On the path
we battle the lure
of ego.

Estaferallah is weapon
Lifted not against external force,
but arming the inner world
where we have allowed
the dust of life to gather.

As the Eskimo has a hundred words for snow,
because they live in a world where the subtle differences in snow
are essential,
the seeker encounters the subtle faces of ego.

We have words for these:
arrogance, negativity, cynicism,
false pride and its opposite, self doubt.
And we have the antidotes:
humility, honesty, ordinariness,
honor,
sacrifice, courage, prayer.

Always,
when facing these subtleties,
we have the choice of which way to go:
towards the self importance of the ego,
or towards purity.

With Estaferallah we ask
to always move towards purity,
brushing the dust of negativity
from our hearts.