The differences between each ideology become even clearer when you look at "how to deal with desires."
First, we see what is wrong and where we are going.
| Philosophy/Religion | What is the problem? | Direction of salvation/completion |
|---|---|---|
| Advaita Vedanta | Ignorance about the self | Transcendence of identification with the ego. |
| Vishishtadvaita | Forgetting karma and dependence on God | Bhakti, devotion to God. |
| Dvaita | A state of being bound away from God | Liberation by grace. |
| Kurozumi-kyo | The true heart is clouded, unable to fully manifest divine virtues. | Living a life that manifests the mind of God. |
| Kinno Kyo | Human suffering | Both humans and gods are saved and progress together. |
| Oomoto | Disorder in individuals and the world | Replacing and rebuilding the world. |
| Theosophy | Undeveloped spiritual state | Spiritual evolution. |
| Some wish-fulfillment types | Limiting beliefs, blocks, low states, etc. | Desired reality, abundance, self-realization. |
Subsequently, we consider how desires are placed within that fundamental direction.
| Ideology/Religion | Position of Desire |
|---|---|
| Advaita Vedanta | Questioning the "I" that has desires. |
| Vishishtadvaita | Offering the fruits of actions to God. |
| Dvaita | Placing it within devotion to God. |
| Kurozumi-kyo | Cultivating the heart and placing it in a life of sincerity and gratitude. |
| Shinshūkyō | Bringing desires to the next world and making them resonate with the will of God. |
| Ōmoto | Repositioning personal desires within the grand purpose of the cosmic order (Tenchi Keirun). |
| Theosophy | Placing it in a long-term process of karma and evolution. |
| Some desire-realization types | Affirming desires as an expression of creativity. |
Classical religions also have worldly benefits, and it is not only modern people who have desires. The difference lies in what those desires are subordinate to.
- In Advaita, the desiring subject itself is examined.
- In Bhakti, desires are placed within the context of a relationship with God.
- In Shinshukyo, difficulties and wishes enter into a two-way exchange.
- In Taikoku Shinko, the mission to organize the world creates a broader perspective than personal desire.
- In wish fulfillment models, desires may be actively affirmed as an expression of one's own divinity or creative power.
From this difference, we can see a divergence between religions that "transcend the self" and spiritual practices that "actualize the self."