The Buddha said: "There are twenty difficult things to attain [or to accomplish] in this world:
1.) It is difficult for the poor to practise charity;
2.) It is difficult for the strong and rich to observe the Way;
3.) It is difficult to disregard life and go to a certain death;
4.) It is only a favored few that get acquainted with a Buddhist sutra;
5.) It is by rare opportunity that a person is born in the age of Buddha;
6.) It is difficult to conquer the passions, to supress selfish desires;
7.) It is difficult not to hanker after that which is agreeable;
8.) It is difficult not to get into a passion when slighted;
9.) It is difficult not to abuse one's authority;
10.) It is difficult to be even-minded and simple-hearted in all one's dealings with others;
11.) It is difficult to be thorough in learning and exhaustive in investigation;
12.) It is difficult to subdue selfish pride;
13.) It is difficult not to feel contempt toward the unlearned;
14.) It is difficult to be one in knowledge and practice;
15.) It is difficult not to express an opinion about others;
16.) It is by rare opportunity that one is introduced to a true spiritual teacher;
17.) It is difficult to gain insight into the nature of being and to practice the Way;
18.) It is difficult to follow the steps of a savior;
19.) It is difficult to be always the master of oneself;
20.) It is difficult to understand thoroughly the Ways of Buddha
From "The Sutra of Forty-two Chapters" included in "Zen for Americans" by Soyen Shaku, translated by D.T. Suzuki, an unabridged reprint of the 1913 edition of "Sermons of a Buddhist" (Barnes & Noble Books, 1993, p. 10 - 11)
