TREASURE YOUR HARDSHIPS

Now, let us consider the significance of our life on earth. The main purpose of our life in this world is to discipline and refine the soul. Through numerous incarnations, we have always looked for the best way to continue the soul’s progress, and each time we are born on earth we choose a different environment. We have selected different professions, different circumstances, and different relationships, for example, those who have been wealthy in previous lives are born into poor families and vice versa, and those who were healthy in past lives are born with illnesses. We are born into this world with the supreme assignment of spiritual advancement, by even a single step forward.

Because this is the case, in difficult times you should think, “I am now being given this rare opportunity to improve my soul. This means I have found the very purpose of this life.” You must not avoid your task. If you were to complain about it, I would say, “You have been given the map for the treasure hunt and you have been walking, searching for treasure and following the map. Now there is a pile of treasure right in front of you. What are you complaining about?”

Particularly if you are faced with the greatest difficulty of your life, it is the greatest opportunity that has been prepared for the refinement of your soul. This is the most important part of the book of problems prepared specially for your life, so for the sake of your soul training, you should not avoid facing this problem.

Each person is faced with the problems that are most appropriate to his or her soul. The level of the problem you face is neither higher nor lower than the level of development of your soul. No matter what troubles befall you, they are problems that you can solve or, more precisely, problems that only you can solve. When problems appear right in front of you, they are showing you the significance of your life and the purpose of your soul training in this lifetime.

From "A Life of Triumph" by Ryuho Okawa