The great man has had to struggle with considerable effort and hard work at all things—by no means was he born a master of the true way.
No matter how slow-witted a person, if he applies himself steadily to a task for several years, he will come to be able to understand that work with considerable profundity.
Because each and every one of us was born with our own destined nature, if only we could accept this nature and work in accord with it, this would be best. Making such excuses as, “I’m too old” or “I’m not so bright”, will cause one to amount to nothing. Japanese people are especially impetuous and overly concerned with their public image, and as men who belong to distinguished families start to age a bit, they become extremely worried that others will ridicule them, and so are unable to work with any clear resolve.
One should always feel as though one has just been newly born, starting each movement afresh with freedom and ease. If one constantly worries about one’s age and station in life, how can one possibly hope to accomplish one’s true work?
Above all, if one can only realize that any insight and skill acquired in this world is brought unchanged into the spirit realm, and that perfection of the self is eternal—this is most important. Right up until one draws one’s final breath in this world, it is the time for self-cultivation.
If you hoard a large sum of money, an accident might happen and you could quickly lose it all. However, if you work with great industry, the spiritual treasure you will thereby acquire can never be lost.
For example, if a person knows the art of making a tea bowl, should that person lose his tea bowl he can always make another. Not only that, because the effort he spends in making a tea bowl becomes incorporated into him, when he starts out to make something else he will be able to apply this experience.
Although one does nothing but sing one’s own praises, people are keen critics, and they will hardly be so easily fooled.
Unless one first purifies one’s own heart, one cannot possibly exercise influence on others.
If one is careful in one’s heart, one can discern the truth at a glance, but if one does not pay attention to one’s heart, one will go on repeating the same mistakes all one’s life.
People’s true merit is revealed at once in their reaction to adversity. Many people, without reflecting upon themselves, are apt to resent others and curse the world.
Those raised in prosperity tend to be too lazy to do anything by their own efforts, and unfortunately are incapable of heartfelt sympathy for others. The man who has experienced many things and undergone great hardships tends to be broadminded, and naturally possesses a trustworthy nature.
However, a man who has encountered adversity once, willing or not tends to become jaundiced towards the world, and especially if he is a man of slight talent, a hateful pride and defensiveness encumbers him, and he is unable to get along with his fellow men. This man of slight talent and knowledge is inevitably impatient, weak-willed, apt to hastily try to force things to their fruition, and likely to underestimate others. We must not overlook our imperfections, vainly hating our surroundings, resenting society, and envying others.
Especially in recent times, our society has become extremely orderly, and it is no longer so easy to suddenly gain fame as it was in the past. Looking at the example of our modern society, far more so than the man of genius, the industrious type is most likely to make a name for himself in the end. In everything, the final victory will be had by the man who is above average in his industry and his perseverance. The more one comes to know the ways of the world, the deeper one comes to understand that all things do not obey simple logic, and that transient trickery and fraud possess no virtue.
Unless one has encountered great hardship, it is very difficult to reach a state of true understanding.
However, by hardship I do not simply mean externally apparent adversity, but inwardly experienced trials as well.
Unless one has surmounted many difficulties, one cannot help but be narrow-minded.
Piling up experiences one-by-one, we gradually become truly wise, and are able to be large-hearted and broad-minded. But if from the beginning we worry about making trivial mistakes, and aim to do things without erring in the least, then our cases are hopeless. This is exactly like expecting to become a great fencing master without ever being touched by an opponent, or rising to Sumo’s highest rank of Yokozuna without once tasting the dust of the ring in defeat.
A person who has never suffered is a person without depth.
One who has struggled through much adversity naturally possesses a great, intangible, latent power.
No experience is without value.
