Tiger and the deer

There was once a monk who was known for his relaxed and trusting nature. No matter what was happening the monk would smile. If circumstances were challenging the monk would say, "If we can accept how things are and keep a positive attitude, everything we need will unfold on its own."

Once when the monk was on a month long retreat in a hermitage deep in the forest, he witnessed a remarkable interaction between a deer and a tiger. The deer, injured, came stumbling into the clearing in front of the hermitage. Some time later, a tiger wandered into the clearing and saw the wounded deer. The monk held his breath, convinced that the tiger would surely kill and eat the deer. The deer, too, was clearly worried. But as it could no longer walk, the deer accepted its fate, lying very still in the grass. To the mnonks surprise the tiger spent the next few days standing guards over the deer until the deer was well enough to wander off again on its own.

The monk was elated at this site as it seemed to validate his idea that if we could only accept whatever happens fully enough, the boundless goodness of the universe would take care of us.

A few days later lightening struck a neighboring hermitage only a hundred feet away. At first the roof smoldered and smoked. The monk accepted this. The roof then caught on fire. The monk accepted this. Then the rest of the hut started burning. The monk accepted this too. Soon the entire hermitage was gone and the nun who lived there was slightly injured from attempting to battle the flames.

When the Abbess came to investigate the fire, she asked the monk why he didn't go and help put out the fire. In reply, the monk told the story of the tiger and the deer and how it had taught him the importance of surrendering and accepting things in the way the deer had done.

"You fool!" said the Abbess. "Certainly there are are times when you should be like the deer, but if you are to be a spiritually mature person, you should also know when to be like the tiger!" With that the Abbess sent the monk away. "Don't come back until you know how to be a tiger. Only when you accept this part of yourself can you understand what it means to accept things as they are."