With prayer I cleanse the sight of my faith, that it lose Thee not in the mist, O my Most Radiant Star.
What need has God of your prayer? the dark drudges of the earth ask me.
You say rightly, sons of the earth. What need has the polar star of the seafarer's spyglass, when she sees the seafarer even without a spyglass? But do not ask me, when you already know, what need the seafarer has of the spyglass.
Prayer is needful to me, that I lose not the saving Star from sight — not to the Star, that she lose not me.
What would become of my inner sight, were I to cease exercising it with prayer?
Do not the soldiers of earth exercise themselves, long and hard, to see distant objects?
Do not the weavers of silk exercise themselves, long and hard, to distinguish the finest threads?
How then shall I not exercise the sight of my faith, that it may see ever more clearly my only treasure?
Caught in the net of illusions, I have scarcely glimpsed one opening outward — and shall I now lose it from sight?
Take heed, my fellow-travelers: the vision of God is no cheap thing. You who sacrifice riches to see the splendor of the equator and the polar light of the north, be prepared to pay more dearly for the vision of Him, beside whom the splendor of the equator is poverty, and the polar light — a tallow candle.
When you give even your whole life for the vision of Him, you have given scarcely a farthing. But He is noble and kindhearted, and asks of you no more than that.
You exercisers of the body, who forget not a single morning to exercise your arms and legs, your head and neck — are you in truth thinking beings, you samurai? Are you in truth thinking beings, if you hold that your faith in God will become and remain clear-sighted without exercise? All the starry Heaven, which still looks upon the experience of your fathers, is my witness that your faith will go blind, if it ever sees at all. And in place of the lost good there will remain only a hypocritical name.
Keep your eyes bound for only three days, and you will feel thereafter that the light of the sun offends them. Break your bond with God for only three hours, and you will feel that it is painful for you to gaze into His light.
You ask me, how long does my prayer last? Can you understand me when I tell you: it is longer than my days? For with my prayer I must exercise your faith also, and open its sight, and show it the vision and the One Seen. Verily, with my prayer I fill both my days and yours.
Without ceasing I incense my faith with prayer, that the scents of the earth may not blind it.
Without ceasing I call upon all the heavenly circles to uphold me in prayer by their eternal prayerfulness, that I too may be made worthy to behold that Glory and Beauty which lies wide open to their beholding.
O my fellow-travelers, how magnificent is the vision of faith! I swear to you: if you but knew, your prayer would have neither rest nor end.