The Students Prayer

Don't impose on me what you know,
I want to explore the unknown
And be the source of my own discoveries.
Let the known be my liberation, not my slavery.
The world of your truth can be my limitation;
Your wisdom my negation.
Don't instruct me; lets walk together.
Let my richness begin where yours ends.
Show me so that I can stand
On your shoulders.
Reveal yourself so that I can be
Something different.
You believe that every human being
Can love and create.
I understand, then, your fear
When I ask you to live according to your wisdom.
You will not know who I am
By listening to yourself,
Don't instruct me; let me be.
Your failure is that I be identical to you.

Now, this poem is written by Umberto Maturana and I feel that there are two ways to look at what the poet is trying to convey. Primarily it can be interpreted as a student telling his teacher that he wants to explore the truth himself and does not want the teacher to impose his views on him, rather just guide him to the path of knowledge for it would be a failure on the part of the teacher if he expects the student to be his replica OR secondly, it can also be understood as a student telling god that he does not like it when rules and restrictions are imposed on him, he wants to be what he is, he wants to find out more truth about the world and asks god to reveal himself so that he can be something different.

Now some people might agree with me while some might disagree, but after reading this poem ten times I got the feeling this students prayer can be for his master (teacher) or the entire universe's master (god).