How to Read “If there is hardship, there is ease”
Ku areba raku ari
Meaning of “If there is hardship, there is ease”
“If there is hardship, there is ease” is a proverb that offers hope to people facing difficult situations. It tells them their suffering won’t last forever and better times will surely come.
This proverb is used to encourage people going through tough times. Students struggling with exam preparation, workers dealing with job stress, or people troubled by relationships can all find comfort in this message.
It tells them that although things are hard now, good things are definitely waiting ahead.
The proverb expresses a truth about life: it has ups and downs, and nothing stays difficult forever. Today, we understand it like a long tunnel that eventually leads to a bright exit.
After overcoming hardship, moments of joy will arrive. The proverb carries a positive message that by enduring suffering and moving forward, not just waiting passively, you will eventually reach happier times.
Origin and Etymology
The exact origin of “If there is hardship, there is ease” in historical texts hasn’t been identified. However, we can make interesting observations about its structure and philosophical background.
This expression pairs two contrasting concepts: “hardship” and “ease.” Japanese has a long tradition of expressing universal truths by pairing opposite concepts like “yin-yang,” “front-back,” and “light-dark.”
This combination of hardship and ease is thought to be influenced by Buddhist philosophy.
Buddhism describes life using terms like “the four sufferings and eight difficulties,” acknowledging suffering as part of existence. Yet it also teaches the concept of impermanence: suffering always has an end.
The idea that all things change and nothing lasts forever is central. This philosophy took deep root in Japanese hearts and likely gave birth to this expression of hope that difficult times are never permanent.
Japan’s four seasons may also form part of this proverb’s background. After harsh winter, spring always arrives. This natural cycle mirrors life’s ups and downs.
As an agricultural people living close to nature, Japanese developed a trust in the flow of time. This proverb reflects that uniquely Japanese perspective.
Interesting Facts
This proverb has a continuation. It’s sometimes paired with “If there is ease, there is hardship.” Together, they express life’s full cycle: after hardship comes ease, but after ease comes hardship again.
This parallel structure more deeply captures life’s natural rhythm of ups and downs.
The order of the words “hardship-ease” also carries meaning. By saying “hardship-ease” rather than “ease-hardship,” the expression shows the flow of time.
Hardship comes first, then ease follows. It also demonstrates that joy earned through overcoming suffering has special value.
Usage Examples
- Exam prep is really tough, but I just have to believe in “if there is hardship, there is ease” and keep going
- Work overtime is exhausting right now, but “if there is hardship, there is ease”—things should calm down after this project ends
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “If there is hardship, there is ease” contains the power of hope that humans need to survive. Why has this saying been passed down through generations?
Because when humans are suffering, they tend to feel like that suffering will last forever.
When we’re in difficult situations, our perspective narrows. The pain and hardship of this moment feels like it’s everything in the world.
Inside a tunnel with no visible exit, we lose sight of where the light is. At such times, people can be swallowed by despair.
But throughout human history, our ancestors realized something important. Every hardship has an ending.
And after experiencing suffering, people can taste deeper joy and fulfillment. This isn’t mere optimism. It’s a truth drawn from countless life experiences.
What this proverb conveys is the healing power of time. Everything changes, and no state continues forever.
Just as winter always becomes spring, and night always becomes morning, suffering also transforms. The power to believe in this natural law has given humans courage to overcome difficulties.
Our ancestors condensed the importance of maintaining hope into these few words and left them for us.
When AI Hears This
Living organisms have a mechanism where experiencing “hardship” makes them return stronger than before. This is called overcompensation.
Consider weight training as an example. Muscle fibers sustain microscopic damage during exercise. The body then decides “let’s make it stronger for next time” and thickens the muscle to about 120 percent of its original size.
It doesn’t just repair—it deliberately strengthens beyond the original state. This phenomenon also occurs with bone density. Fractured areas become about 30 percent denser than surrounding bone after healing.
What’s more interesting is that this mechanism works psychologically too. People who experience moderate stress develop adjusted stress hormone receptors, increasing their resistance to future difficulties.
In other words, “hardship” isn’t just a trial—it’s a signal to upgrade the entire system.
However, there’s an important condition: appropriate recovery time. Without sufficient rest after damage, neither muscles nor minds achieve overcompensation.
Continuous stress only destroys the system. The “ease” in this proverb might actually refer to the stronger, new self that’s biologically constructed during the recovery period after hardship.
Only the set of hardship and rest together enables evolutionary growth.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us modern people is the importance of perspective—how we view difficult periods. Modern society strongly demands immediate results.
When results don’t come quickly, we easily feel anxious and impatient. Seeing only others’ shining moments on social media can make us feel like we’re the only ones suffering.
But “If there is hardship, there is ease” reminds us that life always has rhythm. Your current suffering is just one chapter in the long story of your life.
This difficult experience might hold great meaning later. There’s a strength, depth, and kindness that can only be gained by overcoming hardship.
What matters is not wasting difficult periods. Rather than just enduring, an attitude of trying to learn something from the experience will make the next period of “ease” richer.
And when happy times arrive, you won’t take them for granted—you’ll be able to truly savor them.
Accept life’s waves, go with the flow, yet maintain firm hope. That’s the timeless message this proverb offers us today.
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