June 10

Chapter 7 pt. 16

The Rule of St. Benedict June 10

In this last reading from Chapter 7, our Father Benedict gives both the twelfth and final step of humility, which has to do with physical demeanor, and the conclusion to what Sr. Joan calls, "a strangely wonderful and intriguingly distressing treatise on the process of the spiritual life."  I want to quote at length from Joseph Goldstein, a Buddhist teacher who contributed to Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict as a conclusion to my own reflections on Chapter 7.

Sometimes humility itself can become a stance of the ego, or perhaps be confused with feelings of unworthiness.  Wei Wu Wei captures the essence of this virtue when he writes, 'Humility is the absence of anyone to be proud.' True humility comes most fully with the wisdom of selflessness, rather than being some one who is humble--for even a humble one can be self-centered.

One of the greatest stumbling blocks to the experience of humility is the strong attachment we can have to views and opinions, of both worldly and spiritual matters.  The particular spiritual practices and studies we have undertaken inevitably condition us.  It is easy to become attached to our point of view and miss the even greater wisdom that comes from silence of mind. 

Br. Chad 2012