Progress
If a thing or circumstance does not exist now, and to assume progress, success and smartness in achieving these, is a great error. Non-existing thing cannot exist forever-it is a rule. Whatever is perennial, remains so always, achieving such a thing (Godly essence) is in reality progress, success or smartness.
The achievers of spiritual success, automatically gain worldly progress.
Think should we ourselves disregard our knowledge, so, how could we attain progress?
True progress, in reality is, the purity of our tendencies of Nature.
Worldly progress is not a thing of the present, nor is spiritual advance one of the future.
One who seeks an easy life, could not really progress.
Just as a tree may rise high without limit, there is no limit to a man's ascent.
In the spiritual path of man's progress, his attachment to pleasures born of contact is a special impediment.
The rise and fall of man is through his sentiment and attitude but not by things, circumstances etc.
Congruence of intellect and mind and concordance between mind and senses, facilitates progress. However, the subservience of mind to the senses and that of the intellect to the mind, leads to a fall.