Nobody is an enemy to anyone else; our biggest enemy is the ego. The ego and truth are opposites—the truth is visible through the humility we have, and the ego does not allow us to reveal the truth.
Even if you only have a little bit of ego, it will seem enormous—people will comment on it. Think about coloured clothes—you do not know if there are any stains on the fabric because of the colours. But when you wear white clothes, you can see even the slightest stain. When we are not on a spiritual path, it is like wearing colourful clothes; we do not even know or realise that we have so much ego. But when you start along a spiritual path, a little bit of ego becomes all too visible.
In our thoughts, our words, our actions, and relationships there must be purity, truth and humility—then there is no ego, and then there will be divinity too. Ego means holding your head high. Humility means holding it neither high nor low. Humility does not mean bowing your head down, it means maintaining stability. Not to bow down physically but to say okay, maybe I am wrong, and you are right—that is humility. To be an embodiment of humility is to be truthful within and humble, expressing humility in the way you interact with people. This inner humility allows our inner divinity to emerge.
If I have ego, I think I have to teach everyone. If I have humility, I have instead deep feelings, pure intentions and the desire to learn. Think about this: If someone has the intention to teach, what tone of voice does she adopt? And if someone wants to learn, what is his tone of voice like? When the ego is stubborn, and we try to prove ourselves right, it causes loss of respect. When there is truth, I do not need to prove it. Neither do I have to say you are wrong or cause sorrow to another—everything will work itself out. When there is truth within me and purity and cleanliness in my thoughts, then there is power. And then, with humility, I can bring other souls closer to God.
In fact, there is a great deal of pleasure in being egoless, because then we have the sense of being a ruler or a master. God is the Almighty Authority, and so His inheritance is that His children, too, should experience His power. The sun is egoless—it continues to do its work of giving light and heat no matter what. If someone were to draw the curtains or close the windows, the sun would not stop doing its work. So, we, in the same way, have to continue doing our work. Every human being should think, “I must do my work, the things God is teaching me.”
Just realise what that truth is, and that truth will be in your life. It can never be hidden—a diamond will sparkle even in sand or dust. So, this is what we have to do; become flawless diamonds. A diamond does not say anything for itself, so a person who has a diamond life will not need to say anything; she is incognito.
The late Dadi Janki was Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris.
