Wisdom tells me I am nothing.
Love tells me I am everything.
Between the two my life flows.Indian Proverb
I highly recommend Joan Chittister's book Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light. It's a simple yet profound look at the ABC's of the contemplative life. Twenty-six chapters covering such things as awareness and zeal. Last night I was looking at the chapter on humility:
The Rule of Benedict lays out the four dimensions of humility that lead to contemplation. The first calls us simply to recognize the presence of God in our lives. God, the rule says quite clearly, simply is. God is with us whether we recognize that presence, that power, or not. God is not bought or gained or won or achieved. God is the ground of life. The point is not that we arrive at God; the point is that we cannot remove ourselves from God. We can only ignore the impact and the meaning of God's presence within us. O God, come to my assistance, we say at the beginning of every prayer period of the day in my community. Even the desire to pray, we acknowledge, comes form the God within us.
The second level of humility requires us to accept the gifts of others, their Godself, their wisdom, their experience, even their direction. By revealing our inmost selves to someone else, we recognize the presence of God in others, yes, but we also free ourselves from the masks we wear and the lies which, in the end, are likely to fool even ourselves about us. For a woman it is the ability to realize that she is not nothing. For a man, it is the ability to realize that he is not everything. Open to the gifts of others and the truth of the self, we can see God where God is.
The third stage of humility requires us to let go of false expectations in daily life. When I am truly aware of my own littleness, I am not driven to spend life satisfying my ego more than my needs. I do not harbor the delusions of grandeur that compel a person to require the best car, the best chair, the best piece of meat on the plate, whatever the effect on others. The person full of God has much more security than any of the baubles of life - the comforts, the trappings, the titles, the symbols - can give.
The fourth level of humility reminds me to receive others kindly. Knowing my own limitations, I can accept theirs. Then I can walk through the world quietly, without bluster, without calling attention to myself and concentrated on the God within.
Finally, realistic about the self, the mind is free to become full of God.
To be a contemplative it is necessary every day to remember the God within. The posture is a crucial one. Only then can we empty ourselves of the need to play God that day, with anyone, in any way. (56-58)
