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Part I: On Virtue

Section I: Prologue

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Chapter 60: Possession of Industriousness

Verse 596
A weaver, a musician and a sculptor are all industriously working at their craft. They give no thought to failure, and therefore failure rarely visits them.

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Weaver's Wisdom

Verse 591

Possessing belongs only to the industrious. Do those
who lack such energy really possess their possessions?

Verse 592

Those who own a mental energy possess a thing of worth.
Material wealth is an unenduring possession that goes away.

Verse 593

Those who possess persevering industry
will never say in despair, "We have lost our wealth."

Verse 594

Good fortune of its own accord ferrets out and
finds the man of unflagging energy.

Verse 595

The length of the lotus stalk depends on the water's depth.
Even so, a man's greatness is proportionate to his mind's energy.

Verse 596

Let all thoughts be thoughts of noble progress,
for then even failing cannot be called a failure.

Verse 597

Elephants stand firm even when wounded by a barrage of arrows.
Strong-willed men are not discouraged when they meet disaster.

Verse 598

Without a zealous spirit, one will never enjoy
the proud exhilaration of the world's generosity.

Verse 599

The towering elephant, with his tapering tusks,
still shrinks in fear when a fierce tiger attacks.

Verse 600

An industrious mind is a man's real wealth.
Lacking it, he is immobile--more tree-like than human.