“O My servant! Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more. . .” we are admonished in the Baha’i Holy Writings.
“O children of men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other! Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created . . .”
This is intended to remove “the rust of egotism” from the mirror of the heart that the Sun of Truth may shine therein. “For no veil is greater than egotism and no matter how thin the covering may be, it will finally veil man entirely and prevent him from receiving a portion from the Eternal Bounty. If one be imbued with all good qualities but be selfish, all the other virtues will fade and pass away…”
But the human ego is so subtle that we often do not recognize that certain acts are expressions of self-love. Some ways in which egotism is expressed include:
I must be first: Such strivings tend to produce separateness rather than unity and fellowship and merely means by which to exalt one’s self over others.
What will others say? Do I value the approval of others more than my own integrity?
Conforming too closely to the opinions and customs of others may lead to behavior that does more to divide than unify. Our aim should not be to win praise or to avoid blame but to use our God-given abilities for the betterment of others.
Frequent finding fault with others or back-biting, whether speaking or listening to others for both are regarded as grievous error, quenching the light of the heart and extinguishing the life of the soul.
Do I talk too much–depriving others of the opportunity to express their knowledge and ideas? Good conversation requires an exchange of experiences and ideas with no single individual assuming that what they have to say takes priority over that of others. “For the tongue is a smouldering fire and excess of speech a deadly poison.”
Do I talk too little–depriving others of my ideas, experiences and knowledge? Am I afraid of making a mistake? Almost everyone will when learning anything of value.
Am I argumentative and quarrelsome when presenting my ideas? Contentious discussion should be strongly avoided that ideas might be shared rather than debated.
In brief, in order to free ourselves from the prison of self, we must strive endlessly to display gentleness and love toward others–the lovable and especially the unlovable who need love more than anyone–a lifetime challenge! (Investigate! – 1-800-22-UNITE)
