Another bird said to the hoopoe: “O thou who art our guide! what will come of it if I comply with thy commands? I do not willingly accept the hardship this undertaking entails, but I await thy declaration of will. I shall obey passively when thou commandest it, and if I turn my head away from thy commands, I shall pay the penalty.”
The hoopoe replied: “Thou art right to speak thus; no greater perfection can be expected of creatures. How wilt thou remain master of thyself, if thou dost passionately pursue an object? On the contrary, thou art master of thyself when thou obeyest willingly. He who submits to obedience is delivered from disappointments; he easily escapes all difficulties. One hour spent in the service of God in conformity with the positive law is preferable to an entire lifetime spent independently in that same service. He who submits to much hardship without having received the command is like the vile street dog who takes great pains and derives no benefit from them, receiving only ill-treatment when he has not obeyed. But he who, in order to obey, endures hardship for a moment is fully rewarded for it. Is it obedience to shirk obedience? If thou art God’s servant, do not depart from obedience.”
The hoopoe replied: “Thou art right to speak thus; no greater perfection can be expected of creatures. How wilt thou remain master of thyself, if thou dost passionately pursue an object? On the contrary, thou art master of thyself when thou obeyest willingly. He who submits to obedience is delivered from disappointments; he easily escapes all difficulties. One hour spent in the service of God in conformity with the positive law is preferable to an entire lifetime spent independently in that same service. He who submits to much hardship without having received the command is like the vile street dog who takes great pains and derives no benefit from them, receiving only ill-treatment when he has not obeyed. But he who, in order to obey, endures hardship for a moment is fully rewarded for it. Is it obedience to shirk obedience? If thou art God’s servant, do not depart from obedience.”