Human Suffering - Boon in disguise

You might have marked that an elephant is controlled and directed with a small iron prick-hook (Ankush). The troubles and miseries of the human being are also a sort of prick-hook to guide him and to keep him on the proper path of progress and evolution.

http://hinduonline.co/DigitalLibrary/SmallBooks/ParablesOfRamaBySwamiRamaTirthaEng.pdf