From the archives of some theosophical e-mail lists.

Humility cannot be an observance by itself. For, it does not lend itself to being deliberately practiced. It is, however, an indispensable test of 'Ahimsa.' For one who has 'Ahimsa' in him it becomes part of his very nature. -- Mahatma Gandhi

Unto the humble He revealeth His secrets, and sweetly draweth nigh and inviteth him unto Himself. -- The Imitation of Christ, ii. 2.

True humility,The highest virtue, mother of them all. -- Tennyson, Holy Grail.

"The great spiritual leaders have always said that humility is the surest sign of true understanding. What is meant by humility or meekness? Are we not talking about humility when speaking of a sense of wonder? Can any man who stands in wonder of anything be other than humble! The truly humble man recognises his own uniqueness, but he also recognises that he has a way to go. Through his sense of wonder he is aware that there are still newer vistas of knowledge, still greater heights to climb. The meekness, too, is not being meek to the things of the earth, not grovelling before the idols of the world. On the contrary, the meek man is meek in his wonderment of the glorious knowledge that must be behind outer appearances. He is full of wonder, knowing that much truth remains invisible to his sensory system. Humility and meekness both enable us to wonder, to ponder, to be in awe.  Perhaps our first step towards wisdom, towards God-consciousness is getting rid of our know-it-allness and adopting an attitude of true humility. We should begin to stand in awe, to wonder at the infinite good, orderliness and unity that exist in the universe. We shall never take the first step if we close our minds and hearts to the visible in the invisible, says a thinker. Humbly we must look with eyes that see, and ears that hear, rather than with the superior attitude of "I know all that." It is a sign of self-destroying egotism never to be impressed, never to be moved to wonder by anything or anyone. It is a sign of wisdom to question, to wonder. We learn only through the process of wondering. He is foolish who believes that he must always act in a sophisticated manner as if he is in possession of all knowledge; the wise man recognises that he knows not. God gave us three essential abilities to develop the total consciousness: to reason, to know that we know, and to know that we know not. The man who hopes to raise his consciousness should develop his reasoning power, and ability to sort and analyse what he knows, and should know that he still has much to learn. The humble man knows this and comes into a higher consciousness. Why do we lose our sense of wonder and humility? Because of the fear of appearing naive. If one has real faith in God-force, one should express all the more clearly one's sense of wonder. If we approach anything in life with contempt due to familiarity and assumption of know-it-allness, we are kept in ignorance. We have to be humble to be creative or to rise to a higher level of consciousness. The person who is contemptuous dwells in the lowest level of his consciousness, and he suffers much, as all men suffer who leave their humility buried in the mud of ignorance in which they are wallowing. In what manner do we begin to reactivate this child-like, but very mature and wise sense of wonder? The strength to sustain a sense of wonder with humility against the great pull of habit does not come easily; it has to be willed by conscious action over and over again. It takes very real effort and patience, but it is most rewarding and it will spark our creativity, and new horizons will be opened to us,—a great new awareness and a higher consciousness." -

Humility—The Hall-Mark Of True Wisdom by Swami Madhavananda

"Wisdom grows amidst humility, not with arrogance, just as a seed sprouts in the soft land of the desert as opposed to the hardness of the mountains." --From: Anecdotes of the Pious Ones, # 60, v.1

And [Jesus] called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (NAS, Matthew 18:2-4)

Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of self. --T.S. Eliot

The Bhagavad-Gita is a dramatic episode of the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, which has lived through the centuries of man's struggles and confusion, reaching to our day in various translations and expressions to become the inspiration of philosophers, and a handbook, spiritual and practical, for those who are questioning the mysteries of life and death and the impinging circumstances of the world about them. A number of years ago the Bhagavad-Gita was the subject for discussion on a radio program in which one scholar classed it as "one of the world's greatest poems, which begins with a battle and through a burst of rapture gives a picture of the kind of discipline necessary to attain knowledge." In this dialogue the god Krishna looks with compassion upon the warrior prince Arjuna who, at the shrill alarm of battle and survey of the contending forces, with friends and relatives on the opposing side, was overwhelmed by despondency and confusion. Putting aside his weapons be refused to fight, and questioned the god Krishna how he was to know, to understand, the truth of his divinely spoken words and admonition: "Arise with determination fixed for battle." How could he attain to wisdom in such matters of difficulty? Among many formulas Krishna gave him is this:"Seek this wisdom by doing service, by strong search, by questions and by humility." Simple enough, we say. But what is service, and what humility? What constitutes strong search, and what shall be the nature or urgency of our questions? Even here we must search for the answers.
A few elementary definitions may, hopefully, stimulate consideration of these basic words.Service: that which is done for the benefit of another; a benefit or advantage conferred. Strong Search: to explore thoroughly, as if to find something concealed or lost; to pursue with ardor and undaunted energy some hidden goal, as the search of the scientist, the explorer, the expedition, the rescue squad; and, as in the epics of Jason and the Golden Fleece, and Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail, the divine reality.Questions: inquiry of ourselves and of others into high, pure realms of thought and action that baffle the mind; into the mysteries concealed in common things; into the law of justice that governs all life. "The wise who see the truth will communicate it unto thee."
Humility: a true evaluation of oneself; a consciousness of the fundamental principle that all men are equal in spirit and destiny, all made in the image of God, the idea of separateness residing only in the mind and in the senses over which the Mind holds dominion. "He who hath his senses and organs in control possesseth spiritual knowledge."
As we begin to serve, to seek, to question and to hold ourselves in humility we shall begin to understand the spirit of these principles and shall by degrees come nearer to a realization of our own responsibility and strength. We shall begin to realize that the technique for their application to the problems of living is our
job, our discipline, our field of battle and our final victory. (From Sunrise magazine, April 1975; copyright © 1975 Theosophical University Press)

--- In Young-Theosophists@yahoogroups.com, "nemostar5"
<flybrator@h...> wrote: But are we discussing it from the point of view of one of  the many, many interesting phases of a persons outer life or are we getting down to the bedrock. 

Ruth:  I believe we are discussing it from both points of view with either side not relating to the viewpoint of the other. :)

> I wonder whether it
> comes down to the simple question of do you believe you are the
> personality through which the Soul endeavours to find expression or
> do you identify yourself with the Soul itself? Of course, in the
> whole infinite Universe one is as much correct as the other....That
> darn old Universe.
>
> N5

Ruth:  Or there is the third possibility of believing you are the personality through which the personality endeavors to find expression. 

Humility may be one of those things in life that (as depicted in this ongoing discussion) appears to be what it isn't.  One of those things that can't be communicated but can only be known by each on their own.

And maybe like playing a musical instrument - the more you practice it, the better you become.

Ruth

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin humilis, low, lowly, from humus, ground.

1. Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful. 2. Showing deferential or submissive respect: a humble apology. 3. Low in rank, quality, or station; unpretentious or lowly: a humble cottage, freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness. Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. --Acts xx. 19.

2. An act of submission or courtesy.

American Heritage
http://www.bartleby.com/61/97/H0319700.html

humble
 
SYLLABICATION: hum·ble
PRONUNCIATION:   hmbl
ADJECTIVE: Inflected forms: hum·bler, hum·blest
1. Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.
2. Showing deferential or submissive respect: a humble apology.
3. Low in rank, quality, or station; unpretentious or lowly: a humble cottage. 
TRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: hum·bled, hum·bling, hum·bles
1. To curtail or destroy the pride of; humiliate.
2. To cause to be meek or modest in spirit.
3. To give a lower condition or station to; abase. See synonyms at degrade. 
 ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin humilis, low,
lowly, from humus, ground. See dhghem- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS: humble·ness —NOUN humbler —NOUN
humbly —ADVERB humility
 
SYLLABICATION: hu·mil·i·ty
PRONUNCIATION:   hy-ml-t
NOUN: The quality or condition of being humble. 
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English humilite, from Old French, from Late Latin humilits, from humilis, humble. See humble. 

TC-From this definition I can see how it could be seen as a trick where someone over-ruling like a captain could say to people to be subservient to him/her, to be obedient to them(humans) and they will be rewarded by God because God glorifies and blesses the humble.

http://www.ccel.org/e/easton/ebd/ebd/T0001800.html#T0001845 

Humility - a prominent Christian grace (Rom. 12:3; 15:17, 18; 1 Cor. 3:5-7; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet. 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquillity (Ps. 69:32, 33), and makes us patient under trials (Job 1:22).

Christ has set us an example of humility (Phil. 2:6-8). We should be led thereto by a remembrance of our sins (Lam. 3:39), and by the thought that it is the way to honour (Prov. 16:18), and that the greatest promises are made to the humble (Ps. 147:6; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; 1 Pet. 5:5). It is a "great paradox in Christianity that it makes humility the avenue to glory."

TC.-  I consider this to be a wrong definition of humility that is influenced by the "man ruling over the earth" that is taught in many Christian circles as I kow it.  The earth as applied to persons has a submissive rub to it sinse men are supposed to be the rulers therefore humilus/grounded/earthy in its physical sense is
confused with its spiritual sense.  The rest of it stems similarly.  Psychologically unconfident people may feel uncomfortable with the words, "modest in his own self worth," though there is nothing negative about the statement.  The Dalai Lama has said many times that I am "a simple monk" without insecurity in making the
statement.  It is actually a strong statement to make for those who see it.

Catholic Encyclopedia Humility
 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07543b.htm

The word humility signifies lowliness or submissiveness an it is derived from the Latin humilitas or, as St. Thomas says, from humus, i.e. the earth which is beneath us. As applied to persons
and things it means that which is abject, ignoble, or of poor condition, as we ordinarily say, not worth much. Thus we say that a man is of humble birth or that a house is a humble dwelling. As restricted to persons, humility is understood also in the sense of afflictions or
miseries, which may be inflicted by external agents, as when a man humiliates another by causing him pain or suffering. It is in this sense that others may bring about humiliations and subject us to them. Humility in a higher and ethical sense is that by which a man has a modest
estimate of his own worth, and submits himself to others. According to this meaning no man can humiliate another, but only himself, and this he can do properly only when aided by Divine grace. We are treating here of humility in this sense, that is, of the virtue of humility.

The virtue of humility may be defined: "A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a lowly opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God's sake." St. Bernard defines it: "A virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is, abases himself." These definitions coincide with that given by St. Thomas: "The virtue of humility", he says, "Consists in keeping oneself within one's own bounds, not reaching out
to things above one, but submitting to one's superior" (Summa Contra Gent., bk. IV, ch. lv, tr. Rickaby).

To guard against an erroneous idea of humility, it is necessary to explain the manner in which we ought to esteem our own gifts in reference to the gifts of others, if called upon to make a
comparison. Humility does not require us to esteem the gifts and graces which God has granted us, in the supernatural order, less than similar gifts and graces which appear in others. No one should esteem less in himself than in others these gifts of God which are to be
valued above all things according to the words of St. Paul: "That we may know the things that are given us from God." (I Cor., ii, 12).
Neither does humility require us in our own estimation to think less of the natural gifts we possess than of similar, or of inferior, gifts in our neighbours; otherwise, as St. Thomas teaches, it would behove everyone to consider himself a greater sinner or a greater fool than his neighbour; for the Apostle without any prejudice to humility was able to say: "We by nature are Jews, and not of the Gentiles sinners" (Gal., ii, 15). A man, however, may
generally esteem some good in his neighbour which he does not himself possess, or acknowledge some defect or evil in himself which he does not perceive in his neighbour, so that, whenever anyone subjects himself out of humility to an equal or to an inferior he does so
because he takes that equal or inferior to be his superior in some respect. Thus we may interpret the humble expressions of the saints as true and sincere. Besides, their great love of God caused them to see the malice of their own faults and sins in a clearer light than that which is ordinarily given to persons who are not saints.

The four cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, and all other moral virtues are annexed to theses either as integral, potential, or subjective parts. Humility is
annexed to the virtue of temperance as a potential part, because temperance includes all those virtues that refrain or express the inordinate movements of our desires or appetites. Humility is a repressing or moderating virtue opposed to pride and vainglory or that spirit within us which urges us to great things above our strength and ability, and therefore it is included in temperance just as meekness which represses anger is a part of the same virtue. From what we have here stated it follows that humility is not the first or the greatest of the virtues. The theological virtues have the first place, then the intellectual virtues, as these immediately direct the reason of man to good. Justice is placed in the order of the virtues before humility, and so should obedience be, for it is part of justice. Humility is, however, said to be the foundation of the spiritual edifice, but in a sense inferior to that in which faith is called its foundation. Humility is the first virtue inasmuch as it removes the obstacles to faith -- per modum removens prohibens, as St. Thomas says. It removes pride and makes a man subject to and a fit recipient of grace according to the words of St. James: "God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble" (James, iv, 6). Faith is the first and the positive fundamental virtue of all the infused virtues, because it is by it we can take the first step in the supernatural life and in our access to God: "For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him" Heb., xi, 6). Humility, inasmuch as it seems to keep the mind and heart submissive to reason and to God, has its own function in connection with faith and all the other virtues, and it may therefore be said to be a universal virtue.

It is therefore a virtue which is necessary for salvation, and as such is enjoined by Our Divine Saviour, especially when He said to His disciples: "Learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to our souls" (Matt., xi, 29). He also teaches this virtue by the words, "Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very
great in heaven" (Matt., v, 11-12). From the example of Christ and His Saints we may learn the practice of humility, which St. Thomas explains (Contra Gent., bk, III, 135): "The spontaneous embracing of humiliations is a practice of humility not in any and every case but
when it is done for a needful purpose: for humility being a virtue, does nothing indiscreetly. It is then not humility but folly to embrace any and every humiliation: but when virtue calls
for a thing to be done it belongs to humility not to shrink from doing it, for instance not to refuse some mean service where charity calls upon you to help your neighbours. . . .Sometimes too, even where our own duty does not require us to embrace humiliations, it is an act of virtue to take them up in order to encourage others by our example more easily to bear what is incumbent on them: for a general will sometimes do the office of a common soldier to encourage the rest.
Sometimes again we may make a virtuous use of humiliations as a medicine. Thus if anyone's mind is prone to undue self-exaltation, he may with advantage make a moderate use of humiliations, either self-imposed, or imposed by others, so as to check the elation of his spirit by putting himself on a level with the lowest class of the community in the doing of mean offices."

The Angelic Doctor likewise explains the humility of Christ in the following words: "Humility cannot befit God, who has no superior, but is above all. . . .Though the virtue of humility cannot attach to Christ in His divine nature; it may attach to Him in His human nature and His divinity renders His humility all the more praiseworthy, for the dignity of the person adds to the merit of humility; and there can be no greater dignity to a man than his being God. Hence the highest praise attaches to the humility of the Man God, who to wean men's hearts from worldly glory to the love of divine glory, chose to embrace a death of no ordinary sort, but a death of the deepest ignominy" (Summa Contra Gent., tr. Rickaby, bk. IV. ch. lv; cf. bk.
III, ch. cxxxvi). St. Benedict in his rule lays down twelve degrees of humility. St. Anselm, as quoted by St. Thomas, gives seven. These degrees are approved and explained by St. Thomas in his "Summa Theologica" (II-II:161:6). The vices opposed to humility are, pride: by reason of defect, and a too great obsequiousness or abjection of oneself, which would be an
excess of humility. This might easily be derogatory to a man's office or holy character; or it might serve only to pamper pride in others, by unworthy flattery, which would occasiontheir sins of tyranny, arbitrariness, and arrogance.
The virtue of humility may not be practised in any external way which would occasion such vices or acts in others.

Oxford paperback 
 http://www.askoxford.com/dictionary/humility
humility /hju:"mlt/ noun humbleness; meekness.

·deference, humbleness, lowliness, meekness, modesty, self-abasement, self-effacement, servility, shyness, unpretentiousness.
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 dictionary.com 
 humility

\Hu*mil"i*ty\, n.; pl. Humilities. [OE. humilite, OF. humilit['e], humelit['e], F. humilit['e], fr. L. humiliatis. See Humble.]
1. The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness;
self-abasement; humbleness.

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. --Acts xx. 19.

2. An act of submission or courtesy.

With these humilities they satisfied the young king. --Sir J. Davies.

Syn: Lowliness; humbleness; meekness; modesty; diffidence.

Usage: Humility, Modesty, Diffidence. Diffidence is a distrust of our powers, combined with a fear lest our failure should be censured, since a dread of failure unconnected with a dread of censure is not usually called diffidence. It may be carried too far, and is not always, like modesty and humility, a virtue. Modesty,
without supposing self-distrust, implies an unwillingness to put ourselves forward, and an absence of all over-confidence in our own powers.
Humility consists in rating our claims low, in being willing to waive our rights, and take a lower place than might be our due. It does not require of us to underrate ourselves.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

humility

n 1: a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride; "not everyone regards humility as a virtue" [syn: humbleness] [ant: pride] 2: a humble feeling; "he was filled with humility at the sight of the Pope" [syn: humbleness] [ant: pride]

Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

humility

a prominent Christian grace (Rom. 12:3; 15:17, 18; 1 Cor. 3:5-7; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet. 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquillity (Ps. 69:32, 33), and makes us
patient under trials (Job 1:22). Christ has set us an example of humility (Phil. 2:6-8). We should be led thereto by a remembrance of our sins (Lam. 3:39), and by the thought that it is the way to honour (Prov. 16:18), and that the greatest promises are made to the humble (Ps. 147:6; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; 1 Pet. 5:5). It
is a "great paradox in Christianity that it makes humility the avenue to glory."

Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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dictionary.com

hum·ble    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (hmbl) adj. hum·bler, hum·blest
Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful. Showing deferential or submissive respect: a humble apology. Low in rank, quality, or station; unpretentious or lowly: a humble cottage.

tr.v. hum·bled, hum·bling, hum·bles
To curtail or destroy the pride of; humiliate. To cause to be meek or modest in spirit. To give a lower condition or station to; abase. See Synonyms at degrade.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin humilis, low, lowly, from humus, ground. See dhghem- in Indo-European Roots.]
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 ultralingua.net
 
1. humility [n.] |ETYM| Old Eng. <humilite>, Old Fren. <humilité>, <humelité>, French <humilité>, from Latin <humiliatis>. Related to <Humble>. , 1. A disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride; "not everyone regards humility as a virtue"; <SYN.> humbleness. , 2. A humble feeling; "he was filled with
humility at the sight of the Pope"; <SYN.> humbleness. 
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(from Cambridge Dictionary of American English)

humility noun [U] the feeling or attitude that you have no special importance that makes you better than others; lack of pride

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Humility

(n.) An act of submission or courtesy.
(n.) The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness. OPTED is a public domain English word list