Notable Moments

In the winter of 1944, at the age of 12, Inamori was told by a doctor that he had contracted tuberculosis, an incurable disease at that time. Having already lost two relatives to the illness, he became filled with fear of his own death, wondering if he would be next as he lay sick in bed. During that time, a lady from the neighborhood came to visit him with a book and said, "Try reading this. There are some things in here that will surely benefit you." The book was Truth of Life, written by Masaharu Taniguchi, founder of the religious and philosophical group Seicho-no-Ie (House of Growth).

Inamori was profoundly impacted by a particular quote from the book: "What one envisions in the mind can manifest itself as a phenomenon in reality." He started to reflect on his life.

"Whenever I passed by the detached house where my uncle with tuberculosis lived, I was so afraid of catching it that I always held my nose as I went by. On the other hand, my brother would say, 'You can't catch it that easily,' and my father even served as caregiver for my uncle, his brother, who was in the terminal stages of tuberculosis at the time. Despite being more cautious than anyone else, I fell ill, while they did not. I came into this situation despite trying to avoid it, and perhaps it was my desire to escape tuberculosis that actually invited disaster. My father, who was enveloped by a profound love in caring for his failing younger brother, became incapable of catching the disease.

Though just a child, Inamori reflected deeply on his situation, and it led him to consider the importance of the mind in determining the outcome of our lives.