Patience in hardship

“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build,

A song of ascents. O LORD, remember on behalf of David all the hardships he endured,

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience. And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort. We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;

Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says in response: Leave aside the halakhot of the intermediate days of a Festival. These cannot be compared to other cases, as with regard to all the labors permitted on a Festival this is the reason for the leniency: Although he is distressed by performing them now, as they involve effort and trouble, he will be happy afterward on the Festival itself that he has performed them, when he enjoys the benefits of the labor he has performed. Due to the joy they will bring him on the Festival, these labors are permitted. Ravina said that there is a different answer: Rabbi Yehuda maintains that with regard to repaying a debt a gentile is always distressed, even after the fact. But in general, Rabbi Yehuda does take into account the joy that will be experienced at a later time.

With regard to the praise due to God for sustaining the world, the Gemara cites a statement that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The task of providing a person’s food is twice as difficult as the suffering endured by a woman in childbirth. While, with regard to a woman in childbirth, it is written: “In pain [be’etzev] you shall bring forth children” (Genesis 3:16), with regard to food, it is written: “In toil [be’itzavon] you shall eat of it, all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). Itzavon is a superlative form of etzev, which indicates that it is more difficult to support oneself than to give birth.

Rabbi Yosei says: The first two time periods are on the seventeenth and on the twenty-third of Marḥeshvan, and the last period is at the beginning of the month of Kislev. And so too, Rabbi Yosei would say: The learned individuals, who would start to fast due to a drought at an earlier time than the rest of the community, do not start to fast until the New Moon of Kislev arrives and no rain has fallen.

Endure thou patiently (O Muhammad). Thine endurance is only by (the help of) Allah. Grieve not for them, and be not in distress because of that which they devise

Lo! with hardship goeth ease

Then have patience (O Muhammad) even as the stout of heart among the messengers (of old) had patience, and seek not to hasten on (the doom) for them. On the day when they see that which they are promised (it will seem to them) as though they had tarried but an hour of daylight. A clear message. Shall any be destroyed save evil-living folk

Narrated Al-Bara': The bowing, the prostrations, the period of standing after bowing and the interval between the two prostrations of the Prophet (ﷺ) used to be equal in duration

Narrated Ibn ʿAbbas: When the Verse:--'If there are twenty steadfast amongst you (Muslims), they will overcome two-hundred (non-Muslims).' was revealed, it became hard on the Muslims when it became compulsory that one Muslim ought not to flee (in war) before ten (non-Muslims). So (Allah) lightened the order by revealing: '(But) now Allah has lightened your (task) for He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are of you one-hundred steadfast, they will overcome (two-hundred (non-Muslims).' (8.66) So when Allah reduced the number of enemies which Muslims should withstand, their patience and perseverance against the enemy decreased as much as their task was lightened for them

Narrated Az-Zubair bin ʿAdi: We went to Anas bin Malik and complained about the wrong we were suffering at the hand of Al- Hajjaj. Anas bin Malik said, "Be patient till you meet your Lord, for no time will come upon you but the time following it will be worse than it. I heard that from the Prophet

This inner severance from the affliction of misery is spirituality. It should be practiced with determination and with a heart that refuses to be depressed.

The joys that spring from external associations bring pain; they have their beginnings and their endings. The wise person does not rejoice in them.

On this path, endeavour is never wasted nor repressed. Even a little practice of it protects one from great danger.

If one should desire to live in this world a hundred years, one should live performing Karma (righteous deeds). Thus thou mayest live; there is no other way. By doing this, Karma (the fruits of thy actions) will not defile thee.

Look back to those who lived before and look to those who live now. Like grain the mortal decays and like grain again springs up (is reborn).

The Self is subtler than the subtle, greater than the great; It dwells in the heart of each living being. He who is free from desire and free from grief, with mind and senses tranquil, beholds the glory of the Atman.

Abuse, killing, caging: they endure these without anger. Patience is their powerful army: that’s who I declare a brahmin.

Going forth is hard, it’s hard to be happy; life at home is hard too, and painful, it’s painful to stay when you’ve nothing in common. A traveler is a prey to pain, so don’t be a traveler, don’t be prey to pain.

Rather than a thousandfold sacrifice, every month for a full century, it’s better to honor for a single hour one who has developed themselves. That offering is better than the hundred year sacrifice. Rather than serve the sacred flame in the forest for a hundred years, it’s better to honor for a single hour a personage who has developed themselves. That offering is better than the hundred year sacrifice.

‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not— “He endures me out of fear.” For the highest goal, one’s own, naught better than patience is found. When a strong person endures a weakling, they call that the ultimate patience, for a weakling must always be patient. The strength of folly is really just weakness, they say. But no one can challenge a person who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.

‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not— “He endures me out of fear.” For the highest goal, one’s own, naught better than patience is found. When a strong person endures a weakling, they call that the ultimate patience, for a weakling must always be patient. The strength of folly is really just weakness, they say. But no one can challenge a person who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.

165 “There are these two things. What two? Patience and gentleness. These are the two things.”

Let patience be your purpose in life; implant this within your being. In this way, you will grow into a great river; you will not break off into a tiny stream. ||117||

Fifth Mehl: Making all sorts of efforts, they wander around; but they do not make even one effort. O Nanak, how rare are those who understand the effort which saves the world. ||2||

Those who are patient abide in patience; in this way, they burn their bodies. They are close to the Lord, but they do not reveal their secret to anyone. ||116||

Who thinks his great achievements poor / Shall find his vigour long endure. / Of greatest fullness, deemed a void, / Exhaustion ne’er shall stem the tide. / Do thou what’s straight still crooked deem; / Thy greatest art still stupid seem, / And eloquence a stammering scream. Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.

Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life. Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the outstretched arms, (and thereby invites the feller.) Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.

When the Tao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Tao is disregarded in the world, the warhorses breed in the border lands. There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one’s lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting. Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.