Disaster-Prone Era Requires Individual Spiritualism
In 2011, Japan suffered a great natural disaster caused by the great earthquake and tsunamis around Fukushima, etc. in the north of Tokyo. And about 20,000 people died of the disaster. What should be noted is that after the disaster, many families of those victims experienced spiritual phenomena such as seeing ghosts of the dead or spiritual communications with them. So, a Japanese journalist made a survey on spiritual matters by sending questionnaires to more than 1,000 monks of Buddhism, etc. to have answers from 65% of them.
According to the result of the survey, 53% of them visited the sites of the disaster; 31% of those who visited the sites heard talks about ghosts or spirits or saw them directly on the spot, and 60% of those who visited the sites performed religious acts at the disaster-stricken areas such as holding a mass and making a prayer to get rid of ghosts.
From the beginning, 17% of those monks of Buddhism, etc. did not believe in existence of souls and spirits while they had professions in the religious field. However, 29% of them answered that they found around them other people who were making business concerning spiritual matters such as conjurors and faith healers.
The reason why there are 17% of monks of Buddhism who do not believe in existence of souls and spirits lies in the fact that the Buddha himself did not mention about the afterlife, although he took a never-ending cycle of life and death as a matter of course. But there are more people than monks or priests of the authentic religions such as Buddhism and Christianity, who are working in business on spiritual matters as spiritualism professionals such as conjurors and faith healers. Indeed, many local people, especially those in the disaster-stricken areas, have had various spiritual experiences concerning their family members who died in the disaster. Yet, 30% of monks of Buddhism, etc. who performed religious acts such as holding a mass and making a prayer to get rid of ghosts at the spot in disastrous areas answered that their religious acts seemed to result in repose of souls of the victims.
The modern monks of Buddhism in Japan are well educated in the modern educational system where modern science and technology are respected. They tend not to come close to irrational matters such as questions about the afterlife. But ordinary people have strong interest on spiritual matters and the afterlife. The 2011 natural disaster in Japan emphasized this contrast. Nonetheless, Buddhist monks and faith healers with psychic power in Japan play a similar role to that of Western exorcists or Christian priests in getting rid of evil spirits or devils.
Put simply, survivors of the 2011 earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan became more spiritual as they faced tragic death of family members, while monks and other people of religion rediscovered their roles in spiritual matters although they had become so materialistic seeking business success and money.
The corona pandemic that started in 2020 contributed also to this general atmosphere, although the ratio of deaths due to the corona-virus in Japan has been smaller than in most of other countries.
As with Japan, people in the world who have seen the War on Terror, the Ukraine War, and military conflicts around Gaza since the start of the 21st century might become more spiritual, and the Vatican and other religious bodies might rediscover their roles in this period of the early 21st century proceeding to WWIII.
Anyway, the present time or era seems to require us to read the Bible from a more spiritual point of view. It is not a monopoly of religious people to read and interpret the Bible and religious/spiritual books. We had better even master how to pray to get rid of evil spirits and Satan. Indeed, spiritual matters are individual matters.
++++ ++++ ++++
Mark 11, King James Version
19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.