are nothing special. We don’t deserve any more than anyone else. Humility becomes the foil for our all-too-prevalent sense of entitlement.

The opposite of Humility is the arrogance that thinks it knows the mind of God, tries to tell the Divine how the world should go, or says, “The rules don’t apply to me.” In other words, holding on to the belief that I am not subject to the laws of nature or karma — or that I can control the world and my own destiny— is hubris of the highest sort. Sooner or later, it catches up to you. Does the Greek myth of Icarus flying too close to the sun ring a bell? When he got too high, his wings melted, and he came crashing down…to earth.

There are countless other aphorisms and examples throughout wisdom literature and mythology that tell us that the high and mighty will be brought low, “The meek will inherit the earth,” “Pride goes before a fall,” and on and on. All of these sayings are there to keep us in proportion to everything else, remind us of the rules of the game, and of who and what we are: we are of the earth. Keep your feet on the ground.

But here’s the most interesting thing about humus: it’s the product of decomposition. From the decaying of organic matter comes the fertile soil of growth. Life will crush us in all kinds of ways; we will be humbled over and over. We will go into the darkness before we rise. Radical Humility, then, is the willingness to be brought low, to go through the incomprehensible and challenging process of life, accepting all of it, knowing we don’t know much about it, but remaining open to learning and trusting that it will be OK. Ultimately, Humility is the willingness to let our false sense of self-importance, superiority, and separateness die and be turned into the rich mud from which our true selves and connection to the Mystery can grow.

That’s what makes us human.

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Reflection Questions

1. What does Humility mean to me?

2. How does Humility show up in my life?

3. What prevents me from Humility?

4. How can I cultivate more Humility?

Suggested Practice

Practice saying, “I don’t know.” Instead of pretending that you know the answers to everything, recognize when you don’t know, and say it.

Humility is not cowardice. Meekness is not weakness. Humility and meekness are indeed spiritual powers. - Sivananda