Joy can often be found in fulfilling a painstaking job, and sorrow from an unexpected setback may arise after success has turned one’s head.
苦心中常得悦心之趣，得意时便生失意之悲。
Notes
Joy within bitterness:
Hardship cultivates resilience and unveils profound fulfillment inaccessible in comfort.
True growth blooms in adversity’s soil.
Sorrow within success:
Triumph carries latent anxiety — the higher the ascent, the deeper the fear of falling.
As Lao Tzu observed: “Things at their peak decline”. Prosperity sows seeds of its own undoing.
Ultimate Insight:
This passage from Tending the roots of wisdom reveals that life’s currents flow between these poles. Wisdom lies in embracing struggle without despair, and success without delusion.
Leave a Reply