The Reiwa era! The era of the heart! Spirituality!
The Reiwa era! The era of the heart! Spirituality!
The Era of Reiwa: The Age of the Heart
From a spiritual perspective, the era of Reiwa can be seen as a time when people are becoming increasingly conscious of the heart, of inner values, and of the unseen dimensions of life. Haven’t you noticed that since the dawn of Reiwa, conversations and reflections about the human heart have grown stronger?
In our current world, we see troubling conflicts—such as President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Even in Japan, debates arise in online spaces like Yahoo! News, where some argue over the mindset of Putin himself, while others point out that Russia has no strategic benefit in attacking Japan. These clashing opinions reveal the way collective consciousness is wrestling with issues of morality, fear, and truth.
The very name Reiwa carries a deeper spiritual symbolism. The character Rei suggests people kneeling to listen to the words of the gods, while Wa represents the harmony that then spreads among the people. In this sense, Reiwa can be seen as a sacred invitation: to listen inwardly, to awaken to divine wisdom, and to create harmony in our communities.
Eastern philosophy teaches that all things are born of the dynamic interplay of yin and yang. Everything in the universe is composed of these two forces, and when we look at current global events through this lens, we can see that even conflict and crisis are not without meaning—they are signs of imbalance calling humanity to rediscover a deeper harmony.
The Meaning of Yin and Yang in the Reiwa Era
It is important to understand that yin and yang are not things that physically exist; rather, they are symbolic representations of opposing forces or qualities. For example: male and female, heaven and earth, prosperity and decline, sunshine and rain. These pairs of opposites reflect the essence of yin and yang.
When we speak of yin and yang, we mean that every event in life is created by the interplay of these two energies. In fact, from this perspective, all phenomena can be seen as nothing more than different combinations of yin and yang.
In traditional Eastern thought, yin is considered heavy and descending, while yang is light and rising. Written vertically in the past, this image reflects how these energies mix and merge to create the unfolding events of the world.
By contrast, when yin and yang become separated—what is sometimes described as yang-yin—the natural harmony collapses. Instead of creation, we find breakdown, destruction, ruin, and polarization. Division and conflict arise when the balance of yin and yang is lost.
If we look closely at the character of Reiwa (令和), it leans more toward this yang-yin imbalance. And in truth, don’t we already see such tendencies manifesting in today’s society—polarization, conflict, and the struggle between opposing forces?
The Reiwa era, the era of the heart, “feminine energy,” and “spirituality”
From a spiritual perspective, the Reiwa era marks the beginning of a profound shift: the emergence of feminine-dominant energy as a subtle yet transformative force shaping our world.
In spiritual thought, it is said that the Earth’s overall energetic quality is gradually transitioning from male-dominant energy to female-dominant energy. This is not a sudden switch, like black and white, but a gradual transformation—more like the steady rhythm between the sun and the moon—affecting all people, regardless of gender, across the planet.
At this stage, the rise of feminine energy is still only in its opening chapter. Because this energy is young and in its early form, it can often manifest through strong emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. As a result, society may experience polarization, contradictions, sudden shifts, and wave-like fluctuations.
Men tend to “suppress and control” their inner energy, which often leads to rigidity of both mind and body. Women, on the other hand, tend to “release and express” their inner energy outwardly, which brings more flexibility and openness to both mind and body.
In times of change, flexibility adapts more easily than rigidity. Thus, the age we are entering is one of intense transformation, fueled by feminine-dominant energy.
Male energy tends to place value on “visible, material things,” while female energy naturally seeks value in the “invisible realm of the heart.” This means we are now moving into an age where material values will gradually lose their dominance, giving rise to a new era—Reiwa—the age of the heart.
Perhaps you have already noticed: luxury watches, cars, and designer handbags no longer seem as enviable or as deeply desired as they once were.
The Reiwa era, the era of the heart, spiritual growth, “spirituality”
From a spiritual perspective, one of the most significant themes of the Reiwa era is the growth of the soul.
As I have written many times in this blog, the growth of knowledge comes through individual “moments of realization.” In the same way, the growth of the heart—what we call the growth of spiritual maturity or soul level—also comes from each heartfelt realization.
When one’s spiritual maturity rises, their very presence gains strength in a profound sense. Their creative power to fulfill the hearts of others grows, and with each realization of the heart, their perspective on life naturally broadens. This is not a complicated matter—it is simply about becoming an “adult” in the spiritual sense.
By contrast, a “low spiritual level” means a weaker presence, where one tends to prioritize fulfilling one’s own desires over fulfilling the hearts of others. With fewer realizations of the heart, one’s perspective remains narrow. This too is not a complex concept—it is simply the state of being a “child” in the spiritual sense.
If many people remain at a low level of spiritual growth, society becomes filled with self-centered individuals, and even the natural world risks falling into collapse.
Thus, the Reiwa era—the age of the heart—is a time when people will be confronted with experiences that bring forth these realizations of the heart.
Just as the human body only feels pain once the flesh is wounded, in the Reiwa era, people will increasingly experience pain of the heart—pain that serves to awaken them to deeper truths.
Not everyone, of course, but among those who were infected with the coronavirus and now suffer from lingering aftereffects, there are surely people who have come to regret their own past actions deeply.
Again, not everyone, but especially among those who remain bound to the values of male-dominant energy, such inner pain of the heart will be more likely to surface in the Reiwa era.
Comments
Post a Comment