It is well known that tulips and daffodils bloom well and beautifully in cold regions; the more stress there is, the more the flowers become strong and pretty.

Perseverance is an invisible power hidden inside; you must endure hardship while exercising it all alone. There is no guarantee exactly when the results will come. You are alone and desperate, since there is no one to depend on except yourself. There seems to be no good idea for cutting through or opportunity to borrow the hands of others. With this power in mind, you must go on a long way before you can say to yourself, “At last, I made it.” You might give up unless you grasp the last glimmer of hope for getting out of your difficulties. Giving up halfway does not mean you persevered.

It is ironical that perseverance is an ambivalent power that is activated only when you are under pressure.

Similar words can be found such as endurance, tenacity, patience, or, in Buddhism, ninniku (submission). But I think there is a subtle difference. Among these words, perseverance relates wholly to the self, while the others describe a response to attack, persecution, or pressure from outside the self. In these cases, you must fight back physically with a certain aim in mind and full of energetic power.

Please take a look at the picture. You see heavy snow resting on ears of susuki (Japanese pampas grass); the stems seem about to bend and break at any moment, in the cold and gusty wind. The melting snow does not mean the susuki will emerge from its lonely tunnel. Spring comes; it sprouts again. And then comes summer, and then autumn. It must wait patiently until this season before it can resume its proper shape. Thus “perseverance” contains the meaning of “waiting for an opportunity.” For that reason, both a strong mind and a supple spirit are needed.

Now you are coming out of the past. The more you make use of Intangible Power and the more time you spend doing it, the richer will be the harvest you obtain. The energy consumed is in direct proportion to the results. No one ends his or her life without using Intangible Power in private or business affairs. We have no choice but to persevere for as long as we live. That is the meaning of life itself.

What seemed to be impossible, sad, painful, and difficult in the past will turn into the realization of your dreams through perseverance in the future.

If you are alone, or worrying about the long expanse of time, there is no need to take this negatively. Please be conscious of the invisible powers with which everyone is equally endowed.