Prosperity and adversity

Prosperity and Adversity are the two eyes that we all have. Adversity leads us inward to correct and perfect our march of life. Prosperity leads us outward to illuminate and immortalise our human birth.

In prosperity our inner strength remains static. In adversity our inner strength becomes dynamic.

None can deny the fact that every step of progress which the world has made has come from both the smiles of prosperity and the tears of adversity.

Adversity, like poverty, is no sin. One merit of adversity none can deny: it helps us to be stronger within. The stronger we are within, the brighter we are without.

“No suffering, no salvation,” so says the teacher Adversity to his student, man.

“No soul’s delight, no salvation,” so says the teacher Prosperity to his student, man.

One who is afraid of studying in the school of adversity can never hope for a perfect education in life.

Misfortune threatens prosperity. Hope ignores adversity.

How often is our aspiration forced into play by dire adversity; but in glorious prosperity how rarely it peeps out.

No fall, no rise. Just as a wrestler often bears away the prize only after he has suffered numerous falls, even so Hell is to be experienced before Heaven is won.

What is failure, if not an important portion, unrecognised, in the configuration of our whole fruitful success?

Failure can have a soothing medicine to relieve it from its pangs, and that medicine is consolation. Failure can have an energising medicine to relieve it from its pangs, and that medicine is Will-power.

The world is strewn with difficulties. In a sense, it is full of thorns. But if you put on shoes you can walk on the thorns. What are these shoes made of? They are made of God’s Grace.

Depression is the most effective smile of a wrong force. Once we allow it to enter, depression tries to crush the strength and joy of our life-force.

Illness often has very little to do with the Divine Will. It is rather the acceptance of imperfection’s invasion.

The pain of the body is often bearable. Not so is the pain of the heart.

Sorrow is an arrow to pierce into strength. Joy is food to feed strength sumptuously.

Sorrow lords it over the world. But the very presence of Time makes it lose its sting.

Time is the best physician for suffering. Then comes patience. And then comes tolerance.

Man is the visible hyphen between yesterday’s torture and tomorrow’s fear.

Natural justice, however painful, is mild. Legal justice, however mild, is atrocious torture.

Despair is an unworthy and shameless guest of our inner life. We must resist it with the current of will that energises our soul.

Disappointment is as powerful a negative force as expectation is a positive one.

Worry unconsciously welcomes trouble. Trouble unavoidably welcomes helplessness. Helplessness tearfully welcomes despair.

Human life is at once a burden and a blessing. It compels man to bear continual suffering. It gives man also a great promise of God-Realisation.