A Supplication
[Under development: 3 June 2005 ]
I feel torn by a tension between a belief that, on the one hand humility is spiritually priceless, and that on the other hand putting myself down is a ‘racket’, disempowers me, and impacts negatively on people around me.
The following prayer was written by Inazo
Nitobe, a Japanese samurai by birth, and
Under-Secretary-General of the
· What do you pray for?
· To whom do you pray?
· To what extent, and in what ways, can Nitobe's supplication be seen as 'unhealthy'?
· In what ways do you put yourself down?
A Supplication
I ask for daily bread, but not for wealth, lest I
forget the poor.
I ask for strength, but not for power, lest I despise the meek.
I ask for wisdom, but not for learning, lest I scorn the simple.
I ask for a clean name, but not for fame, lest I contemn the lowly.
I ask for peace of mind, but not for idle hours, lest I fail to hearken to the
call of duty.
