Lord! Make the
cause of truth the most cherished thing for us to live and die for. If life,
wealth and honour and freedom of expression are under threat, give us the
strength to raise our voice against the aggressors. If people are persecuted and
tortured for adhering to the truth, bless us with the courage to defend them. If
people jeer and make fun of us to for upholding the truth, instil in us the
patience to politely smile back at them.
Lord! Make us
true seekers of the truth. Make us possessed and obsessed with this undertaking.
Make this quest and yearning burn in us till our last breath. Let not anything
stop or discourage us when the chips are down and there is darkness all around.
Let not the love of a near one overcome us in giving a false testimony. Even if
our life is at stake, make the love for the truth conquer the fear of death. If
seeking the truth inflicts us with worldly failures, make us patient and
persistent and consistent to keep going.
Lord! Make us
understand that it is the effort undertaken for the cause of truth and to strive
to seek the truth that counts – regardless of the consequences.
Lord! Make us
live according to what you have declared to be true. Make us forget our own will
and make us walk the path of truth marked by you.
Lord! Let
there be people among us like Socrates who drink hemlock for inciting the youth
to seek the truth. Let there be people among us like Ahmad ibn Hanbal who in
spite of severe physical torture never bend down against the voice of their
conscience. Let there be people among us like Galileo who stand for the truth
and bear religious persecution.
Let there be
people among us who feel the desire to seek the truth burn even more within them
with advancing years – who continue this fascinating voyage undaunted and
unruffled as long as their eyes can see, ears can hear and minds can ponder:
O Truth!
Thou art
crafty and elusive
Thy quest
never conclusive
Restless and
agitated
I continue
unabated
To seek and
savour thee
Relish and
revere thee
Wherever thou
be
Wherever thou
be
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