In general, in spiritual circles, the phrase "anything goes" is often whispered. Some people, upon hearing this, mistakenly believe that they can do anything they want. Historically, there have been periods of thought that supported such ideas. However, if anything goes, there is no order. Therefore, literally, anything does not go. From this, the modern concept of "do not cause trouble to others" and "freedom within the bounds of not causing trouble to others" has emerged. This principle is based on freedom while also considering the impact on others. This was a concept that suited the Western world. This is because, in the West, individual thought is highly valued, and individuals are considered as the basic unit of analysis. This is a fundamental concept in the study of modern history, and many people have likely heard of it. It is a concept that assumes that the individual is separated from others.
On the other hand, there are cultures in the world where the concept of the individual is weak, and the collective is the basic unit. Japan is somewhere in between, being partly individual and partly collective. There are cultures in the world that do not have words for the individual and only recognize the collective. Japan is in the middle, and in recent years, the influence of Western thought has strengthened the individualistic aspects.
Recently, with the arrival of spring, Western-style events are often held around this time. For example, events like Earth Day are essentially based on the idea of "anything goes." About 30 years ago, I once suggested to someone involved in Earth Day Tokyo that "there are people smoking while walking around the venue, which is causing trouble to children and non-smokers, so shouldn't we make the venue smoke-free and set up a smoking area?" However, a certain person in the secretariat became very angry, turning red in the face, widening their eyes, and shouting, "This event is about freedom, so we shouldn't prohibit smoking or do anything that would upset people!" I remember thinking that in the past, there were times when people misunderstood the concept of freedom and valued the idea that "anything goes," which is characteristic of Western freedom and nature worship. It's a nostalgic story.
Such a Western-centric concept of "individual existence" and "separation from others," which forms the basis of "freedom to do anything," merged with spirituality, and flourished as what was once known as New Age or hippie culture.
It was a culture based on individual separation, but in a way, it was also connected to others on a mental level. It was a culture based on what is called a catastrophe. Because individuals are separated, through certain unique experiences or environments, or by encountering music, a partial unification is achieved. In spiritual terms, this is called astral unification, and astral phenomena are mainly about emotional unification. This is still a state where emotions remain and are not purified, so even though a sense of unity is felt, it still feels unpleasant. When purification progresses further and reaches the level of the causal body (karma) or beyond, it becomes pure, but this kind of emotional resonance is a combination of pleasantness and unpleasantness. As individuals, they partially unite, and in order to break through the shell of individuality, a means of freedom is used. In Western society, protecting the individual is an absolute law, and freedom was needed as a means to break through that shell.
However, because these people did not have a solid ideological foundation, they continued to preach freedom in their words. They continued to claim that freedom itself would save the world and protect the Earth's environment. The very word "freedom" contradicts order, but in essence, it seems to be a cry born from a desire to connect with others, rather than a true desire for freedom.
This is a very basic stage in spirituality, and they have not yet been able to transcend emotions. At that point, it seems like there is free will, but in reality, they are just being manipulated. Therefore, while they shout about freedom, they are actually seeking connection with others.
True freedom in spirituality is achieved only after transcending the emotional astral plane and even the causal body (karma). At that stage, the meaning of the phrase "freedom to do anything" changes.
In the initial stage, "freedom" refers to being liberated from rules and regulations, which is a physical or environmental freedom. However, in the later stages, one realizes that everything has been free from the beginning. It is the realization that everyone has free will, and that everyone is a manifestation of God. Since everyone has free will, they are free from the beginning, and there is no need to become free.
Although, there are people who are in environments akin to slavery, so the liberation of freedom in that sense is necessary. On the other hand, there are also a certain number of people who, despite being privileged, don't want to work and want to indulge in luxuries, and therefore demand freedom. The former need liberation, but the latter need education and order.
In reality, freedom is to a certain extent guaranteed from the beginning, so in a spiritual sense, freedom is not such a big issue. The concept of freedom in spirituality has a different meaning and context, and it can mean something equivalent to enlightenment. In that sense, if we are talking about attaining freedom as enlightenment (moksha), that is a different matter. However, if we are talking about the kind of economic or behavioral freedom that is commonly talked about in the world, it already exists to a certain extent, so it is not a problem in spirituality, or it is a very basic concept.
Therefore, when events in the West promote "freedom for everything," it is because people who are spiritually blind and living in their own world, unable to feel a connection with others, are seeking that connection. While there may be people who are blindly pursuing this, and who need spiritual understanding and growth, there is not much spiritual significance to be found in the literal meaning of "freedom for everything."
That being said, there are also people who are enthusiastic about environmental activities and NGO/NPO activities, considering that to be the essence of spirituality. I, too, had the opportunity to interact with such people for many years about 30 years ago.
It seems that people sometimes misunderstand and spend a long time working for world peace or the environment. This can be anything from environmental activities to cults, and people repeat detours until they attain true wisdom.
Therefore, in the true sense of spirituality, "freedom for everything" is preached. This is because that is the essence of the world. However, it is fundamentally different from the kind of "freedom to do anything" or "freedom to do anything as long as you don't bother others" that is commonly understood in the world.