Mr. Toda had lost a child, had experienced repeated crises with his businesses, and had been imprisoned for two years for his faith in the Lotus Sutra. He later reflected that these experiences of sorrow, grief, and hardship, and of surmounting countless daunting challenges, made him ideally qualified to be the Soka Gakkai’s president. The renowned French writer Victor Hugo declared, “Great sufferings swell the soul to gigantic proportions.”

From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p.94