Praying to see everyone else ahead

Once, two brothers, cousins really, Duryodhana and Yudhishtira were asked to accomplish the following challenges, and they both returned empty-handed.

Duryodhana was told to find someone better than himself.

Yudhisthira was told to find someone worse than himself.

Both went out and searched.

Duryodhana, in his pride, saw everyone as being inferior to himself, indeed he didn’t find one soul who had one quality better than in himself.

Yudhisthira, the saintly soul, went around and in every soul he saw at least one quality better than in himself!

In the modern world, especially where everyone is celebrating the “pride” of being this or that, it is worthwhile for a spiritualist to retain the sense of humility as the greatest asset. Why is that?

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: ।
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/15/7/

When every single living entity who exists, is a part-and-parcel of God, then is it any wonder that every soul has something special that is better than in ourselves?

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।
विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥ ४२ ॥atha vā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat

But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/10/42/

Every single fragmental part of the Supreme is incredibly amazing!

We should celebrate this and remain this mood…

tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/17/31/

In the purport, Srila Prabhupada writes “The grass is specifically mentioned in this verse because everyone tramples upon it yet the grass never protests. This example indicates that a spiritual master or leader should not be proud of his position; being always humbler than an ordinary common man, he should go on preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.“

My spiritual master His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari once said “we should be praying to see everyone ahead of ourselves!”.

Amen.

How may I serve you on your spiritual journey? Please let me know!