The Wisdom of Being Humble - Gaining Insight into the Life Wisdom of Great Masters

Author: Cheng Cheng (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-01
Features: There is a pair of couplets that are quite interesting and can be said to capture the essence of being modest. The upper line reads: "Engage in miscellaneous tasks, learn diverse subjects, be a jack-of-all-trades, mixed and varied—especially interesting." The lower line reads: "Start by crawling, then ascend slopes, climb mountains, come and go until you finally reach the summit." The horizontal heading is: "Be modest in your conduct." Being modest in your conduct means "high," while also being "hiding" without revealing. "High" is the prerequisite for "hiding," and only in this way can one truly be modest. It is this "hiding" without revealing that gives modesty its unique charm. Modest people are not isolated from the world; rather, they maintain their true selves in social interactions. They are not pretentious, nor do they put on airs, which helps them not lose themselves in this world full of temptations. To learn how to be modest, one must avoid being noisy, pretentious, artificial, feigning sorrow, putting on an act, getting involved in disputes, being disliked, or being envied. Even if you believe you are full of talent and more capable than others, you must learn to hide your strengths.
There is a pair of couplets that are quite interesting and can be said to capture the essence of being modest. The upper line reads: "Engage in miscellaneous tasks, learn diverse subjects, be a jack-of-all-trades, mixed and varied—especially interesting." The lower line reads: "Start by crawling, then ascend slopes, climb mountains, come and go until you finally reach the summit." The horizontal heading is: "Be modest in your conduct." Being modest in your conduct means "high," while also being "hiding" without revealing. "High" is the prerequisite for "hiding," and only in this way can one truly be modest. It is this "hiding" without revealing that gives modesty its unique charm. Modest people are not isolated from the world; rather, they maintain their true selves in social interactions. They are not pretentious, nor do they put on airs, which helps them not lose themselves in this world full of temptations. To learn how to be modest, one must avoid being noisy, pretentious, artificial, feigning sorrow, putting on an act, getting involved in disputes, being disliked, or being envied. Even if you believe you are full of talent and more capable than others, you must learn to hide your strengths.