There’s a story about one holy man, who was asked by a delegation of the Emperor of China to become the Prime Minister. He was told that the Emperor treasured his wisdom and knowledge. The man said he knew that the Emperor had a statue of a large turtle in his ante room covered with diamonds, which the emperor and his family venerated every day. Then the holy man picked up a muddy turtle and asked if this turtle would replace the one on the pedestal in the palace. The men said no it couldn’t. The man said that he couldn’t either and turned the office down. The lesson was that no one can live or stay alive on a pedestal.
My sponsor used to tell me to never put him up on a pedestal. He said the fall was too great. I was tempted, but never did, while he was alive. But, now that he’s gone, he’s right up there in my memory of him.
I know what he was saying. Our egos are too vulnerable to those who would like to admire us from afar. We may tell ourselves and others that we don’t like such admiration, but there isn’t one of us who can avoid being affected by this kind of veneration. Either it turns us off and is repugnant to us or we can become puffed up with internal pride.
I was told how much someone thought of something I said. My first reaction was to reject what was said, but, as my sponsor taught me, I simply said, “Thank you.” That’s it. Simple. But all the while I was struggling within, because something always rejects any sort of positive statement. Old stuff. That’s why my sponsor had to work so hard with me.
My sponsor taught me that whenever I could accept and treat praise and condemnation as the same then I would be nearing something of humility. To accept it quietly with a simple thanks.
Obviously I’m not there yet, but it did remind me of what my sponsor said to me. I have a long way to go, but I’ll keep trying. Anyway, I was thinking about this today.
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