This meaningful Chinese saying celebrates the power of persistence.

A single grain of sand may by itself seem like a speck — but when thousands of them unite together, they can form an impressive tower.

However, this outcome doesn’t happen overnight. It takes perseverance, patience and effort. Similarly, when pursuing important goals in life, small deliberate actions repeated over time can lead one to success.

This Chinese expression originated from the venerated Buddhist text, The Lotus Sutra, which teaches that all living beings have the capacity for enlightenment.