Philosophical Sayings About Worldly Matter (LVIII)

Success belongs to those who work hard to win it, yet excessive effort is self-defeating. Why? One gets impulsive when one tries too hard. Ships sail on the wind, but their masts may snap when the wind gets violent.

(This is a translation of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu’s philosophical sayings about worldly matters originally written in Chinese.)

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Below is not an official translation, just for reference.

The smooth achievement of everything comes from wisdom; it is earned through effort under the premise of conforming to the logical development of things. One must strive and work hard to achieve success in one's endeavors. However, if the process of striving is driven solely by enthusiasm and lacks wisdom, with actions that are too hasty, the endeavor not only fails to succeed but may even lead to failure. What causes this? When actions are too aggressive, they are often rushed and lack thoughtfulness and rationality, missing the completeness of planning. This can lead to a disconnection from the objective reality and a deviation from the essence of the matter itself, thus preventing success. Just as a sailboat needs to harness the wind to move, if the wind is too strong and too fierce, it can break the mast, rendering the sailboat unable to move and causing it to come to a standstill. The same applies to all endeavors—striving is necessary, but the approach and methods must be appropriate and measured, adhering to principles while not being overly aggressive to the point of losing rationality.