In the early stages, a fairly common situation is that many people misunderstand "selfishness" as the essence of spirituality. This is simply because the ego is grasping at freedom within the illusion of the self, and because they are not truly understanding the oneness that spirituality speaks of, but rather grasping at a limited freedom based on a divided self, and mistaking that for absolute freedom, and simply misunderstanding selfishness as freedom, and mistaking that for spirituality.

And when you point this out or say something moral or ethical, they say things like, "In the future, there will be no leaders, and everyone will grow freely," which is true to some extent, but it doesn't apply to the situation where they are simply acting freely and recklessly. They do this to self-affirm themselves and to assert superiority over others. Furthermore, they may take actions that mock others, as if to say, "I knew it." They suppress the right to speak of others. And they say that such actions are not freedom, so they should not be done by others, and they try to prevent moral involvement and mission-oriented involvement, and in essence, they try to sabotage others. They mislead others into believing that living freely and independently is the essence of spirituality, which promotes confusion. And because the people around them are also mostly the same kind of people, they reinforce each other, and they defend themselves by claiming that securing their own freedom through implicit conformity to others is the essence of spirituality. It is like a village society, where people act selfishly and others cannot openly deny it, and eventually, they begin to think that it is normal. What is free about that? The reason why spirituality is disliked is because there are still people who, by borrowing the words of spirituality, try to assert superiority by getting others to accept their selfishness.

If things become like that, it would be much more beneficial for spiritual growth to live a normal life in society and experience hardships. Instead of making such efforts, some trivial forms of spirituality are seen, where people satisfy their own egos by asserting superiority and looking down on others.

Some people who guide me explain that while some may have initially been in a state akin to slavery, and even if that "freedom" is a misunderstanding, it is sometimes necessary to liberate them from that state. However, this can lead to misunderstandings of spirituality and spread harmful values that perpetuate this misconception.

Before the "freedom" of spirituality, there is moral action. People who misunderstand spirituality ignore or do not prioritize morality. Morality and order come first, and then freedom. It is not that there is freedom from the beginning without understanding, morality, or order. This is quite common, but there are many people who use this excuse to justify themselves and engage in self-aggrandizement, simply because they claim to be spiritual. Furthermore, there are cases where they use not only words but also violence or pressure to manipulate others. Some cults exhibit such aggressive behavior, and it is unclear how such an attitude can be considered spiritual.

While understanding spirituality correctly is important, engaging with cults that use spirituality to satisfy their egos or to deceive themselves can lead to becoming a spiritual slave, which is not recommended. In such cases, it is far more beneficial for spiritual growth to live a normal life and fulfill one's duties.

Such a misunderstood freedom is not very beneficial, except perhaps temporarily in the early stages of spirituality, when it is necessary to liberate oneself from a state of spiritual slavery. Some people may forcefully preach true spirituality or morality to those who need this misunderstood freedom, but those who guide me patiently explain that this is like trying to teach morality or the truth to a child who does not have the cognitive ability to understand it. In such cases, it is better to promote simple freedom, which can foster growth in the long run.

If someone is in a state of mind like a child and seeks freedom to escape from a state of slavery, then preaching morality or principles to them is simply beyond their level of understanding, and such advice may hinder their growth or be seen as intrusive. If this "misunderstood freedom" is sometimes necessary for liberation, then perhaps a mature attitude is to observe and support them with warmth.

According to the guide who is leading me, it is important to remain calm and observe even if such things happen. It is important not to feel superior or inferior to others, and to understand that everyone is at a different stage, and that each situation is a learning experience. Even if something is called a cult, it may be necessary for that person, so it is important to observe with a very calm and equal perspective.