Free-Religion (Jiyū Shūkyō)

Given that my Profile and ABOUT page says one of my major religious sympathies is towards the kind of dynamic, creative, inquiring, free and liberative religion/spirituality (jiyū shūkyō 自由宗教) encouraged by the quite remarkable and influential figure in the development of progressive and liberal religion in Japan, Imaoka Shin’ichirō-sensei (1881-1988), it seems important to direct readers of this blog to a couple of things that will help them get a greater sense of what that this means. 

 

It’s perhaps helpful to begin with the following concise definition of free-religion (jiyū shūkyō 自由宗教) once offered up by Imaoka-sensei himself:

“Free-religion means living freely and autonomously, unbound by the frameworks of established religion; to believe that one is a member of the Great Life of the universe, and to live in oneness with it.”

Original Japanese:

「自由宗教とは既成宗教のワクにとらわれず自由に、自主的に生きることであり、自分が宇宙の大生命の一員であると信じ、一体となって生きることである。」

The second good place to begin is by reading some of the shorter essays found in the following selection of translations I have been working on since 2023: 

 

A short, representative selection (in English only) of essays, along with an introduction and a glossary of key figures and terms can be read at this link:

The Quiet Opening—Imaoka Shin’ichirō’s Free-Religion

 And a larger selection (which includes many Japanese terms) can be read at this link:

 

A selection of Imaoka Shin’ichirō’s essays on jiyū shūkyō

My own interest in the work of Imaoka Shin’ichirō-sensei began properly in 2019 when George M. Williams, the retired professor of Asian religions from California State University, Chico, published an important book about Imaoka-sensei that, for the first time, made both his extraordinary life story and few of his essays available to those of us in the English-speaking world. Although you can purchase a hard copy from your preferred bookseller, George has also very generously made his book freely available via his academia.edu page or at the link below:

“Cosmic Sage: Imaoka Shin’ichirō, Prophet of Free Religion” by George M. Williams

 

And lastly, you might find it interesting and helpful to watch the following talks about Imaoka Shin’ichirō-sensei and his basic understanding of in what consists “jiyū shūkyō” that I have given for the International Association for Free Religion (IARF).

 

Enjoy! 

VIDEOS

  

 An Introduction to Imaoka Shin’ichirō, Session One (January 2025) — International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)

 

 

An Introduction to Imaoka Shin’ichirō,  Session Two (February 2025) — International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)

An Introduction to Imaoka Shin’ichirō, Session Three: Free-Religious Practices (June 2025) — International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)

 

 A video introduction for the Free-Religion Institute (August 2025) to Imoaka Shin’ichirō’s essay, “The Position of a Free-Religious Person [1951]”  

Imaoka Shin’ichirō and his wife Utayo in 1955

Imaoka sensei in his study at 102 years old, after his morning meditation (Seiza), corresponding with international friends.