Spirituality in Spirited Away
After a long time, I finally decided to watch this beautiful anime, Spirited Away.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this anime made me think deeply about something we encounter in our own lives again and again: greed, love and strength.
There is something powerful about genuine love.
Sometimes this very love becomes a source of willpower. Sometimes it gives us hope when everything around us becomes uncertain. It gives us the courage to break restrictions created by our own mind, fear and beliefs.
When that kind of love exists does your age, gender, wealth or status really matter?
Perhaps not.
Love is the source of courage:
Throughout Spirited Away Chihiro finds herself facing the situations that seem impossible to tackle. Yet when it comes to protecting the loved ones, she keeps moving forward. I think many of us have our own versions of such situations and experiences.
At some point in life, we all find ourselves in situations where we have no choice but to face the challenge head-on, even without knowing what the outcome may be.
Love beyond boundaries:
And love doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic.
It can be love for our family, friends, animals or a place or even an element of the nature that holds a special meaning for us.
It can be love for an animal who finds comfort in our parking lot, a bird we watch from our window, a tree in our backyard, a forest we keep returning to for a peace of mind, a landscape which heals us emotionally or even tiny beings living in our garden pot.
As humans, we often divide the world into categories: people, animal, plants, insects, birds, elements, landscapes and everything else.
But sometimes we genuinely want those boundaries to fade.
At some point in life, we all find ourselves in situations where we have no choice but to face the challenge head-on, even without knowing what the outcome may be.
What do we gain from loving nature?
I sometimes wonder what an animal rescuer, birdwatcher, nature lover, animal lover, wildlife enthusiast or artist truly gains by spending their time and energy caring for and appreciating something so deeply.
Perhaps the answer is not something that can be measured.
An animal rescuer spends hours rescuing the animal they may never meet again.
A birdwatcher may spend hours just to catch the few glimpses of the birds.
An artist may spend days trying to capture the beauty of the landscape.
A nature lover may travel miles just to be in the presence of those trees.
And someone may simply water a plant every morning because they might have found a true friend in it.
We don’t need to own forest or possess an animal to care about its wellbeing. Neither we need to control the nature just to appreciate it.
What do they get in return?
Perhaps nothing material, but something far more difficult to put into words. It’s not always driven by sense of moral responsibility but genuine and pure intentions to care. And in the end the love itself becomes the reward.
We don’t need to own forest or possess an animal to care about its wellbeing. Neither we need to control the nature just to appreciate it.
As an animal communicator, reiki practitioner and nature lover, I feel fortunate to get opportunities to connect with animals and nature.
When we observe the butterflies moving in flowers, a snail crossing the soil, a bird building its nest, a tree changing its colors with the seasons, we don’t need to control these things to value them, simply witnessing them is enough.
When love comes from a place of pure intention, it can rise above greed.
Spiritual Awareness:
It reminded me that love can cross species, distance and that it can deepen our connection with places, landscapes, animals, plants and even the smallest form of life around us.
And somewhere along that journey, we begin to change too.
We become more aware, compassionate and willing to protect what we truly care about.
And perhaps that is where spirituality begins…
When greed asks “what can I get?”
Love asks “what can I protect?”
And this is the lesson I loved the most from Spirited Away: When love comes from a place of pure intention, it can rise above greed.
