Baba says, “to the extent that you have self-respect, you must also have humility. Do not have arrogance in your self-respect.”

The main basis and easy way of attaining constant success in service is to be humble hearted, teaches Baba. To be humble is self-respect and it is the easy way to receive regard and blessings from everyone. To be humble does not mean to bow down, but to inspire others with my specialties and my love. The sign of greatness is humility, one cannot turn away in the face of true humility, it is too attractive to turn away from. To the extent that a soul is humble, they automatically become great in everyone’s heart. “Imbibe the virtue of humility in your attitude, vision, words, relationships and connections and you will become great.”, teaches Baba. Just as the bowing of a tree does service, in the same way, to be humble, that is, to bow down is to be a server. Therefore, on one side, there is greatness and on the other side, there is humility.

Those who are humble don’t have a problem with giving others respect because they are seated firmly in their self-respect. They don’t struggle with: “what if I greet her and she doesn’t greet me back…I’d be so insulted!”, “what if they don’t respect me back?” No! If I am humble, I naturally respect others without any expectations of them; I respect others because that’s the kind of person I am. When I respect others, I respect myself. When I am humble, I give happiness to everyone. Wherever I go, whatever I do, I am a bestower of happiness to others.

The specialty of a server is to be extremely humble and a world servant on one side and to be an authority of knowledge on the other side, teaches Baba. To the extent I am humble, I am also a carefree emperor. Let there be the balance of humility and authority, He teaches. To have the consciousness of an instrument and of being unlimited– these, Baba explains, are the special bases of success in service. This is humility. However, I am humble to the extent that I have self-respect. If I lack self-respect, then I will be looking for respect from others and just like that, I am no longer an instrument, I am busy trying to prove how good I am, how worthy I am and so on. That is, instead of humility, I have arrogance instead. Part of my trying to prove myself becomes looking down on others, making them feel as not up to the mark, behaving as if I am doing them a favor by talking to them, looking frustrated, and other ways of showing my disapproval or dislike. Baba says, “Do not have arrogance of your self-respect. Don’t think that you have become elevated and that others are still junior or have feelings of dislike for them. No matter what other souls are like, look at them with a vision of respect, not with a vision of arrogance. There should neither be arrogance nor insult. That should not be the way to conduct yourself in Brahmin life.” When I move along as a self-respecting and therefore humble instrument, then I become God’s helper in the task of world renewal.

I often hear Baba tell me to maintain my good wishes and pure feelings for all souls. The basis to be able to do this too is the consciousness of being an instrument and of being humble. “The sign of good manners is humility“, explains Baba, “and the sign of bad manners is to be stubborn” and insist on being right or insist on being chosen etc. Sometimes I argue: “Well, I was right, my idea was indeed better, so what’s wrong with saying so or asking for credit where it is due?” That maybe the case but that is not the point! Being right is extremely overrated, I tend to want to be right even at the expense of relationships and even if that means hurting the other’s feelings. “That is not what a child of the Bestower of Happiness does“, teaches Baba. To be humble and to interact with everyone with manners is to have manners of truth; that is in fact ‘being right’ in the true sense.

Sometimes I worry that being humble might cause me to be being perceived as weak or getting taken for granted. But in reality, if I am truly humble, then I am also self-respecting and I cannot be perceived as weak by anyone; I won’t come across that way. In fact, I would be seen as an example of how to be. It is when I have a false sense of humility, the kind that comes without first being on the seat of self-respect, that makes me look like a sacrificial lamb or like a doormat. Others see me the way I see myself.

Father Brahma too brought himself down so much that through his humility, he became a server and was even ready to massage the feet of the children. “Children are ahead of me, the children can give better lectures than I can.“, he’d say. He never said “I first”, he always said, “the children are ahead, children first.” Saying that the children are greater and bringing himself down is not really coming down, but becoming great. This, Baba teaches, is being a true number one worthy server. To give regard to others and to be humble is to uplift others. This giving is in fact receiving for all time. “Renounce temporary perishable respect and remain stable in your self-respect. Be humble and continue to give respect. This giving becomes a form of receiving”, says Baba. To give respect means to put zeal and enthusiasm into that soul and make him move forward. This makes me a charitable soul for all time.