A Plea

- Ayan Bhattacharya

O Lord, dear Father, O Mighty Supreme,
Lend thy ears to this earnest plea,
Bequeath me, O Consciousness these oft underestimated qualities,
Lift the veil that makes me ignorant of thee.

Diligence, sincerity, fortitude, my pillars of growth,
Shield me from buccaneers and effrontery,
Steadfast to my ideals, dedicated to my principles,
Let me not for a moment waver in my search for thee.

Let not success cause a Nero’s creation,
Neither failure make a Frankenstein of me,
Both my feet placed firmly on earth,
Guide me on the path of effulgence - the path of awareness leading to thee.

Exhilaration from work, not the fruits thereby,
Be my inspiration as I negotiate this torrential sea,
Emphasis on the means, never the ends,
May I never resort to subterfuge, shielded from bigotry.

Stunt my growth if superciliousness foments,
For loftiness I seldom desire,
What is life if not lived for others,
A chance to perceive, to fathom thee before lighting of the pyre.

Stripped of pride, bereft of obduracy,
The stoic soul is for what I crave,
O Creator, create a seeker, the true yogi,
Before the inevitable, before my grave.