As we live our lives, nature presents us with various trials. Sometimes they appear in the form of disaster or misfortune; at other times, they may emerge as good fortune. How you respond to those trials determines the path of your life thereafter. I decided that, whatever misfortune I might encounter, I would accept it as a trial, maintain a positive attitude, and continue to live earnestly and cheerfully.

Thinking about it, my life had been an ongoing series of misfortunes from university graduation right through my absorption in research at Shofu Industries. Twice I failed the entrance exams for junior high school under the old system. Tuberculosis could have ended my life. I could not gain admission into the university of my choice. I could not take the employment examinations of any leading companies. The company that finally did take me in was ragged, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. I became deeply resentful and bitter about all the misfortune I perceived as raining down upon me, and took to complaining and venting about the unfairness of it all. Finally, in a desperate effort to shake it all off, I began to bury myself in researching fine ceramics. From that point onward, I began to see wonderful research results that pleased other people. In other words, my destiny began to change for the better. Kyocera, the company I later founded, and subsequently KDDI, enjoyed steady growth and development.

I firmly believe that a life lived in accordance with the Law of Cause & Effect enabled these outcomes.

Ehime Civic Forum (August 6, 2014) Summary