A person who considers himself master of his life is never humble because he thinks that he does not owe anyone anything. Conversely, a person who believes that his purpose is to serve God cannot be anything but humble because he always feels that he is not fulfilling his duty.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord said: “But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table?’
“And will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?
“Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.
“Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”
— Luke 17:5, 7–10
The modesty of truly good people is expressed in oblivion: they are so engrossed in whatever it is they are working on right now that they lose sight of what they have already accomplished.
— Chinese saying
The one standing on tiptoes cannot stand for very long. The one who shows off cannot enlighten. The one who is self-satisfied cannot become renowned. The one who brags cannot possess merit. The one who is proud cannot be elevated. Before the judgement of reason, such people arouse everyone’s revulsion, like scraps of discarded food. Therefore, the one possessed of reason does not rely on himself.
— Laozi
The deeper the human being descends into his own self and the more insignificant he seems to himself, the higher he ascends towards God.
— Thomas à Kempis
For a follower of Christian teaching, the attainment of a stage in self-perfection induces a need to reach a stage that is higher still, which in turn opens up ones that are even higher, and so on without end. The follower of the law of Christ always feels himself imperfect, not seeing the path behind him which he has already traveled, but always looking at the path ahead that still awaits him.
When a human being is alive, he is soft and flexible. When he dies, he becomes stiff and dry.
Everything, from grass to trees, is gentle and flexible while it is alive. When it dies, it hardens and dries. Hardness and rigidity are the satellites of death. Softness and gentleness are the satellites of life. Therefore, the strong-armed will not prevail. When a tree grows rigid it is destined to die. The strong and large are at the bottom, the soft and gentle are above them.
— Laozi
The one who seeks erudition grows daily and becomes ever more elevated in the eyes of the people.
The one who seeks virtue diminishes daily and appears ever lower in the eyes of the people.
He continues to diminish until he reaches complete humility. When he reaches complete humility, he becomes completely free, and, contrary to his will, he becomes the teacher of the people.
— Laozi
Remember that you have no right to anything, that you are a slave to the Source that gave you life, and that therefore the only thing you have is duty.
