Japan's Spiritual Destiny

Japan, a nation with an ancient, but now mostly dormant spirituality, has, according to the Bahá’í Writings, a brilliant spiritual future: “Japan will turn ablaze” with the light of the spirit; the Japanese will play “a preponderating share in awakening the peoples” of the Asian-Pacific region to the light of spiritual understanding; and the people of Japan will help pave the way to a oneness and wholeness of human relationships that will produce the conditions for world peace. But, to accomplish these great tasks, the authors of Japan’s Spiritual Destiny, William Barnes and Michael Higgins, both longtime residents of Japan, argue that Japan must throw off its spiritual torpor and undertake a national spiritual transformation. To gain a fuller understanding of the qualities of heart and mind needed to support this process, and how the narrow constraints that some traits in the national character, such as an isolationism both in geography and in thought, work to inhibit the transformation, they first delve into the nature of Japanese religious consciousness as it has evolved through history. Then, with the aid of the Bahá’í Writings, and its practical, spiritually-based programs for individual and collective transformation, the steps that must be taken to energize and sustain the process are identified and discussed. Engaging in these practices brings out the qualities necessary to effect the transformation and prepare the people of Japan to meet their great destiny. Along the way, the myth of Japanese uniqueness is laid to rest, and the deeper qualities of the Japanese character are seen as the foundation for change. Anyone wishing to see Japan, its history and people in a fresh, new light, will want to read this book.