The Sin of Pride

Among the mortal sins of human nature, Pride is the one that is closest to Ego. In fact, they are so close that at many times, it is difficult to distinguish between the two. Pride creates and prolongs one's attachment to self. Ego's "I think therefore I am" is a precursor to the feeling and thought "I am the most important thing in the universe". Pride extends that sensation by producing emotional euphoria when you do things to boost that view.

Status, power and control are three of the primary offshoots of Pride. A proud person demands status. Achieving and sustaining status satisfies the hunger that Pride invokes constantly in him. The feeling of power and control stokes the Pride in the individual and pushes it to even greater heights. Pride, as with all other mortal sins, traps the individual in a vicious cycle of hunger, satisfaction and expansion. Each act triggered by Pride results in more Pride being produced.

The key to overcoming Pride is to first recognise it. It may sound trivial but recognising it can be the most difficult part of conquering Pride. The reason for this difficulty is largely due to closeness that Pride has with our Ego and self. It is so close to us that we are often not able to see Pride separate from our self.

To recognise Pride and be able to differentiate between Pride and self, the individual needs to be aware of the thoughts and feelings within himself. Where is the root of that joyous feeling that I had a moment ago? What gave rise to that sensation of grief yesterday? What is the reason for me feeling happy today and angry tomorrow? For most individuals, emotions come and go as quickly as the morning breeze arrives and departs. Without awareness of how, when, what, where and why emotions develop and fade, it is not easy to recognise the source of these emotions and consequently the root of these emotions. The unaware individual does not learn much, if anything at all, from each rise and fall of emotion. Just as a stone produces a ripple on the surface of the lake into which it is cast, the effects fade quickly just as the ripples diminish.

Why do I feel good when someone praises me? What is it in me that produces the happy feeling that I get when my friend compliments me on my dressing today? How does failing an examination make me feel upset and inadequate?

As we delve deeper into the causes and effects of our emotions, we will realise that a lot of these are produced entirely within ourselves. Things that happen around us are only triggers. That which is in us triggers our reactions in mind, heart and body. The questions above lead us towards the realisation that Pride is an independent aspect of us which is responsible for a lot of the fluctuating emotions that we experience.

Pride can bring us to the top of the world in how we feel after certain success. It can also crush us and hurl us into a bed of iron nails when we fail. As we contemplate and reflect with the right attitudes and desire (to weed out Pride and vanquish it), we tighten the circle around the beast. With sufficient cultivation, we will be able to define clearly for ourselves what Pride is in our hearts and minds.

Each individual's Pride is different. It may be a huge armoured monster for one while for another it is a slimy serpent. We need to recognise its shape and size so that we are aware of how it moves within us and as a result be able to know the harmful influences it has on our thoughts, feelings and actions.

It is only after we have fully and clearly recognised Pride that we can effectively counter it. By knowing what it looks like and how it shifts itself within us, we can act against that which it produces. For example, if Pride makes us feel all-important when we receive praise, we work against Pride by focusing on Humility (the anti-thesis of Pride). We tell ourselves that the success for which the praise was given is a result of everyone working together and not just

through our own efforts.

If we fail and feel miserable, we remind ourselves that we have tried our best and that the only thing that has been hurt is our Pride (which we are trying to overcome in any case!). When we first start to act against Pride, we may not have instant success given the closeness it has with our self. However, persistence will allow us to gradually increase the number of mini-triumphs that we have against the beast. Eventually, the cultivated individual will be able to rein in Pride so tightly that the damage it can do via his thoughts, feelings and actions is highly limited.