Only Humility Allows Learning

 The moment my father was buried, I understood many things.

 

At that time the burial was done in the traditional way. When the coffin was lowered into the ground, a sudden realization arose within me: all the wealth, all the effort, all the striving in life—this is where it eventually leads.

 

My father had worked hard his entire life. He was a businessman who made a great deal of money. Even in his sixties he was still striving and working tirelessly. He rarely allowed himself to truly rest or enjoy life. Every day was filled with pressure and responsibility. He lived with seriousness and effort.

 

Only two months before his illness did he finally stop working.

 

He had spent his life accumulating so much, yet in the end he was buried just like this.

 

As I stood there, I wondered: during all those years of struggle and achievement, what kind of life had he really lived? There was hardly a day when he was completely relaxed. Day after day he lived under stress.

 

In that moment something inside me suddenly became very clear.

 

If all my effort in life were only for material gain, and in the end it would all come to this, then what would be the true meaning of my efforts?

 

At that time I was only twenty-seven years old. I was still full of ambition. I wanted to make money. I wanted to find a good husband. I wanted wealth, beautiful things, and famous brands.

 

But in that moment, all of those desires collapsed.

 

I realized that if I spent my life exhausting my energy chasing these things, only to arrive at the same ending, then what meaning would such effort really have?

 

It was then that I began to understand something deeply:

 

Every event that happens in our lives can become our greatest teacher.

 

If we are able to learn from the events that happen to us, then even our suffering can lead us toward awakening. In this way, suffering itself becomes a doorway to liberation.

 

What happens in our lives is our teacher.

 

But if we are arrogant and unwilling to be humble, we cannot see the Way. We cannot see that the teacher is already present within the very events we experience.

 

Only Humility Allows Learning

 

What we are learning together is to cultivate a heart that can see the events of our lives as our teachers, and to approach them with humility and reverence.

 

Only when we respect what has happened can we truly learn from it.

 

Knowledge, theories, and concepts may sound impressive, but in moments like these they are completely useless.

 

What truly matters is your realization—your clarity in that very moment.

 

This process is one of the most meaningful journeys in life. Whether we gain wisdom from it depends on our ability to see.

 

True wisdom arises when we can free ourselves from fear. When we are no longer afraid, we can recognize that our teacher is standing right in front of us. Only then can we truly learn.

 

One day, each of us will face death. Because of this, learning to face death is an important part of life.

 

Through it we begin to understand what ending truly means.

 

In fact, the essence of life lies in understanding ending—death itself.

 

When we learn with humility, we begin to discover that every day of our lives already contains lessons about death. Life continuously teaches us about endings—about letting go.

 

This is the path we are learning.

 

Change does not happen instantly just because someone says something profound. Transformation occurs slowly, step by step, according to the depth of our realization.

 

Yet one thing is essential: a humble heart.

 

Humility is not about being humble toward a teacher. It is about being humble toward your own life—toward your problems, your pain, and your struggles.

 

Only those who can face their own lives with humility can truly become free.

 

Learning is not about blindly following another person. That is not real learning.

 

Real learning comes from your willingness to face your own inner pain and fear.

 

If we cannot develop this humility, then freedom is impossible.

 

Because when we remain arrogant—when we try to conquer our pain, resist it, or reject it—we cannot learn from it.

 

And then we miss the opportunity to understand one of the most sacred truths of life:

 

the truth of ending.

 

By Suzhen Liu

 

If you enjoy Suzhen Liu’s writings, please check out her new book, “Discover Love Within—Release Your Suffering” available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Love-Within-Release-Suffering/dp/0999251732