Every man must eat a peck of ashes before he dies.

The ashes stand for life's bitter experiences, while the measured quantity suggests that each person will face more than an isolated difficulty. Hardship is presented as unavoidable over the course of a lifetime.

The proverb can encourage patience with one's own troubles and sympathy for others. It does not say that suffering is deserved or that people must face it without help.

Use it to put a setback in a broader perspective or to acknowledge that another person's life may hold difficulties you cannot see. It may sound dismissive if offered as a quick response to someone in acute distress.