Finding Humility in Your Third Eye

smcculley
Apr 11
3 min read

Finding Humility in Your Third Eye

Do you remember the popular 1970’s radio tune, “You're so Vain,” with the burning lyric “you probably think this song is about you?” I wonder about the mindset of the composer whose lyrics contained this curious, strange loop, celebrating and admonishing someone at the same time. True humility is not a loop, however. It might be rare, but it is true to its nature and is free of vanity.

Developing humility is like developing leadership. You cannot simply say be a good leader, and then you are a good leader. You cannot say be humble and then be humble. To be a good leader, one needs to be first. To be humble, one also needs to be, and to be beyond oneself, beyond the realm of me-ness.

The whole effort of the mystic has always been to become such that there is no part left in his soul to say 'I'. − Simone Weil

The Teacher speaks frequently about the humility of Higher Centers, that part of us that is often veiled and overlooked. We call it the Third Eye. When we are in a higher state or the Third Eye, we are naturally humble. We are in a state of humility. Therefore, a good start to working on humility is to not focus on oneself. In the Fourth Way, we refer to this as being externally considerate. This orientation contrasts with inner considering, which is a state of sleep where I think about myself and wonder what people think of me.

The state of humility can be seen in moments where I let go of my ego and remember myself. When I find myself saying that was my idea or how come they didn't thank me for that gesture, that is the opposite of humility. Our lower parts bring us down like gravity to the lowest level of our being. Elevating oneself above these mechanics requires efforts to not only think with presence about others and their needs but also to fully release concerns about how you might appear to other people.

One will never tire of being on earth as long as one is present and helping one’s friends to be. – The Teacher

When I can release these preoccupations, I can approach a higher state of consciousness and experience a state of humility. This state of humility is the highest form of love that many people experience in their lives. Standing above romantic and sentimental love is a conscious love that feels the interconnectedness of people and places and things on a scale that is quite unusual for most of us.

Ask yourself, how often do you claim credit or count the times you were ignored or overlooked or not given your fair share? When you encounter friction in your life, perhaps an unpleasant interaction with an unhappy friend or store clerk, do you ask yourself what you can do to help this person change their state? Instead, you might feel justified in your self-righteousness and indignation. How could they feel that way? How could they treat me so poorly?

Let me be clear: this is not about morality or goodness or badness in the traditional sense. A person who wants to change their state of consciousness and experience true humility must raise the bar within their inner lives. One who raises the bar through practical efforts will realize that the scale of good and bad revolves around these inner psychological choices rather than the mundane selfish desires and distractions of their ego.