Considering the difference between spirituality and religion

 Considering the difference between spirituality and religion

Regarding the discussion on the differences between spirituality and religion, there were some negative comments on Yahoo! News about spirituality and religion.

It is understandable that people who only trust what is visible—practical realists—may feel distrust toward spirituality.

A major difference between spirituality and religion is that spirituality does not involve worshiping gods. It is also not based on specific rituals or strict rules.

The idea of spirituality, though not universally held by all, places value on the growth of the soul. While religion may also include similar concepts in a moral sense, spirituality is not bound by any particular system or organization.

As repeatedly discussed in this blog, the growth of knowledge comes from each individual insight, just as the growth of the heart—spiritual development—is built on successive insights from the heart.

When spiritual development (referred to here as “spiritual rank”) increases, one’s existential presence in a mental sense becomes stronger. This enhances the creative power to fulfill the hearts of others, and the more insights one has, the wider the perspective from which one can view the world. This is not a difficult concept; it is simply about maturing spiritually.

Conversely, a low spiritual rank means one’s existential presence is weak in a mental sense. Such a person tends to prioritize fulfilling their own heart over fulfilling the hearts of others, and with fewer insights, their perspective on things tends to be narrower. This, too, is not complicated—it reflects spiritual immaturity, akin to being a child in mental terms.

When spiritual values are incorporated into religion, the changes brought about by personal insight in spirituality can challenge the stability of that religion. For example, the existence of various sects in Buddhism may reflect differences in how individuals perceive insights, which could naturally lead to divisions.

However, there are similarities between spirituality and religion. The spiritualist Hiroyuki Ehara, who popularized the word “spirituality” in Japan, trained under a woman deeply versed in Buddhism and also holds qualifications as a Shinto priest.

In this sense, spirituality and religion, when dealing with spiritual matters, share similar values, which naturally leads some to view them as essentially the same.

Within spirituality, there are beliefs about how to avoid becoming a wandering spirit after death, reflecting an inner acceptance of spiritual realities. Spirituality is not taught in schools, so those without the knowledge to understand it may easily equate it with religion when making comparisons.

Globally, the proportion of people who reject religion and adopt purely pragmatic worldviews is relatively small. In Western countries, there is also a tendency to accept spiritual perspectives, showing that values toward spirituality differ across cultures.

The origins of spiritual ideas lie in psychic or heart-centered philosophies, and they may be closer to psychology than to formal religion.

It is natural that parenting requires mental maturity. Spirituality places value on the process of becoming mentally and spiritually mature, and it is unlikely that spirituality will ever disappear from the world.

If spirituality were ever to vanish, it might be in a chaotic, dystopian world, similar to the post-apocalyptic setting depicted in “Fist of the North Star,” where unchecked desire runs rampant.

However, most people do not desire such a world. Just as religion has persisted through history, the values of spirituality are also unlikely to disappear.