When heaven is going to give a great responsiblity to someone, (하늘이 장차 사람에게 큰 임무를 맡기려할 때..)

When heaven is going to give a great responsibility to someone, it first makes his/her mind endure suffering. 

Mencius, 

an ancient Chinese Philosopher

:: Kao Tzu (B) - Chapter 15 Mencius said, "Shun rose up from the grain fields; Fu Yüeh was found as a construction laborer, Chieh Ko was pulled up from his fish and salt; Sun Shu Ao from the sea, and Pai Li Hsi from the marketplace. "Thus, when Heaven is going to give a great responsibility to someone, it first makes his mind endure suffering. It makes his sinews and bones experience toil, and his body to suffer hunger. It inflicts him with poverty and knocks down everything he tries to build. "In this way Heaven stimulates his mind, stabilizes his temper and develops his weak points. People will always err, but it is only after making mistakes that they can correct themselves. Only when you have been mentally constricted can you become creative. It will show in your face and be heard in your voice, such that you will affect others. "In your own state, if you don't have legal specialists and impartial advisors, and outside your state, you don't have enemy states to harass you, your own state will certainly fall to ruin. "From this we can know that life is stimulated from adversity and anxiety, and death results from relaxation and pleasure."

｢고자｣ 하 15 :

孟子曰 舜發於畎畝之中 傅說 擧於版築之間 膠격 擧於魚鹽之中 管夷吾 擧於士 孫叔敖 擧於海 百里奚 擧於市

故天將降大任於是人也 必先苦其心志 勞其筋骨 餓其體膚 空乏其身 行拂亂其所爲 所以動心忍性 曾益其所不能

人恒過 然後能改 困於心 衡於慮 然後作. 徵於色 發於聲 而後喩

  

<번역> 맹자가 말했다.

순 임금은 밭 가운데서 나왔고, 부열은 공사판의 사이에서 등용되었고, 교격은 물고기-소금 장수 가운데서 등용되었고, 관중은 선비에서 등용되었고, 손숙오는 바닷가에서 등용되었고, 백리해는 저자거리에서 등용되었다.

그러므로 하늘이 장차 사람에게 큰 임무를 맡기려 할 때에는 반드시 먼저 그 마음과 뜻을 괴롭게 하고, 그 뼈와 살을 수고롭게 만들고, 그 몸과 피부를 굶주리게 하며, 그 몸을 궁핍하게 만든다. 행위함에 그 하는 바를 어그러뜨리고 혼란시키는 것은, “마음을 흔들고 본성을 가혹하게 해서(動心忍性)”, 그가 잘 하지 못 하는 것을 (잘 하게) 늘려 보태 주려는 것이다.사람은 늘 잘못한 뒤에 고칠 수 있다. 마음에서 곤란하고 생각에서 부디친 뒤에 행위한다. 낯빛에서 희미하게 나타나고, 소리에서 드러난 뒤에라야 깨우친다.

source: 

1. http://hantoma.hani.co.kr/board/view.html?board_id=ht_politics:001001&uid=278088

2. http://www.dubest.net/men/6B15.html (원문에 대한 권리는 Dubest에 있습니다.)