Via The Tricycle Community \\ Three Teachings on Humility

 

Browse our online courses » September 4, 2025 The Power of Humility    Among the values we come across regularly in Buddhist teachings, not-knowing, selflessness, and being fully present are core—and all of these values apply to the word humility. While some may associate humility with low self-esteem, from a Buddhist point of view it’s a powerful quality to be cultivated and celebrated.  Humility implies a willingness to admit that you don’t know everything—that you’re not only open to possibility but that you see uncertainty as an opportunity and inquiry as an essential practice. In Zen, this attitude is called not-knowing, which opens the doorway to awe, acceptance, and freedom.  Humility also requires that you’re not overly attached to your own views and sense of self, which in Zen is presented in the ideal of being “nobody special” or emulating the “person of no rank.” In complex and difficult times, this quality can be our greatest support. As Fabrice Desmarescaux, a leader of spiritual retreats, says, “The humility of not-knowing may provide the clarity needed to see our way through the most complex problems.” This week’s Three Teachings remind us that humility is a thread that connects many other Buddhist virtues and makes way for deep appreciation, creativity, and potential.  Forward today's teachings to a friend » No Wonder Without Humility By Oren Jay Sofer Read a brief teaching on accessing child-like wonder and being fully present. Read more » The Power of Not-Knowing By Fabrice Desmarescaux Read a contemplation on humility as a gesture of power, not weakness, that keeps us open to fresh perspectives and able to “fully accept reality without resistance.” Read more » We Are in Training to Be Nobody Special By Sandy Boucher  Read a reflection by a writer and Buddhist teacher on the lessons she’s learned about not insisting on her specialness. Read more » Follow Us