What is Honor?
I was asked three interesting questions today: What is Honor, who should we honor, and how should we know whom to honor.
That set me thinking, and here I present some thoughts. In order to understand honor, we have to make a distinction on it's movement. It can be either offered or received. When it is offered, it is usually a selfless act, else we classify it as flattery. A selfless act is always beautiful. When received, it is a dangerous temptation, for that is when we stand the risk of identifying ourselves with our ego. In Sanskrit, the word for honor is "Maan." And the word for bruised ego is "Abhi-maan." They are deeply connected.
Honor is the recognition of selflessness. When we see someone who has gone beyond the little self, we are reminded of our own potential or self-imposed limitation. It is to acknowledge this potential or limitation that we recognize one who has gone beyond. A teacher who has gone beyond the call of duty and truly cared for the student is worthy of honor, for they have used their work (karma) to transcend their ego. We can draw a similar analogy for all work.
We have answered what is honor and who should we honor. The third question, prima facie, seems to be the same as the second. But it is distinct and also the most interesting one. For, honor is meaningless without the perceiver of selflessness. A perceiver must transcend their own ego in order to recognize the selflessness of another. A philosopher-friend once told me that the one who gives honor is greater than the one who receives it. For the perceiver has chosen to see the good while having other options and has recognized the good. In so doing, the perceiver has connected deeply with the divinity in the other through the divinity in their own self. One knows when to honor when one makes this connection. This connection often happens involuntarily when we see great acts of selflessness.
Once this is accepted, it is clear that receiving honor as one's due is a disaster. The receiver must understand that it is the giver's greatness that they choose to see the divine, and must in turn honor the giver. To think otherwise is to walk down a path of great self-deception.
The astute reader will point out that we are then engaged in cycles of honoring. This is quite true, and signs of this are to be found in all cultures. The anicent Indian civilization has brought this idea into their cultural routine by greeting one another with joined palms and uttering "Namaste." Namaste comes from "Namostute," which implies, I recognize the divine in you and bow to it. Please wish me that I may realize this divinity in my heart. If we explore other cultures, we will find similar routines.
That set me thinking, and here I present some thoughts. In order to understand honor, we have to make a distinction on it's movement. It can be either offered or received. When it is offered, it is usually a selfless act, else we classify it as flattery. A selfless act is always beautiful. When received, it is a dangerous temptation, for that is when we stand the risk of identifying ourselves with our ego. In Sanskrit, the word for honor is "Maan." And the word for bruised ego is "Abhi-maan." They are deeply connected.
Honor is the recognition of selflessness. When we see someone who has gone beyond the little self, we are reminded of our own potential or self-imposed limitation. It is to acknowledge this potential or limitation that we recognize one who has gone beyond. A teacher who has gone beyond the call of duty and truly cared for the student is worthy of honor, for they have used their work (karma) to transcend their ego. We can draw a similar analogy for all work.
We have answered what is honor and who should we honor. The third question, prima facie, seems to be the same as the second. But it is distinct and also the most interesting one. For, honor is meaningless without the perceiver of selflessness. A perceiver must transcend their own ego in order to recognize the selflessness of another. A philosopher-friend once told me that the one who gives honor is greater than the one who receives it. For the perceiver has chosen to see the good while having other options and has recognized the good. In so doing, the perceiver has connected deeply with the divinity in the other through the divinity in their own self. One knows when to honor when one makes this connection. This connection often happens involuntarily when we see great acts of selflessness.
Once this is accepted, it is clear that receiving honor as one's due is a disaster. The receiver must understand that it is the giver's greatness that they choose to see the divine, and must in turn honor the giver. To think otherwise is to walk down a path of great self-deception.
The astute reader will point out that we are then engaged in cycles of honoring. This is quite true, and signs of this are to be found in all cultures. The anicent Indian civilization has brought this idea into their cultural routine by greeting one another with joined palms and uttering "Namaste." Namaste comes from "Namostute," which implies, I recognize the divine in you and bow to it. Please wish me that I may realize this divinity in my heart. If we explore other cultures, we will find similar routines.
posted by somik at 10:52 AM
1 Comments:
Thank you.
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