Philosophical Sayings About Worldly Matter (VII)

One in good fortune should remember the days in woe. A good soldier knows that battle victories are just as common as defeats. It is too late to remember one’s umbrella when he is caught in a downpour without it.

(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.

When a person is in happiness and everything is satisfactory, one should not forget to consider the situation when encountering difficulties, and also think about how to solve them when difficulties arise. Why does it have to be this way? Because people’s misfortunes and blessings are constantly changing anytime and anywhere. There is no routine to speak of. Now you seem to do everything smoothly and everything is going well. But maybe one day - due to a small mistake in something, an incident, or other people’s misunderstanding of you - will bring you huge difficulties, and even suddenly put you in a desperate situation.

As the art of war says, the winner should never forget the common affairs of the military. That is to say, when you win, don't forget that victory and defeat are the common business of the military. If you win today, you may lose tomorrow. It’s the same in daily life. Even when it’s not raining, you have to watch the weather first, notice an upcoming rainstorm, and prepare your umbrella in advance. Otherwise, it would be too late to think of taking the umbrella when a rainstorm does come. At that time, you would already be getting drenched. Therefore, everything should be prepared in advance in order to be sure of your victory.