Acts Of Sincere Humility

RADIO PROGRAMME: 26 July 2021

JAIS & WELCOME Mihir

A very warm welcome to all our listeners. Describe the morning. Thank you for tuning into
todays spiritual hour. Today, on behalf of the youth team of Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, we
have myself, Mihir, and I will be in conversation with Nikhilbhai who is also behind the sound
desk.

Many years ago, an unknown rider stumbled upon some soldiers trying to move a heavy log.
Their corporal and commanding officer stood nearby, watching the soldiers
struggle with their task. The rider was taken aback. He asked why the
corporal did not help his men. The corporal replied, “I am the
corporal and I only give orders.”
Robust and powerful in stature, the rider dismounted and bent over to lend
the soldiers a helping hand. Together, the rider and soldiers moved the
log. And as he was leaving, the rider turned to the corporal and said, “The
next time your men need help, send for the Commander‐ in‐Chief.”
The corporal and his men were stunned.
For the rider was George Washington, the Commander‐in‐Chief of the
Continental Army. And yet, for a man of such stature, Washington did not
flinch in helping his soldiers with even the smallest of tasks.
Washington’s humility empowered his soldiers and earned him a position of
respect among his troops.
Like Washington, influential figures throughout history have shown that
humility is the true
mark of a great leader. Names like Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi
have become synonymous with the virtue of humility. It’s as Bengali poet
Rabindranath Tagore once said,
“We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.”
But before we embark on this spiritual endeavour, let us first bless our program with the God’s
presence through a small dhun.

DHUN : Nikhilbhai

Mihir
For our kind listeners who have just tuned the premise of our topic for today is humility and this
topic may seem abit cliché but our goal today is truly understand the effect of showing humility
and imbibing it as one of our key qualities. This is one spiritual factor that truly makes an
individual slingshot to success and achieve their goal.

Why Act with Humility? -

Today, ego‐centric and self‐promoting attitudes have become the social and professional
norm, seemingly necessary to survive in a world of cutthroat competition
and one‐upmanship.

In a December 2009 article written for Forbes magazine titled “The Right
Way To Sell Yourself At Work,” Helen Coster highlights the importance of
self‐promotion to achieve success in the workplace.

“Like it or not, self‐promotion is part of responsible career management,” Coster writes.

“People who tout their own achievements land plum assignments and
promotions. Actions don't always speak louder than words.”

Coster goes on in the article to outline methods of “perfecting a

‘bragalogue’‐‐a short, pithy story that incorporates a few bits of
information about who you are and what you've done.”

This piece is among a plethora of articles, debates, discussions, and books

dedicated to the art of self‐promotion. But most of these commentator’s
caution that too much self‐promotion can be harmful, and that
individuals have to strike a balance between selling their brand and
maintaining the appropriate veneer of humility.

But historically, humility has held a more prevalent position in the

American cultural psyche, according to New York Times Columnist David
Brooks. On September 15, 2009, Brooks wrote a column titled “High Five
Nation,” in which he examined American reaction to the Allied victory
during World War II.

“The allies had, on that very day, completed one of the noblest military
victories in the history of humanity,” Brooks wrote. “And yet there was no
chest‐beating. Nobody was erecting triumphal arches.” He continued,
“Humility, the sense that nobody is that different from anybody else, was a
large part of the culture then.”

Brooks recognized that Americans had handled a historic victory with a

sense of dignity that was generally devoid of arrogance, conceit, and false
pride. Contemporary commentators and experts are increasingly pointing to
that same cultural trait of humility as an essential quality for effective
management and leadership in today’s competitive global economy.
Through humility, managers create a collaborative environment that
celebrates successes and facilitates learning. Such leaders can constructively
introspect on their shortcomings and reshape them into strengths. But most
importantly, they can create a work culture premised on compassion,
teamwork, and appreciation.

Nikhilbhai:
Definitely Mihir, in fact many major defence operations were successfully
completed out of the limelight and those soldiers are now given that credit
through biopics and books.

But there are also many other examples.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and one of the world’s richest people, said it best,
“You’ve to want to be in this incredible feedback loop where you get the world ‐class
people to tell you what you’re doing wrong.” According to Gates, who is considered a
pioneer, innovator and humanitarian leader, humility is necessary for personal and
professional progress.

In our personal lives, humility is often reflected in the way we treat each
other. American gymnast John Orozco’s mother shared an example of
this from her son’s life in an interview with CNN during the 2012
Olympics, where Orozco was part of the US Olympic Team.
Orozco was nine years old when he won his first gymnastics medal. But his
real triumph came after the competition, when he saw a little boy crying.
Orozco went to speak to him and found out that the boy was being
teased because he had not performed well during the competition. Without
hesitation, Orozco took off his medal and placed it around the young boy’s
neck, asking him not to cry. Orozco made a choice to respect his
competitors and consider them his equals, regardless of their victory or
failure.

Similarly, humility means that we each make the choice to treat others with esteem and
graciousness. Humility allows us to approach each ebb and flow in our lives
as a learning experience. By being sweet rather than snooty, we can make
smart choices and develop long‐lasting relationships.

Mihir:
Thank you Nikhilbhai. These incidents surely emphasize the importance of showing humility but
as like you always say :Its all about perspective. the main advantage lies in looking at this virtue
of humility through the spiritual lens.

But before we go into that. Let us take a few minutes and enjoy the peace of a kirtan.
Nikhilbhai:
Kirtan
Mihir:

Humility is Seeing the Good in All -

Humility is not just how we choose to act with people, but more importantly
how we choose to perceive people. Though we might resolve to behave
humbly with people, if we perceive them to be lesser than ourselves,
our arrogant perspective towards them will eventually become
apparent to all, if not to ourselves. However, if we see everyone as greater
than us, then we
will naturally act with humility towards everyone. One who is truly humble perceives
no one as flawed or small, but everyone as great. Bhagwan Swaminarayan talks
about maintaining such a humble perspective in Vachnamrut Gadhada I‐28. He states,
“…when a person is likely to progress in Satsang …day by day, he sees only virtues
in all satsangis. He views all devotees as superior to himself and considers himself to
be insignificant. Moreover, he experiences the bliss of Satsang in his heart 24 hours a
day… In fact, the more such a person practices satsang, the more he benefits; and
eventually, he attains profound greatness.”

We have found this ideal in our guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, whose life
exemplifies true humility through compassion, without regard for his position.

Nikhilbhai:

You know there’s a particular incident of PSM that truly depicts words
mentioned by Bhagwan Swaminarayan
In April 2001, President Bill Clinton met with Swamishri in Gandhinagar
while visiting community leaders in India. He specifically altered his
schedule to meet with Swamishri and lost track of time while talking with
him. As President Clinton was leaving, Swamishri’s attention turned to a
group of villagers from the Kutch region who had recently lost their
livelihoods in an earthquake. Swamishri met the villagers with equal
enthusiasm and consideration as he had met with President Clinton. In the
span of a few minutes, he had met with a world leader and a group of poor
villagers with the same reverence. Swamishri embodies the quality of
sweetness with his daily interactions, and inspires everyone to treat others
with equal kindness, regardless of their status or position in life.
Krishna Bhagwan says in the Bhagvad Gita, “An ideal sadhu who worships
God with his body, mind, and soul is the only one who is able to love every
living being equally. He is able to see God in them.” Yogiji Maharaj was
an ideal sadhu who saw divinity in all and thus could think and care for
everybody, inspiring those around him to treat their peers with respect.

Mihir:

Well said Nikhilbhai. Another prasang is also that of Yogiiji Maharaj. We know Yogiji Maharaj
was known for his beautiful smile and connection with the youth.
Once in Sarangpur, Yogiji Maharaj received a telegram from the king of Bhavnagar, His
Royal Highness Krishnakumarsinhji.

The king expressed his wish to have Yogiji Maharaj bless his son on his
upcoming wedding. The king and the young prince would be travelling in a royal
procession by train passing through Botad, a town nearby Sarangpur, and they
requested Yogiji Maharaj’s presence there. Respecting the king’s wish, Yogiji
Maharaj and several other sadhus and devotees arrived at the Botad station.
Many had gathered there to witness the royal and spiritual meeting between
Yogiji Maharaj and the king. Yogiji Maharaj blessed the king and his son and
soon the royal party had boarded the train to continue on their journey.

Among the bystanders on the train platform was a railway lineman. As the royal
family departed, he rushed towards Yogiji Maharaj and fell at his feet. He
exclaimed, “Swamiji, please come to my residence and bless my hut as well.”
Many of the bystanders shrugged and felt it inappropriate that this low ranking
railway employee was allowed to approach Yogiji Maharaj especially after being
in the company of the royal family only moments earlier. One of the devotees
emphatically denied the request and asserted that Yogiji Maharaj had to leave
immediately to reach Sarangpur and would not have any time to go to his hut.

However, Yogiji Maharaj said compassionately, “But look at his love, we cannot
turn him away. Come, we must fulfill his wish.” Without waiting for the
others, Yogiji Maharaj began the one mile walk to the lineman’s house. At his
residence, the lineman lovingly performed arti and thal and bowed down to Yogiji
Maharaj with tears in his eyes. Yogiji Maharaj touched the lineman’s heart and
respected his wishes with the same regard as he had valued the king’s request,
without any concern for their difference in status. By looking at the purity of the
lineman’s intentions rather than his social status,Yogiji Maharaj truly
embodied the traits of sweetness and humility.

Nikhilbhai:
Kirtan
Just picking up from where we left of with discussing the humility that Yogiji Maharaj has so
consistently displayed throughout their lives, there is another incident that comes to mind:

In another instance in Calcutta, Yogiji Maharaj, together with several

sadhus and devotees, went to the old Swaminarayan mandir for darshan.
Here, just as Yogiji Maharaj was about to sit down on a seat cushion, a
sadhu from Vartal snatched it away. Unperturbed by this rude behavior,
Yogiji Maharaj sat elsewhere and kindly asked the sadhu if he was from
Junagadh. However, the sadhu refused to answer Yogiji Maharaj’s
question and turned away. Then, one of the haribhaktos asked the same
question to the sadhu and he answered that he indeed was from Junagadh
and that his guru was Balmukund Swami. Later, after leaving the mandir,
many devotees angrily began to criticize the rude sadhu’s conduct.
However, Yogiji Maharaj quickly quieted the haribhaktas and exclaimed,
“No, don’t say such things about him. Just look what a good person he is
that he allowed all of us to have darshan!” Despite being insulted at the
mandir, Yogiji Maharaj refused to find fault in the sadhu; he only saw the
sadhu’s redeeming qualities and inspired others around him to do the same.

Yogiji Maharaj has said, “In my fifty years in Satsang, not once have I seen
a fault or thought ill of a Satsangi, be he the lowest of the low, be he a
simpleton with little sense, who knows nothing at all ‐ never have I had an
ill thought for anyone even if he considers himself my enemy. I have cared
for everyone. I have served everyone…” Through his humility and
consideration, he motivates all of us to act with Presenter’s Note generosity
in our interactions with others.

Mihir:

Humility Through Reverence:

Pramukh Swami Maharaj is in constant communion with God. His continuous
reverence and devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and to his gurus is a key source
of his humility. As the head of an international socio‐spiritual organization dedicated
to helping individuals, families and communities, Swamishri has received many
accolades. UN, Transcendence, Guiness world records etc. Yet, he remains unaffected
by the praise. Instead, he continues to shower his unconditional love on devotees and
work for the betterment of society. He responds to all praise with the singular thought
that all is due to the grace of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his gurus.
Deepak Jhaveri, a reporter for the India Post, once asked Swamishri, “Don’t you
ever
tire from the constant travel and your organization’s growth?”
Swamishri replied, “It is God’s work…It is all due to the guru’s blessings and
God’s inspiration…You should always pray to God saying, ‘Through me, it is
really you who is doing everything.’ He will guide us through success and
failure. You can work in a way that pleases him and produces results that
please everyone.”
Deepak Jhaveri responded, “Humility is the foundation of your organization, this I
can see first‐hand.” Swamishri is able to lead BAPS with humility despite such
tremendous achievement because he truly believes Bhagwan Swaminarayan to
be the doer of everything, whereas he sees himself as only an instrument. It is
his absolute humility that inspires others to share credit for successes, see
others as greater than oneself, and let go of any negative feelings such as
jealousy or egotism. Regardless of who we interact with, we must always
understand that it is not we who are powerful, but rather it is God who is the
creator of our success. By remembering our Guru and God, we can learn to
make the right choice of treating everyone with respect and humility.
But one of the most effective ways to relate to the benefits is to remind ourselves
of such special moments where we have personally Mahant Swami display this
attribute of humility. So Nikhilbhai what experience would you like to share with
us?

The Youth Perspective:

Nikhilbhai: Your experience on Mahant Swami Maharaj’s humility. Maybe you
can say that prasang in 2017 when Bap removed his shoes even though the bricks
were so hot just so that he could hold Lord Swaminarayan’s idol (Thakorji).

Mihir:
The way MSM holds even the smallest child’s hand when walking to a sabha hall.
Etc the prasang on Bapa walking up the stairs to Akshardham

Conclusion - Nikhilbhai
Swamishri has said, “Where there is God, there is humility. All happens due to God’s
grace.” True growth and happiness comes when we realize that we have a lot to learn
and give during our lifetime, and that every relationship presents an opportunity for
us to progress. And by treating others inside and outside of satsang with sweetness
and compassion, instead of snootiness and apathy, we have the chance to achieve
personal and spiritual progress.

Self‐Reflection – Mihir:

Here is a questionnaire to help us assess what kind of choices we are making in our
interactions with others and how our words and actions are affecting our life: Have
I ever said or done anything to make someone feel as if they are less than me due
to their status or seva? Have I ever said or done anything to make someone feel as
if they are less than me due to being new in satsang or for not following niyam‐
dharma? How did I feel immediately afterwards? How did I feel after a little
while? Have I ever acted or said something nice about my peers/other satsangis to
make them feel welcome, to make them feel better?
How did I feel immediately afterwards? How did I feel after a little while?
Have I ever made a choice to treat someone in a less than humble manner?
Did my action or words benefit me in the short term? Long term?
Did it affect my relationship with that person going forward?

Firstly, we pray that we gain the strength to surrender ourselves and conduct the greatest level of
mansi to the Lord and Identify ourselves to be the atma.

 may the Coronavirus pandemic is resolved soon

 may all experience happiness and peace from within

  and lastly, may we all grow one more step closer to God

Until next week, be safe and keep it spiritual.

Swaminarayan Mahamantra: (5:40) :Nikhilbhai