Spiritual Care from the Perspective of Japanese Buddhism: A Literature Review

Although spiritual care has developed within Christian cultures, in Japan, Buddhism has shaped people’s views on life and death and their understanding of suffering. To our knowledge, concrete practices of spiritual care in Buddhism have not been adequately documented. This study aims to describe spiritual care from the perspective of Japanese Buddhism. A literature search was conducted using the literature databases Ichushi-Web, J-STAGE, and CiNii Research. Qualitative content analysis based on Graneheim & Lundman was performed on 19 articles related to Buddhism and spiritual care. Six categories were extracted: “Fundamental involvement that supports the meaning and value of life in the face of death,” “Involvement that accepts and shares life narratives and emotions as they are,” “Respect for and involvement with a person-centered worldview,” “Practice of mutual transformation in helping relationships,” “Involvement that supports understanding suffering and self-liberation,” and “Involvement that supports life and death through Buddhist teachings and prayers.” From a Buddhist perspective, spiritual care has a multilayered structure grounded in the relationships among patients, care providers, and families or communities. It involves a process of mutual transformation and insight into suffering, and integrative support through Buddhist practices. Furthermore, it is realized not merely through individual meaning-making but through coexistence within relationships with others. This finding presents a new perspective on spiritual care based on relationships and practice.