The Disabled Fox

A fable of the Arab mystic Sa’di

A man walking through the forest saw a fox that had lost its legs and wondered how it lived. Then he saw a tiger come in with game in its mouth. The tiger had its fill and left the rest of the meat for the fox.
The next day God fed the fox by means of the same tiger. The man began to wonder at God’s greatness and said to himself, “I too shall just rest in a corner with full trust in the Lord and he will provide me with all I need.”
He did this for many days but nothing happened, and he was almost at death’s door when he heard a voice say, “O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth! Follow the example of the tiger and stop imitating the disabled fox.”
_{Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird}

We all have to do our best on the path and not give way to lame excuses and shirk our responsibilities. It is only when we make effort that the grace of the Lord will come to us.
_{Maharaj Charan Singh, Quest for Light}