“站在地面上看，石壁耸入云霄，高不可攀，但从飞机俯望，像是趴卧在地面，只不过是低矮的界线。同样地，自己的境涯提升，对事物的感受和看法也会随之改变，能把逆境或苦难当作人生的跳板，悠然超越。” – 池田大作

“A stone wall that seems infinitely high when seen from the ground appears no more than a slightly raised boundary line when viewed from an airplane. Similarly, if your life-condition changes for the better, so will the way you view and respond to things. You’ll find yourself surmounting every adversity and hardship with composure, and thoroughly enjoying the drama of life.” – Daisaku Ikeda

Recently, I have a discussion with a friend on the topic of pendulum. Indeed, life is like a pendulum, completed with all its ups and downs. However, it must be noted that when the pendulum is at rest, it is at its LOWEST point. Therefore, inactivity in our daily life is the most miserable of existence. We have to "swing" and to actively seek out ways to improve our lives. Inertia is a terrible enemy.

Problems in life are inevitable. They are like a formidable stone wall obstructing our paths. But when we attempt to live our lives with courage and optimism, we will definitely be able to elevate ourselves and then, even the Great Wall is nothing but a minor inconvenience. Let us press on!

Wisdom is the removal of delusions. The swinging arm of the pendulum represents the delusions in our lives that keep our life-condition low. If we were to shorten the arm by opening our eyes to the delusions, even the lowest point of the "updated" pendulum will be much higher. Hence, nothing can be for worthy of our time then the cultivation of wisdom.