Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda said: "If we were too perfect to begin with, others would find it hard to relate to us. That's why we specifically chose to be born as ordinary people, experiencing sickness and poverty, so that we could widely spread Buddhism in society. . . . Life is like playing a part in a drama." He often gave guidance in this vein.
He also said: "I lost my wife and also my daughter. My businesses failed. Because I have known such sufferings, I was able to become the president of the Soka Gakkai."
Those who haven't experienced hardships and sufferings can't be expected to understand others' feelings. Only those who have gone through painful struggles and trials can truly help others.
To simply regard all our sufferings as karma is passive and defeatist. Instead, we should view them as sufferings we have voluntarily taken on as part of our mission, and which we have vowed to overcome through our Buddhist practice.
The principle of "voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma"*teaches this fundamental transformation of attitude, or mind-set. We can definitely transform our karma into our mission. Since all our problems and struggles are expressions of our own vow, there is no way that we will not be able to surmount them.
Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement, declared: "If I have to be reborn I should be reborn an untouchable, so that I may share their sorrows, sufferings, and the affronts leveled against them, in order that I may endeavor to free myself and them from that miserable condition."*
This attitude is an expression of the teaching of "voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma"—of compassion, of sharing our lives with others.
We [as Bodhisattvas of the Earth*] are born among those suffering the most.
The Buddha resides among those who are suffering the most.
Buddhism exists to enable those suffering the most to attain the greatest happiness.
https://www.sokaglobal.org/resources/study-materials/buddhist-study/the-wisdom-for-creating-happiness-and-peace/chapter-12-8.html
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