Reiki

The Usui System of Natural Healing

Reiki The Sacred Science

First Level Workshop Manual

Dedication

This manual is dedicated to the Precious Teacher: the Beloved in everyone and everything; and to Wazza.

Important!

The theory and practice of Reiki is not based in the allopathic, or any related medical paradigm. If you are concerned about illness of any kind, please seek appropriate professional assistance. Use Reiki generously to complement whatever other treatment you may decide to receive.

© 2002 by Steve Wertheim

Everything is laid out for you. Your path is straight ahead of you. Sometimes it’s invisible, but it’s there. You may not know where it’s going But you have to follow that path. It’s the path to the Creator. It’s the only path there is. CHIEF LEON SHENANDOAH

Table of Contents Welcome… 1 History of Modern Reiki… 3 What is Reiki, and how does it Work?… 8 Our Energy System… 11 Would Reiki Interfere with my Religious Beliefs?… 13 The Reiki Precepts… 16 Preparing for Reiki with Meditation (Gassho)… 17 Connecting with Reiki through Devotion (Reiji)… 17 Breathing to “Cleanse the Spirit” (Joshin Kokyuu-ho)… 19 Healing/Treating with Reiki… 20 Some General Pointers for Treatment… 22 The Hand Positions for doing Treatments… 23 Some thoughts about Ethics and Energy Healing… 23 Aura Cleansing (done before and after Treatment)… 25 Scanning (Byosen Reikan-ho)… 25 Some Ways in which the Energy field may be Experienced… 26 Storing Energy for Healing… 27 Treating Yourself with Reiki… 27 The Reiki Shower… 28 Light breathing Method (Hikari No Kokyo-ho)… 28 Breathing with Gassho (Gassho Kokyo-ho)… 29 Chakra Activation (Chakra Kassei Kokyu-ho)… 29 Cell-Activation/Self-Growth Technique… 30 Programming/De-programming (Nentatsu-ho)… 31 Reiki Meditation… 31 Hatsurei-ho… 32 Crystals and Stones… 34 Healing Beyond Time and Space (Enkaku-Chiryo-ho)… 34 Where to from Here?… 35 Appendices… 41 Glossary… 53

Welcome! Reiki is a simple, gentle and very powerful way of healing. Reiki is also a spiritual path which can lead us into the inscrutable and ineffable mystery of the Universe. Many of us come to Reiki seeking healing, and never learn much about Reiki’s spiritual depth. Yet, these two aspects of Reiki – the healing and the spiritual - are intertwined. Just like heaven and earth meeting each other in the beautiful dance of time meeting eternity; so too in Reiki, our absolute, eternal essence expresses in the relative, constantly changing, physical aspect of our lives. Within this dance of heaven and earth, time and eternity, physical and eternal, we are faced with an ongoing progression of choices about how we engage with our lives. Our karma1, interest, commitment, capacity, (and some luck, or grace), will determine how we choose. And the way we choose will shape the story of Reiki we’ll eventually tell. People come to Reiki for different reasons: some for a method to heal the physical body, for use with themselves or others. Others wish to grow in peace and tranquillity. Many seek knowledge of the unseen mystery behind the physical world. And maybe all of us seek a way to deal with the suffering and meaninglessness of everyday life, and the “dark nights” of our soul. Reiki is invaluable for all this. As a healing method Reiki offers a simple, hands-on technology that anyone can learn to use. If that’s all you’re seeking, it should serve you well. But there is more. As a spiritual path Reiki offers a collection of skillful methods to help us come to know our real nature - not merely as a nice intellectual idea - but a profoundly intimate, ever-deepening experience of mystery, totally and perfectly beyond anything our ordinary minds might manufacture or our concepts may grasp. In fact, all we can do speaking about this reality is to point to mystery, like fingers pointing to the moon. Ultimately, it is something we’ll know as our real nature… and as the nature of all things. While this goal may seem ambitious, there is no need to be intimidated. Through Reiki, you will gradually be introduced to knowledge. And as you become able to see more you’ll recognize yourself as completely whole and absolutely perfect, since the very beginning. 1

Find italicised words in the glossary.

Reiki challenges the unreasonably low opinion we usually hold about our own potential. It challenges us • •

• • • • •

To be as healthy, complete, and conscious as possible, in order to fully occupy our place and role in this life. To become so powerful, that we may be able to make our biggest contributions to this world from the privacy of our hearts, without anyone ever knowing about it. To be a fountain of peace in the midst of turmoil. To be a source of healing amid dis-ease. To be a centre of tranquillity in the chaos of everyday life. To be a place of love and beauty in the midst of fear and ugliness. To be caretakers of this world, and of all creation.

When we first learn Reiki, we start to participate more intentionally in a great project. Its history began in the mists of time, and its future is infinity itself. It is the journey of all life toward greater knowledge of itself, and the unfolding of its inner potentials. This is sometimes described as the journey to Enlightenment, or to union with God. That briefly, is the great story… Within that are the smaller stories from which the big one is made – the stories of our lives: our dreams and aspirations, our pain and suffering, our birth and our becoming. These are the sacred contracts and life tasks we have taken the responsibility to incarnate. These tasks may at times challenge us greatly. Some are so large that they are shared with many people, and take generations to complete. Some appear a lot smaller, but are no less important in the larger scheme of things. Reiki is one of the gifts we have to help us along this path. It comes in humble guise, and is exceedingly gentle. Yet there is power hidden here. Through Reiki we come to recognize our dignity, our magnificence and we’re challenged to uncover our hidden splendour. We recognize our responsibility to each other and to all of life. We recognize Universal assistance as our birthright, and the miracle of unfolding as our path. During your training I will attempt to present Reiki in its basic precious magnificence. At the core of this is the transmission of the heartessence of this teaching: the atmosphere of compassion and wisdom which is the essence of all enlightened beings, and the skilful reminders that this is the real nature of each and every one of us. Still, the

responsibility for liberation through this knowledge always remains our own, with infinite support if we’re willing to ask for it. It is my wish that this manual may give you a text to refer to if necessary. But Reiki is not a book, nor a workshop. Reiki is alive inside you: a living current of love, wisdom, power as fresh and new as it was when Dr Usui first “discovered” it; eternally new as the in and out-breath of the Universe. May it bring you great joy and bless all the world!

A History of Modern Reiki After almost a century of very gradual growth, Reiki exploded onto the world scene during the last 5 years or so. Despite its great popularity, the history and origins of Reiki were shrouded in myth and mystery until the fairly recent emergence of several records describing its development. At last it is becoming possible to piece together a more coherent story of the origins and spirit of Reiki, as expressed by its founder, Mikao Usui. The brilliance of Dr Usui was that he connected, distilled and codified various complex teachings to produce an essentially "universal" system of healing and spirituality, largely devoid of cultural trappings, thus enabling the "Sacred Science" to be used by anyone for the benefit of everyone.

Let us start by weaving some background to the story. In one of Dr Usui’s biographical sketches he records his commencement on the path of discovery of the "Sacred Science" (his other name for Reiki) with his birth in 1865 at a time of great change in Japan. This is now called the Meiji restoration. This period followed centuries of national isolation, of the persecution and outlawing of “foreign” influences and thought in religion and philosophy. Political manoeuvring placed the Emperor as the divine head of the nation, and made the old religion of Shintoism the state religion. Japan became more outward looking and through a series of governmental and royal decrees, the populace was encouraged to develop and study both the traditional ways of Japan and to look to the West for scientific inspiration. In this climate, Usui was born in the village of Yago, in the Yamagata district of the Gifu prefecture,

(southern Japan) to a Buddhist family, the eldest of three brothers and two sisters. Usui’s family was well connected and thought to have an ancestral link to the Chiba samurai clan. His father’s name was Uzaemon and mother’s family name was Kawaai. His family’s cultural position and being the eldest son, opened many doors to him later in life. Through the inspiration of the Meiji decree – to study western science, Usui became interested in Western medicine and developed an infatuation with western things. He worked and studied with several Western missionaries, some from the USA and the Netherlands. He was particularly close to Dr. P, whom he regarded as a Christian Bonze. Through this friendship he gained an understanding of Christianity, but he never converted to Christianity. He had turned his back on his own Buddhist background2 as he describes: "As a Buddhist I knew that the Buddhas were all good, but during these years from the time I was 16 (1881) until I was 27 (1892) I rejected my faith and went after the Great God Knowledge, or at least scientific knowledge, which had been brought to our country by the Gaijins. I studied medicine and I also studied physics and I became a medical doctor through the kind teachings of Dr. P and other teachers, some from Princeton University, some from Harvard University and some from the University of Chicago. I was granted a medical degree by decree of the Emperor and was allowed to practice with Dr. P and his associate, a Dutch physician, a Dr K. I began to learn the finer points of surgery, having mastered pharmacology and the treatment and diagnosis of disease3."

Whilst working as a doctor with the missionaries he was struck down with Cholera during an epidemic. At that time the treatment for Cholera was to take small pills of rolled opium under the tongue, to slow down the metabolism and help prevent dehydration in the hope that the patient could ride out the fever. Usui was cared for in this way and was in a deep state of unconsciousness, but still able to hear (and later recall) the doctor’s conversation. Dr P told his two other Japanese associates that he did not expect Usui to last the night; his blood pressure was very low, as was his heartbeat. Usui recalls how sad they were, but it did not bring sadness in him, for he started to recount his early life and teachings. He See Appendix 1 for some very introductory comments about Buddhism, to help readers have a better understanding of Reiki. 2

All quotes from Dr Usui come from the notes, autobiographical sketches, and teachings of the Tantra of the Lightning Flash left to Watanabe Kioshi Itami, one of Usui’s senior students and the son of Watanabe Bonze (the priest who became Usui’s “spiritual friend/director”). Dr. Richard Blackwell and General George Blackwell now own these. Dr. Richard Blackwell, Medicine Dharma Reiki, Full Circle Books, 2000. 3

thought of the pure land of the Buddha Amida where he would be going soon at death and started to recite the Nembutsu: Amida’s mantra. In this near-death state he then progressed through a series of experiences during which he received teaching and found he had a "mission" – to bring together the healing disciplines of the East and West for the benefit of all beings. He made a full recovery the following day, much to the amazement of his fellow doctors. Unfortunately, Usui recounted his experiences to the doctors and they said he had been hallucinating under the influence of opium. Following this, Usui thought he should connect with a bonze in the Tendai Buddhist tradition of his family. He was immediately rebuked! How could he have such profound experiences, the bonze wanted to know, he had not even kept up the faith? Even advanced monks did not experience these things! Feeling utterly dejected, he turned to the other esoteric school of Japanese Buddhism, Shingon, and again he opened his heart. This time the bonze (Watanabe Senior) was understanding and supported him. This experience was the start of Usui’s connection with the Buddhist tradition of healing, formally going back 2,500 years, yet claiming an unbroken spiritual ancestry of at least 17000 years. He continued his Shingon studies with Watanabe Bonze and at the same time practiced and became well known as a physician in the area around Osaka. Seven years later Usui happened upon an ancient manuscript in a bookstore that was to provide the material and further stimulation for the development of Reiki. It was a 12th Century copy of a text called the "Tantra of the Lightning Flash". Usui describes this: "I found an old lacquer casket which had a chop of the Emoriji Shingon Temple. Being a devout and fervent Shingonist I felt it must contain some sutras or commentaries and I immediately purchased it for a small price… I took it home and discovered the treasure that I had found, one that I had been seeking without knowing that I had been seeking, and one that had been entrusted to me by the kindness and compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Three Times."

Usui began to meditate on the text, and the other contents of the casket. He realised that he had received a tremendous treasure to help him accomplish the “mission” he had undertaken during his near-death experience: to develop the links between Chinese and Western medicine through spirituality and to find a way which could help all beings. The skills he had developed as a practitioner during the earlier years of

spiritual practice helped him work though the texts, experimenting and learning as he went. Mrs Takata, in her account of Reiki (the one most commonly used in the West, even though now known to be considerably more metaphorical than factual) stated that Mikao Usui had found a formula in Sanskrit from the Buddhist Sutras, and that he tested the formulas through a series of meditations on Mount Kurama during a 3 week retreat and fast. Mount Kurama, the mountain north of Kyoto, had a long history of spirituality and was dedicated to Kannon (Kuan Yin) the deity representing universal compassion. For hundreds of years it had a temple, and was a place of pilgrimage, and intensive meditation by Yamabushi of the tradition of Shugendo. The ‘Yamabushi, sought 'Kantoku' (inspired knowledge) through a variety of testing practices including: fasting, seclusion, solitary meditation, group pilgrimages, chanting incantations and prayers, sitting or standing under waterfalls. From around 1911 through to 1949 the temple was popularised and changed to an independent group known as Kurama-Kokyo. Drawing on its esoteric background, it adopted the divine qualities of power, light and love as the aspects of the Supreme Deity, the Living Soul, the Supreme Soul of the Universe, Glorious Light, and Activity of the Soul. Usui’s monument reads: "One day he went to Kuramayama to commence "shyu gyo" (intensive spiritual training using meditation and fasting). On the 21st day, he suddenly felt great Reiki over his head and he received spiritual insight into Reiki "Ryoho" (healing method)4.

There are no recorded dates so far publicly available of Usui’s visit to Kuramayama, but the inscription on the monument and Mrs. Takata’s description leads us to believe that this was a milestone in the development of Reiki5. On the subject of Usui’s experience of Kantoku or Terma, Mrs Takata said:

Inscription on the memorial stone at Dr. Usui grave at Saihoji temple: Frank Arjava Petter, Reiki Fire, Lotus Light, 1997. See appendix 2 for the complete text. 4

There are suggestions in the ‘Western tradition’ that this retreat started in March 1921 and that Reiki was formalised in April 1921. These dates however are inconsistent with Dr Usui’s records. 5

"He saw the Great White Light come from the right, and then, like a screen. He glued his eyes to the screen. He said what he had studied in Sanskrit, and what he saw and studied in the Sanskrit, he said, one by one came out."

6

Mrs. Takata’s account of Usui’s vision is a clearly recognizable description of an advanced tantric meditator’s experience. Through his ‘inspired vision’, Usui received confirmation of his path and was empowered to use this spiritual material more directly. After this experience he started developing the system into the simple practice we now call Reiki. Based on the complexity and power of the original tradition, he understood how simplification and codification could make the benefit more generally available to people who could use the healing, but may have less interest, capacity and commitment to follow the practices in the original form. This development of Reiki happened over several years. After finding the Tantra of the Lightning Flash he sought to find teachers and similar texts. He collected information from libraries and monasteries throughout Japan, but found that he probably had the only public copy of the Tantra in Japan. He found that the original text had been brought to Japan from China by the Kobo Daishi, Kukai, in the 8th Century and monks on the Northern island of Hokkaido had hid his copy during wars. Here again in Dr Usui’s words: "After reading it, my mind was inflamed and I sent an agent through China to Tibet to see if any complementary texts existed… We know that the Tibetans hold many secrets and have preserved portions of the Dharma that have been lost to the rest of the Buddhist world. Of course this is because in their mountain land they were able to abide in peace and escape the wars and fighting that have so plagued both China and Japan. In this wondrous place of peace and contemplation the Tibetan people have been enabled to put aside mundane matters and cultivate only the enlightened mind. That is why I am seeking to obtain Tibetan material, especially any material from the great medical college at Lhasa… “ "I would so love to travel to that place which most certainly must resemble Amida's Paradise of Great Bliss and drink from the incomprehensibly deep well of their spiritual wisdom in person, but age and infirmity prevents the realisation of this desire at least in this lifetime. So I must depend upon my friends and co-searchers for truth who are utilising the trade connections of the Indian merchants through Shigatse to Lhasa. …. So for the present time we must remain patient and wait, hoping our prayers and expectations might be fulfilled by the infinite kindness and compassion of Medicine King, for I am sure our intentions and aims are beneficial.”

6

The Reiki Review, issues April 1984 to October 1985. The American Independent Reiki Association Inc., Dr. Barbara Weber Ray.

Eventually another copy came to him from Tibetan Monastery at Chokpori Ling. In comparing the texts Usui had this to say: "…The text contained two chapters which my text did not contain, but was missing five chapters which my text contained. Using the Tibetan text, I was able to correct the Sanskrit of my text which had travelled through China to Japan. I considered this very important because of the use of the sounds in summoning the transcendental healing energy. My text had an introduction of Moral Precepts that the other lacked."

Through years of study and practice, he tried and tested the method. Helping the sick and injured, he assisted communities to overcome their problems. There is evidence that he helped the survivors of the 1923 Kanto earthquake. From Usui’s Memorial Stone: “September of the twelfth year of the Taisho period (1923), there were many injured and sick people all over Tokyo because of the Kanto earthquake and fire. Sensei felt deep anxiety. Everyday he went around in the city to treat them. We could not count how many people were treated and saved by him. During this emergency situation, his relief activity was that of reaching out his hands of love to suffering people. His relief activity was generally like that.”

Usui recorded the effectiveness of the Sacred Science in his notes during the 1918/19 pandemic influenza outbreak that killed millions of people throughout the world. While working in a hospital in Tokyo, he was able to reduce the mortality rate from 94% to just 7%. Dr. Usui reported how he accrued wisdom by delving into the Sutras, Tantras and commentaries, as well as recent documents received from India, some from Tibet, and translated into Japanese by a friend in Bombay. In later years, as he worked teaching and transmitting Reiki, he came across instances where whole villages or districts were afflicted with disease or disorder. Usui recorded taking time out to study and meditate with the ancient scriptures and texts to find an answer7. This then is how Reiki came to the world.

What is Reiki, and how does it Work? The word Reiki is composed of two Japanese words - Rei and Ki. The word Rei refers to the Wisdom-Heart of the Universe: the Source of all that is. The Precious Teacher, Padmasambhava describes:

This is a tantric way for collective healing: generally by identifying the spiritual vulnerabilities and/or transgressions and the corresponding consequences related to the presenting “symptoms”… and then prescribing the “cure”. 7

This self-originated Clear Light, which from the beginning was never born, Is the child of Rigpa, which is itself without any parents – how amazing! This self-originated wisdom has not been created by anyone – how amazing! It has never experienced birth and has nothing in it that could cause it to die – how amazing! Although it is evidently visible, yet there is no one there who sees it – how amazing! Although it has wandered through samsara, no harm has come to it – how amazing! Although it has seen buddhahood itself, no good has come to it – how amazing! Although it exists in everyone everywhere, it has gone unrecognised – how amazing! And yet you go on hoping to attain some fruit other than this elsewhere – how amazing! Even though it is the thing that is most essentially yours, you seek for it elsewhere – how amazing!

You may recognize this as a description of some of the qualities which in the theistic traditions would be associated with Great Mystery, or God who mystically is known as tenderly holding the evolution of all creation, from the opening and closing of each flower, to the unfolding and dying of every galaxy. One way in which we may know Rei as humans is through mystical experience. This lies beyond concept, dogma or the questions of belief or disbelief. Through this we may come know eternal essence which underlies our life in physical form. It is my sincere hope that your practice of Reiki may enable you to have this experience again and again and again! Ki is the “non-physical” life energy that animates all living things. When a person's ki is high, that person generally will experience good health and well-being. When it is low, the person may feel out of sorts and will be more likely to get sick. We receive ki from a range of non-physical as well as physical sources: air, food, sunshine and sleep. The amount we have access to and the freedom with which it flows through our system to ensure all-over well-being, is greatly influenced by our mental and emotional state, our beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, intentions etc. Our bodies are reconstituted with every breath we take. Atomically we are in constant flux. Different parts of the physical body are renewed at different rates, but ultimately all is continually replaced. What keeps constancy in the physical form is the relatively static nature of our individualized, physically attached consciousness. All too often we’re imprisoned by our addictions to psychological patterns and attitudes; and by our blind attachment to keeping physical ‘reality’ humanly rational, unchanging, pleasant and under our control. All our thoughts, feelings,

impulses, etc. – mostly pre-verbal and ‘pre-conscious’ - provide the blueprint according to which the body is re-built, and the glue which keeps it together8. This is why it is relatively easy to improve our life-experience and our health through changes in consciousness, through for instance replacing “negative” patterns with “positive” ones. However, these smaller therapeutic disturbances of consciousness often only induce superficial, temporary benefits. Usually only transformations that overthrow the entire egoic structure associated with dis-ease and our “old selves” open the gates to profound change. This latter kind of transformation frequently seems to be associated with involuntary “surrender” experiences. Surrender has the capacity to free our attention from the contents of consciousness, and allow us to fall into experiences of Consciousness Itself. This is where the ecstatic aspect of mysticism arises. Nonetheless, by and large we are too tightly guarded and closed to allow anything genuinely new and unknown into our lives; even if this refusal means limitation, unhappiness, or death. Reiki can thus be regarded as divinely guided life force energy. This describes the experience of many Reiki practitioners who notice that it functions with an intelligence of its own, flowing where necessary in the recipient and creating the healing conditions to serve the person or situation’s needs. While we can invite Reiki into a certain situation, person, or body part, great healing energy flows best when we rest in the experience of Consciousness Itself and so become able to recognize the inherent perfection of the person, condition or situation exactly as it is. This wholeness and perfection always exists and provides the unseen supportive matrix within which that which can become visible may 8

In Reiki terms we comprise Essence, Energy, and Physicality (“Mind”, ”Speech” or “Energy”, and ”Body”). Essence (Rei) is always perfect... beyond improvement and/or defilement... yet our unwholesomely motivated action can make us lose conscious connection with Essence. When this situation exists, our Ki (or energy), becomes vulnerable to being stirred by troubled and confused thoughts and feelings which then have the power to immerse our awareness in all kinds of suffering. Physicality (the “printout”) is greatly shaped by all that went before. So we experience the physical, interpersonal, tribal, ethical, creative, results of the motives with which we acted in the first place. Healing thus involves reconnecting our conscious relationship to our essence and allowing this to direct the chi or life force.

manifest. No matter what form any observable phenomenon may take as it expresses at the physical level, the underlying Reality is eternally perfect. The quality of Reiki therefore, is not limited by the experience or ability of the practitioner, but rather by our incapacity to get out of its way9. Neither can it be mis-used. It always creates a healing effect10. Nonetheless, there are methods to enhance our ability to work with Reiki. Some of these will be discussed later in the text.

Our Energy System11 The human body does not consist only of physical and chemical elements, but it is also part of a larger subtle energy system through which our life force flows. This energy system is made up of an energy field that surrounds and inter-penetrates the physical body. It is sometimes described as the aura. The aura contains our life force, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes etc. It also contains information about our physical body, our inter-personal dynamics, our past and future, our archetypal patterns, our reason for incarnating into a physical body, our potential, our other lives and more. Our energy system is both this store of information, and a highly sensitive perceptual system. We constantly “communicate” with everything around us through this system. It operates like a conscious field of electricity that transmits and receives messages to and from everyone and everything around us. All our mental and emotional experiences register a memory in our energy field, as well as in our cell tissue. Neurobiologist Dr. Candace Pert showed that neuro-peptides - the chemicals triggered by emotions – could be When we first learn Reiki, we’re often quite concerned about technique: whether we’re doing it right or not; helping the person or not; whether they’re feeling something or not etc. Most people have these concerns. But, no need to worry! Just remain present and aware, and say “there is a part of me which is concerned about doing it right, being helpful, and so on…” and rest in the bigger silence, knowing that both the receiver and you are taken care of by Consciousness Itself. 9

Reiki is not the same as simple life force energy. The latter may be influenced by unwholesome tendencies in the mind, and therefore may create harm as well as benefit. 10

It is not possible to discuss energy anatomy in any depth here. This information is to whet your appetite to study more. Excellent material is available by Caroline Myss, Barbara Brennan, Rosalyn Bruyere, Drs Candice Pert, Larry Dossey, Norman Shealy, Richard Gerber, Deepak Chopra, among others. 11

regarded as thoughts converted into matter. Through this chemical mediation, our emotions come to reside physically in our bodies and interact with our cells and tissues. According to Dr. Pert the kinds of cells that manufacture and receive emotional chemistry in the brain are present throughout the body, which makes it difficult to separate the body and the mind. Sometimes the body responds emotionally and manufactures emotional chemicals even before the brain has registered a problem. Remember, for instance, how quickly your body reacts to a loud noise even before you’ve had time to think about it. Caroline Myss quotes Dr. Pert on this subject: “Clearly, there’s another form of energy that we have not yet understood. For example, there’s a form of energy that appears to leave the body when the body dies.... Your mind is in every cell of your body”. Interviewer: “... You’re saying that my emotions are stored in my body?” Pert: “Absolutely. You didn’t realize that? There are many phenomena that we can’t explain without going into energy”12.

The aura contains information processing centres called chakras13. These work like computers that manage the circulation of energy (information/ consciousness) throughout our system. Each chakra deals with specific areas of experience, and particular parts of the body. This facilitates our ability to track the effects of particular mental and emotional issues on our bodies fairly precisely. There are also meridians and nadis. These are like the rivers and streams that carry the energy through the physical body and the aura. The way in which energy flows through our being depends on our thoughts and feelings. Unwholesome or “negative”14 experiences (“stress” in some form or another) cause restrictions in the flow of energy. Yet often we do not allow ourselves to become aware of the stress we experience, maybe because once we recognize what bothers us, the compulsion to 12

Caroline Myss’ Anatomy of the Spirit, Bantam, 1997, pp 34-35

See Appendices in the printed version of this document for the relationship between the chakras, mind, emotions, and body. 13

It is essential to allow ourselves to experience anger, pain, fear, competitiveness, guilt, grief, despair, jealousy, etc. rather than to deny these feelings for purposes of avoiding “negativity.” These emotions are part of the human experience and part of our wholeness. The challenge is to become skilled at relating to these experiences by learning to free their energy for our use; rather than to suppress them or inflict them on others or ourselves. 14

make changes becomes all the more urgent. Ignoring stress, whether intentionally or unintentionally does not solve the problem. It simply obstructs the transformational process. The great value of Reiki is that it knows exactly where to go and how to deal with restrictions in the flow of our life force. It works directly, even in the unconscious parts of the body-mind that contain negativity and blockages. These it eliminates or brings them to conscious awareness if that is necessary for our growth. The practitioner is required to stand in unobstructed relationship, fully and unconditionally present to the receiver. As Reiki flows through sick or unhealthy areas, it will break up energetic obstructions and clear out the waste, allowing a more optimal flow of the life force to resume. As this happens, the unhealthy physical organs and tissues receive the necessary nourishment for healing15. As people continue exploring alternative methods of managing their lives and their health, this technique is destined to play an important role as an accessible and valued healing practice.

Would Reiki interfere with my Religious Beliefs? Reiki is both a system to alleviate the suffering of life and a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Dr Usui’s intention was that his “Sacred Science” would be "universal" and thus able to work alongside different philosophies and religious belief systems. Yet at its heart it was specifically a spiritual path; simple enough to be practised without a high degree of mental ability, but simultaneously a tool of direct perception into the nature of reality when used by a developed mind16. He writes in his notes: Not all illness is the result of personal toxicity. That belief is a new age myth. Bodies and illness are associated with our karma and our sacred contracts and as such are profoundly linked to our life purpose. Illness may also be experienced in service of others: Dr Larry Dossey compiled a list of western and eastern saints who’ve died of cancer. It seems that cancer may be one of the occupational hazards of sainthood! Illness may also be generated by energies that come from other people or situations directing negativity our way. Or illness may come to help us to die. While good health then generally goes along with good energy management, there is no blame, judgement or punishment in illness. Good energetic health and a good relationship with God do not necessarily mean that one is in good physical health; in fact it may mean the opposite! 15

“Developed mind” here refers to the proficient mystical sensibility, or more explicitly to that relationship of intimacy with the Divine marked by non-dual awareness. 16

"I truly and firmly believe that, besides a system of healing, one can gain full and total enlightenment by its practice and application. The merits of beings that use this system and apply it with right mind can be accumulated, piled high as heaps the size of Mt. Meru. It can bring much benefit, healing, and supramundane knowledge to all of humanity."

You may be wondering whether the introduction of spirituality and all this talk about enlightenment is not just unwarranted indulgence which could be done without. At the core of most Oriental Medicine is a profound recognition that the cause of all disease results from our ignorance of and discordance with our true nature. In more contemporary terms we suffer “separation” from split-off parts of ourselves, from our spirit, from other people, from nature, from the earth, from other species, from God, etc. This separation makes us ill. Healing is the result of living harmoniously with the whole. The motivation and power to strive for and manifest harmony is closely related to the knowledge of our real nature. Always teaching according to the capacity of learners, Dr Usui writes: "In the past I have taught my students, because of their limited capacity, very simple symbols and very simple initiations. This technique summonses the power to bestow the simple pacification. What has been transmitted is only the pacification, which is called the Soothing Hand, the Healing. It helps to pacify heal, and soothe, but there is much more beyond this simple technique. It does not address the activity of healing in a direct manner. It addresses it in an indirect manner by increasing the body's energy, by relaxing the nervous tension of the body, and pacifying the upsets and imbalances. The superior symbols, rather than the inferior symbols, are those that actually eradicate disease. These are given in the esoteric teachings."

What are the superior symbols? What does he mean by the “eradication” of disease? What “esoteric teachings”? Here, ultimate health refers to the complete knowledge of our true enlightened nature (in Western theistic terms described as Union with God, Mystical Union, Spiritual Marriage, and so on). The eradication of disease refers to practices advancing the removal of all obstacles to this realisation. It also refers to the transmission of methods supporting this realisation. The esoteric teachings17 are those that serve these goals. Physical healing may or may not accompany Dr Usui’s “actual eradication of disease” or “healing in a direct manner”, but enlightenment or the ultimate liberation from all suffering is the intended goal.

The “superior symbols” do not refer to any of the additions made by any of the brands of Reiki which added symbols to Dr Usui’s four original ones. 17

In a sense he was expressing the highest mystical ideal. Recognizing that physical life is transitory, always changing and always somewhat unsatisfactory; we find peace, tranquillity and happiness not through the indulgence of the senses but by coming to know our infinite potential, boundless spontaneity and eternal nature. And, becoming able to live that realization in the world full-time. The relief of physical suffering, while valued, important and desired, is the lesser goal. Paradoxically, a very narrow attachment to a physical healing outcome may at times also provide the greatest obstacle to recovery. This in a sense is the profound beauty of Reiki: a path shorn of dogma, fundamentalism, exclusivity, complex metaphysics, and culturally exotic paraphernalia; at once simple, profound, able to be integrated into everyday life and practiced anywhere. In another sense its ethos is profoundly mystical in a universal way, with a distinctly Buddhist flavour. There is nothing one has to believe in order to use Reiki. In fact, Reiki will work whether you believe in it or not. But it helps to be willing to look within oneself, to find the wisdom and compassion living there, to come to have a better glimpse of what we’re capable of! Because of the universal integrity and authenticity of this approach, many find that it brings them into a deeply personal experience of their own faith (whatever that may be), rather than a merely mental knowledge inherited from their group of origin or someone else. In this, Reiki encourages the valuable teaching universally present in all the great spiritual and mystical traditions. This is that in order to know the divine intimately, we have to turn inward18. It prompts us to the highest and best within ourselves and calls that forth into expression in this lifetime and in this moment – that so doing, we may become fully human.

The Reiki Principles To support the growth of new Reiki practitioners, Dr Usui introduced 1st level students to what has become known as the Reiki Principles. These were originally borrowed from the Meiji emperor. While they appear to be quite simple, they have a great depth and form a point of focus for We may know God at a distance through the intellect, or through social rules; but any intimate relationship (such as that sometimes necessary for healing illness) requires that we embark on the journey inward. This journey has charted and recognizable milestones, some acknowledged to be rather difficult ones, because essentially the process is one of clearing out all ordinary human obstacles to divine union. 18

many Reiki practitioners. Apart from these 5 principles, Dr. Usui used a further process of dedicating practice and merit, which had been appended to the Tantra of the Lightning Flash. This latter text can be traced back to the 12th Century to the teacher Ippen. It guided Dr Usui’s practice as the larger Code of Ethics. In the introduction to the manual given to 1st level students by the Reiki Gakkai in Japan, Usui describes the relationship of the precepts to the purpose of Reiki: "With gratitude we have received Meiji Emperor’s principles, to support a proper spiritual path, through training of body, mind and spirit. First, we have to heal our spirit (heart/mind). Secondly, we have to promote a healthy body. If our spirit is healthy and aligned to the truth, body will be in harmony, naturally. The goal of Usui Reiki Ryoho is to lead a peaceful and happy life, and to promote this in others."

The principles read as follows: ‘The secret art of inviting happiness, The miraculous medicine of all disease: ”Just for today, do not anger Do not worry and be filled with gratitude. Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people. Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer.” Speak these words with your mouth and hold them in your heart’.

As we stand at the point of meeting this tradition, we have the incredible opportunity to learn to use Reiki as a collection of skillful methods to open ourselves to the radiance of the enlightened nature in ourselves and others. In the broadest sense then, Reiki is a practice of healing based in the accurate and true use of our life force and the cultivation of knowledge of our real nature by developing the capacity to see through illusion. In this context the transformative fire of Reiki blazes most brightly, and lead is turned into gold.

Preparing for Reiki with Meditation (Gassho) “Gassho” literally means “two hands coming together” and signifies the assumption of the meditational posture. Physically this means putting the hands together and holding them in front of the chest - like praying hands - a little higher than the heart. The essential point about assuming

the correct posture is to create an inspiring environment for the awakening of the most profound meditation. There is a strong connection between the posture of the body and the attitude of the mind, and meditation arises naturally once the posture and attitude are inspired. Gassho may be different from other forms of “posture” you may have learned in other traditions of meditation. It is simple and used with many Reiki exercises. Dr Usui taught “Gassho meditation” which was practiced at the beginning of each one of his Reiki meetings: Sit down with your eyes closed and hands placed together in front of your chest. While being aware of everything happening around you, focus your entire attention at the point where your hands meet, breathing in and out through the hands. When you become distracted, just return your attention to this area between the palms and the fingers. In a short while you may find yourself becoming very still, and falling into a state of profound peacefulness. If you are already a skilled meditator and unfamiliar with Gassho, use your capacity to allow this posture to become infused with Presence. This attitude of spirit, rather than merely the physical posture, is always the starting point of our work with Reiki.

Connecting with Reiki through devotion (Reiji) “Connecting with the energy of Reiki” really is turning toward infinity; opening the heart to the ‘highest’ experience of the transcendent we’re able to access. Saints and mystics throughout the ages have adorned their realisations with different names and given them different faces and interpretations. Jews and Christians call it “God”; Hindus call it “the Self,” “Brahman,” “Shiva,” “Vishnu”; the Sufi mystics call it the “Hidden Essence”; and Buddhists call it “buddha nature”. And of course there are many other names in traditions not mentioned here and many private, individualised and personal ways of experiencing ineffability. While the mystical traditions clearly describe different “stations” in this process of sacred connection, for our purposes let each person do it entirely according to his or her felt experience. Here are some experiences to inspire you: The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing How blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, They’re in each other all along (Rumi)

No words can describe it No example can point to it Samsara does not make it worse Nirvana does not make it better It has never been born It has never ceased It has never been liberated It has never been deluded It has never existed It has never been non-existent It has no limits at all It does not fall into any kind of category. (Dudjom Rinpoche)

May these vows and this marriage be blessed. May it be sweet milk, this marriage, like wine and halvah. May this marriage offer fruit and shade like the date palm. May this marriage be full of laughter, our every day a day of paradise. May this marriage be a sign of compassion, a seal of happiness here and hereafter. May this marriage have a fair face and a good name, an omen as welcome as the moon in a clear blue sky. I am out of words to describe how spirit mingles in this marriage. (Rumi)

Profound and tranquil, free from complexity, Uncompounded luminous clarity, Beyond the mind of conceptual ideas; This is the depth of the mind of the Victorious Ones. In this there is not a thing to be removed, Nor anything that needs to be added. It is merely the immaculate Looking naturally at itself. (Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche) A basket full of bread sits on your head but you beg for crusts from door to door. Up to your knees in the stream’s water and you seek a drink from this person and that. Would that you could know yourself for a time! Would that you could see a sign of your own beautiful face.

Wretched human! Not knowing his own self, man has come from a high estate and fallen into lowliness. He has sold himself cheaply; he was satin yet he has sown himself into a tattered cloak. If you could only see your own beauty – for you are greater than the sun! Why are you withered and shrivelled in this prison of dust? Why not become fresh from the gentleness of the heart’s spring? Why not laugh like a rose? Why not spread perfume? Why is your Jacob deprived of the lightning of your beautiful face? Hey, O lovely Joseph! Why remain at the bottom of the well? (Rumi)

Breathing to “Cleanse the Spirit” (Joshin Kokyuu-ho)19 Dr Usui taught his students this breathing technique called “cleansing the spirit”. It is simple, pleasant and easy to do anywhere and at any time. It is also useful for preparing to do treatment: 1) Sit down keeping the spine straight and inhale gently and naturally through the nose. As you are breathing air through your nose, imagine that you are also breathing Reiki energy through your crown chakra. From time to time during the course of your work with Reiki, remind yourself that this energy is no less than pure divine consciousness. Open on the inbreath, and allow yourself to fall deeper into presence on the out-breath. Allow your entire body to be enriched with Reiki during this kind of breathing. (You may stop with step 1, or continue to the rest of the exercise if you are about to do a treatment.) 2) Now draw the breath and the energy entering your system into the Tanden for a few seconds. Real easy does it… no stressing! While holding the breath, imagine that the energy from the Tanden spreads throughout your entire body and energises it. 3) Now exhale through your mouth. While doing this, imagine that the breath and the Reiki not only flow out of your mouth, but also from your fingertips and the tips of your toes, and the chakras of your hands and feet. Feel how the breath and energy flow through you as you do this. You may like to use this way of breathing during treatments, or during particular parts of treatments. Enjoy!

Healing/Treating with Reiki

Always remember to breathe during treatments; it is surprisingly easy to forget. The breath “carries” the energy. 19

“Chiryo (treatment) builds upon Reiji (devotion) and Gassho (meditational posture/attitude). Only when we can devote ourselves without being prejudiced by our thoughts and feelings, will we become an instrument for the universal life energy20”.

The essence of skill with first-level Reiki has to do with self-healing and the capacity to do a complete hands-on treatment for another person. Ideally, during this level your technical skill with the energy field would become comparable to the skill of a good massage therapist with the physical body. Regarding the aspect of “inner work”, you would do well to develop a clear awareness of your energy-system, and some competence managing the energy flowing through you.21 From the time that you receive your Reiki empowerment22 onward, you will be able to use Reiki. The empowerment itself is likely to introduce changes that will unfold over a long period. Coming for training of this kind really calls forth a bigger challenge to integrity from within, and the commitment to a higher level of responsibility. It is not something that is to be done lightly. As indicated in the statement at the beginning of this section, the energy to do a Reiki treatment is harnessed through stilling the mind in meditation (Gassho) and resting in an attitude of devotion (Reiji). People often refer to the “creation of a sacred space” by referring to externals e.g. candles, incense, flowers etc. However valuable these may be, this internal process is the primary sacred space required for Reiki. The rest is nice, but is not really necessary for competent treatment23. 20

Frank A Petter “The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr Mikao Usui” Lotus, 1999, p 21.

21

Caroline Myss’ work is invaluable for exploring some of these matters.

22

The empowerment plugs us into the transmission of a live current of blessing to support us in our spiritual quest. Through it the spiritual accomplishment, wisdom and compassion of the great past practitioners of the tradition becomes available to us. They develop a connection with us and make their realisation and power available to support us temporally and absolutely. Reiki also has protection built into it: protection of the teaching and the practitioners. We can call on this aspect at any time. When we understand the essence of this path as the quest to come fully to realize our real nature, we realize that the most highly accomplished practitioners of all traditions are really our friends and protectors. They all have commitments to us that they honour graciously and abundantly. The word Chiryo refers to treatment, so for instance… Uchi-te Chiryo-ho (patting); Oshi-te Chiryo-ho (finger-pushing); Nade-te Chiryo-ho (stroking); Tanden Shiryo-ho (tanden-healing); Koki-ho (breath –healing); Gyoshi-ho (healing through looking)… all used 23

What do we do with the mind during a treatment? Nothing at all, simply leave it as it is after connecting with Reiki. Consciousness Itself will hold both you and the recipient. There is a famous saying: “If the mind is not contrived, it is spontaneously blissful, just as water, when not agitated, is by nature transparent and clear.” The very nature of mind is such that if it is left in its unaltered and natural state, it will find its true nature which is bliss and clarity. So rest in divine Presence. Through Reiji an attitude that may be called “prayerful” arises. Some practitioners do in fact pray. Others simply remain still, mindful and present. Still others bring people or situations in need of healing into their awareness when they are sharing Reiki. There is no real need to visualise anything or force anything. All that is required is your flawless, present awareness, cognizant and empty, naked and awake. There is nothing to be, do or share but this and the love which naturally arises out of this. In time each one finds an appropriate place in which to rest his or her mind. If you find yourself very distracted during a treatment, thinking about shopping lists and financial worries etc. simply bring your attention back to where you are and what you’re doing. Some of the most spectacular treatments happen while the practitioner may be struggling with severe distraction. Equally, do not become attached to blissful experiences and psychic phenomena during treatments. If they occur, notice and enjoy them without getting too excited. Ultimately all these experiences are neither good nor bad. They can be useful landmarks on the path, but also awful traps if attachment arises. Bring the mind back to the more stable ground of complete awareness of the present moment – physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically – it is the only thing we really have. It is also the greatest gift and power we can bring to our Reiki. It is customary in the tantric tradition to dedicate our practice at the beginning and its merit at the end, to the temporal and absolute benefit of all beings. If it feels appropriate you may like to do this. Alternatively close the treatment in whatever way feels most accurate to you. Finally, rest in gratitude, knowing that your prayer has been answered.24 by Dr Usui. 24

This is a technical comment about our energetic-spiritual nature and our relationship to the Universe. All prayers are heard and answered according to what we hold in our hearts. Heaven meets us according to the maturity we bring to the relationship and generally responds at the speed we are able/willing to manage. People sometimes ask:Is Reiki not just another version of “good, old-fashioned prayer”? In some ways we can

Some General Pointers for Treatment Reiki can penetrate any solid matter such as cloth, wood, steel, plaster casts etc. so don’t let these things stop you. Also when someone feels uncomfortable about receiving physical touch, Reiki may be offered by allowing your hands to hover just above that person’s body25. We will soon examine the conventional sequence of hand positions used in the West to offer a “complete” Reiki treatment. When however there is a specific disorder, you may additionally or separately wish to focus on the specific organs or body parts most affected by that condition. In the case of diabetes for instance, you would specifically treat the pancreas, as indeed you would focus your treatment on the heart in the case of a heart problem etc. If for example there is a tumour, it may be advisable to spend time on the particular area where the tumour is situated. Likewise, in the event of the immune system being compromised e.g. with HIV related conditions, perhaps the thymus or the first chakra may be an important focus of attention. The golden rule is to follow the energy. Leave the hands on areas that tingle or continue to draw energy for as long as required. Signals which indicate that it is time to move on are varied. You may feel changes in your hands, the recipient may give a deep sigh of relief or some other signal; or there may just be an intuitive sense that its time to move on. The average time to spend in an area is three to five minutes, but this is a “rule of thumb” which may be adapted as required. Then move on, bringing the best focus and attention to each part of the body. Allow Reiki to continue working – nurturing the full unfolding and thriving of the client – even long after the treatment is completed.

think of Reiki as a form of prayer designed to maximise healing, by most efficiently getting the human obstacles to effective prayer out of the way. Sometimes there is concern about sending Reiki to people under anaesthetic for fear of accelerating the processing of the drugs and having them wake up prematurely. Reiki sent for broken bones before they have been set is also a concern in that the bone may start healing incorrectly. Technically this may be possible, but exceedingly unlikely. It’s more important to concern ourselves with unconditional and unobstructed presence i.e. offering Reiki in the interests of the ‘supreme’ temporal and absolute healing of the recipient, rather than withholding it in the fear of causing harm. 25

The Hand Positions for doing Treatments26 There are two interchangeable basic treatment sequences currently used in Reiki. One is based on the chakra-endocrine system and the other on the system of meridians. We will focus on the former. It will be beneficial to become familiar with this sequence of hand-positions as that creates the technical basis (or a familiar ritual) within which other sensitivities can awaken and be nurtured. Become skilled at doing Reiki with the recipient both lying down and seated. Once you know the system really well, allow your intuition to guide you; and certainly never avoid offering Reiki because the full treatment sequence is not possible, a massage table is unavailable, or some other obstacle seems to exist. Even though we may examine other “techniques” of treatment if you explore Reiki in greater depth, practitioners at all levels use this core sequence of hand-positions. The greatest difference between a Reiki 1 and Reiki 3 practitioner is at the level of energetic and personal mastery, rather than external technique. Before we consider hands-on healing in greater detail, let us consider the ethics of our practice.

Some thoughts about Ethics and Energy Healing With First Level training you would not offer Reiki for money, unless you were qualified and certified in another treatment modality. More advanced training requires a more formal Code of Ethics involving matters such as client confidentiality; appropriate professional relationships with clients; respect for other therapies and therapists; adherence to scope of practice; keeping adequate treatment records etc. Yet at the core of all this is an internal honour code governing our activity as practitioners. It may be appropriate to make the focus of this as large as we can get. Albert Einstein said: “A human being is part of a whole, called by us the “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”27

Traditionally Reiki was intuitively applied and specifically focused at areas needing attention. These treatment sequences have the benefit of systematic attention to the entire body. 26

Here are some ideas to encourage your thinking about ethics:

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•

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As practitioners: To the extent that we are able to be in present time and in unobstructed relationship with clients and with life in general, Reiki will flow without obstacle. This is a lifelong and fulltime practice of dancing in the mystery of Consciousness, rather than a once-off achievement or insight. Constantly do what is necessary to develop the capacity to be in present time and unobstructed awareness. Regarding clients: Let us strive to be unconditionally accepting of our clients, particularly when they challenge our compassion, stir our shadow, and activate our judgements. Remain present to whatever arises in your awareness and give yourself and your client the infinite space of unconditional acceptance to be and to change. This nurtures unfolding and thriving. The treatment process: During treatments, probably more so than at any other time, we oversee the accelerated transformation of energy into matter. The greatest power while doing this is found in the quality of complete unobstructed presence. Let go of any goals and expectations and attend to what is before you as the primary and only point of possible intervention through which you can affect the Universe; beyond time and distance. Then let Reiki flow. This is all that is required from you.

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Other therapists: There is nothing like judgement and criticism to constrict and undermine the current of healing. Sending Reiki to matters of concern brings greater benefit than does any criticism or gossip.

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Planetary/collective healing: Each one of us is a cell in the body of life. As we meet challenges in the lives of our clients and ourselves, let us allow compassion to reach out to all aspects of life experiencing the same suffering and ask that healing be sent to the whole body of life, that all may be healed and transformed and all suffering may be eased.

From Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions, translated by Sonja Bargman (NY: Crown, 1954), quoted in Weber, ed., Dialogues with Scientists and Sages, 203. 27

Aura Cleansing (done before and after Treatment) This is done to calm, smooth, clear, or free energy from disturbances that cause turbulence in the field. Such upsets are frequently psychodynamic in nature. They are due to such things as emotional stress, anxiety, or fear. Aura cleansing before and after treatments facilitates changes beneficial to healing. There are different ways to do this, of which we’ll describe one very basic procedure: Place both hands at the top of the client's head. Gently rotate each hand inward at about a 30 degree angle to its arm. Your right hand moves anti-clockwise and your left hand clockwise. Both hands do this simultaneously. Move your hands slowly down the body as you are doing this. Each arm could be cleansed separately, or as a whole with the body. Once you’ve completed the body and even during the process, flick away any energy that may accumulate in your fingers/hands. Aura-cleansing may also involve a direct transfer of energy from stresspoints such as the muscles at the back of the neck. Energy overload may be moved down the long bones or the spine, to the edges of the receiver’s energy-field, from where it can dissipate. (In the case of fluid retention energy may be moved upward in the direction of the head of the client, but no higher than the solar-plexus chakra).

Scanning (Byosen Reikan-ho) Scanning is an assessment technique used in most energy healing. The hands are held several inches to perhaps a few feet above the body, whichever distance is appropriate to the practitioner’s intention and felt experience of the energy field28. Scanning is a passive exercise, used primarily for the purpose of assessment. After making contact with the aspect of the field you intend to access, move the hands in a slow sweeping path along the length of the body. To begin with it may be most appropriate to attend to the aura in a general way. Go as slowly as you need to and pay attention. Assess where the field feels strong. If you feel drawn to stay in a particular area, trust your sense and stay until it feels right to move on. Never withdraw from the field abruptly, always with great care and attention.

In some traditions it is customary to do separate scans for different aspects of the receiver. Different scans might for example be done for the aura (including the various subtle bodies), for the chakras, and for the physical body. 28

Different patterns of energy may be accessed through this method. It requires patience on the part of the practitioner. This is essential in order to allow that which needs to be sensed and felt, to appear. What is to be done with what one senses depends on what emerges in consciousness. The hands will naturally be drawn to areas that need attention. Under no circumstances should you shift energy or do anything without having a distinct sense that the energy requires that particular action. The golden rule is to follow the energy. From this assessment the treatment requirements will unfold effortlessly and express as intuition in some appropriate manner in your awareness. Thus the scan is also an aspect of treatment. Here too no effort is required, no need to direct the process… just be present.

Some Ways in which the Energy field may be Experienced: Ideally the first level practitioner would develop the skill to identify or “read” problem areas in the body and be able to estimate how many treatments may be required for their healing. The hands ideally would be able to feel “harmonious” and “discordant” vibrations and be guided to where the healing is required. See if you notice: •

differences in temperature and texture (e.g. hot, cold, prickly, slimy, soft, resistant, spongy, solid, congested, blocked, flowing, choppy). Do not dismiss your sensing, particularly while you’re practicing. Don’t assume your sensing is just your imagination nor analyse the experience. Just be still and follow what happens.

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intuitive thought-impressions or sensing, or “directly knowing” what may be affecting the client or causing stress, dis-ease, or illness.

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the client’s characteristics mirrored in your own system – physical, mental and emotional.

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clairvoyant or telepathic information. Generally, correlate your impressions with your client’s described experience as a check for accuracy.

Allow yourself to sense in whatever way information may register in your awareness, even beyond the categories suggested above. In the longer term the challenge is to discover that place of knowing where we’re able to trust the information we access, even if it makes absolutely no sense to the rational mind.

Storing Energy for Healing 1) Connect with Reiki with gratitude and devotion so that your mind becomes calm and the energy pure. Then inhale deeply from below through the base of the spine, and let the energy flow into the Tanden. Hold the breath there and soon the Tanden will be enriched with energy. Exhale through your fingers. As soon as you feel the energy in your hands and fingers, begin the treatment. 2) Or concentrate the energy in your hands. Do Gassho and imagine that you are inhaling and exhaling through your folded hands. Deepen your breathing so the breath flows between your hands and the Tanden. If you now touch an area of the body which is negatively charged, your hands will tingle. Let your hands remain there till the tingling stops.

Treating Yourself with Reiki There are many ways to use Reiki for self-healing and also as a spiritual practice. The most basic is to do Reiki self-treatments asking for healing at all levels. Include a prayer such as "Guide me and heal me so that I may be all that I can!" Link with Reiki at regular intervals throughout the day. Visualize it flowing within and around you. As you do, ask that Reiki flow to the important events or people in your life to bring them blessing. You can also direct the flow to your life in general. This will bring healing to the issues currently active in your life and enhance your capacity to live in your power. The energy will also soothe and relax you, bringing you into a more resourceful state to deal with issues and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Another useful way of self-healing is to send Reiki to Source by whatever Name and in whatever form resonates with you (for example a bija, symbol, holy Name, Tara, Krishna, Jesus). Once you feel the energy flowing, ask that it be returned to you empowered with the awareness and compassion of the One you sent it to, to help you express his or her divine qualities in your everyday life. Also ask that your negativity and the obstacles to you knowing your real nature be purified, so that you may come to know your true identity. Whatever you send will be returned, infinitely magnified and filled with grace and guidance.

The Reiki Shower29. These self-healing practices are sometimes incorrectly referred to as the “inner teaching” of Reiki. While this is valuable energy-work, it is not the “inner teaching”. 29

1) Stand or sit. Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes or leave them half open. Breathe slowly but naturally. 2) Do Gassho breathing with the hands together at the chest. Then, move the hands as high as possible, straightening the arms above the head. Separate the hands as if to open to receive a shower. Imagine that you are receiving a shower of vibrations or light from the Source/Universe and feel it. Simultaneously say the mantra of the highest symbol to which you are attuned30 - loudly if you are alone, or quietly in your mind if you are not. 3) Feel the vibrations of Reiki energy. Move the hands down to the front of the body, palms facing the body. Reiki will now be pouring from your hands, together with the Reiki Shower all around you. Unnecessary energy is washed down to the earth in this way. Do this a number of times. 4) Do Gassho again resting in gratitude to complete this exercise. Now you may enjoy doing hands-on healing for yourself or someone else.

Light breathing Method (Hikari No Kokyo-ho) This method is very useful for relaxation and purifying mental and emotional negativity. 1) Stand or sit. Be comfortable. Close your eyes or leave them half open. Breathe slowly but naturally. Breathe in through the nose and out through the nose, or mouth if you find that to be more comfortable. 2) Do Gassho breathing to calm the mind. 3) Move the hands up as high as possible and feel the vibrations of light in the whole of body. 4) Keeping them together, move the hands down slowly onto you lap, palms up, loose and relaxed. Bring your mind to Tanden and listen to the breathing. 5) While you breathe in, imagine that White Reiki Energy is filling your head and going down to your Tanden. The energy is spreading to all your organs, to each cell. Know in your heart that the healing is in progress. 6) Do Gassho again resting in gratitude to complete this exercise. Shake the hands well. You may do this exercise any time, anywhere, especially when you start feeling negativity and unwholesome emotions such as anger, sadness and fear.

Breathing with Gassho (Gassho Kokyo-ho) In Reiki 2 and Reiki 3 you will learn symbols and sacred sounds (mantra/kotodama) to summon energy. 30

The aim of this breathing exercise is to focus the mind. When you master this skill, you will learn to release scattered thoughts and keep your mind still. Through this you may develop the capacity to maintain a peaceful, focused and clear state of mind. It will also enhance your ability to sense energetically and know intuitively. Your hands will also become more sensitive so that you feel much more energy. 1) Stand or sit. Close your eyes or leave them half open. Breathe slowly but naturally. 2) Do Gassho. 3) Lift your hands up high and feel the vibrations of light in the whole of your body. 4) Move the hands down slowly and stop at the chest, just above the heart. Rest in Gassho. 5) While breathing in, imagine that Reiki is running down to the Tanden from the palms and then filling the Tanden. While breathing out, energy from the Tanden is moves up to the palms to be released there. Continue for a while. 6) Do Gassho again resting in gratitude to complete this exercise. Shake the hands.

Chakra Activation (Chakra Kassei Kokyu-ho) The aim of this exercise is to breathe in Reiki energy and move it to every part of your body. In this way the body is cleansed and charged with energy. You may enter into a meditative state. 1) Stand, sit or lie down. Close your eyes or leave them half open. 2) Gassho. Hands up high and feel the vibrations of light flow into the whole body. 3) Bring the hands down slowly to a position in front of the heart, or place them on the lap. Do tanden breathing - in and out at the abdomen. Breathe in and your abdomen expands, breath out and the abdomen shrinks. Do this a few times until you feel calm and relaxed. 4) While breathing in, imagine that light is reaching every cell in all parts of the body then coming out of the body. While breathing out imagine that all the tension and the negative thoughts are releasing out of the body. 5) a). Breathe in Reiki energy through the Base Chakra, move the energy up, stop at the Heart Chakra and fill it with energy. Breathe out from the Heart, spreading energy in every direction and out of the body.

b) Breathe the energy from everywhere into the Heart and fill the Heart with energy. Move the energy up into and out of the Crown Chakra to the outside. c) Breathe in through the Crown, down to the Heart and fill with the energy. Breathe out from the Heart. d) Breath into the Heart, down to the Base Chakra. Breathe out from the Base Chakra. Repeat a) to d) three times. 6) Practice the same way as 5), but instead of filling the heart with energy, fill the following Chakras: Tanden - Solar Plexus - Throat - Brow. 7) Do Gassho again resting in gratitude to complete this exercise. Shake your hands and clear the mind. When you do not have time to do the complete sequence, finish off at 5.

Cell-Activation/Self-Growth Technique Cell Activating Method. This is a healing of the whole body by applying light energy to those areas that are in a state of imbalance. 1) Stand, sit or lie down. Close the eyes or leave them half open. 2) Do Gassho breathing to start the process. 3) Raise the hands and feel the vibrations of light flow into the whole of the body. Bring hands down. Breathe slowly at the Tanden. Use the mind's eye and scan the whole of the body, top to bottom. Try again. Find unbalanced areas and apply Reiki energy there when you breathe out. While you are doing that, speak to the imbalance mentally as follows (preferably in your own words). "You are stiff and stressed. Now you are blessed with Reiki Light, so you can be all right. Your anger, sadness and fear are all gone with the light. You are a perfect being and let’s carry out whatever you are supposed to do"

Then move to the next problem area. 4) When you are accustomed to this exercise, you’ll find the Reiki Light reaching imbalanced areas instantly. You just need to say "You are now healed" 5) Instead of using your mind you can scan the body with your palms and do the same as 3) 6) Gassho and finish.

Programming/De-programming (Nentatsu-ho)

This is to send your wish to your Higher Self with Reiki. 1) Stand, sit or lie down with your eyes closed or half-open. 2) Do Gassho breathing. 3) Lift your hands up high and feel the vibrations of light flow into your hands, down the arms, and fill your whole body, allowing you to become deeply relaxed. Bring the hands down and place one palm on the forehead and the other one on the back of the head. Say an affirmation such as: "I am one with the Universe.” (or any affirmation of your choice).

4) Move the hand on the forehead to the back of the head and put it on top of the other one that is already there. Allow the energy to flow there for a few minutes. 5) You may do this for other people, but make sure to understand their intention very well. 6) Choose your affirmations carefully. Never use this technique for selfish reasons, and do not try too hard otherwise you may create tension and imbalance. Always practice Nentatsu-ho in a very relaxed and meditative state.

Reiki Meditation If you have been practising meditation, you may like to continue your usual practice. However you may also like to try Reiki meditation. You will be filled with and surrounded with a high vibrational field, meaning that energy of a lower vibration will not be able to come close to you. This protection is more important than seems possible. In the morning and evening carry out the meditation with the right affirmation. 1) Prepare your self as before, doing Gassho breathing. 2) Connect with Reiki using the Reiki Shower, or the highest symbol you are attuned to. 3) Raise your hands up high and absorb the Reiki energy. 4) Close the eyes. Bring the hands together (Gassho) and down to the height of your forehead. 5) Breathe in and out calmly and allow yourself to become aware of your oneness with the Universe. 6) If you feel any tension anywhere, release it and allow yourself to relax. Feel that you are breathing in from your hands and out from your hands. After a while as your meditation deepens, your hands may come down or may open. Do not worry about that, all is well. 5) Raise the left hand a little, palm up and fingers curled as if you’re cupping an egg. Put the right hand palm down on the lap or thigh. If you

are left-handed reverse this. Visualise Universal Energy coming in through the raised hand, and release the energy through the lower hand that is your dominant hand. If you have any physical problem areas apply your dominant hand there, or mentally direct the energy there. 6) Move the raised hand down slowly to the left side of the lap, palms up and slightly curled. Now both hands are in the lap. 7) In this position, rest in the Universal energy of love and tranquillity for a while. 8) Put one hand on your heart and give positive affirmation to your higher self. Or Put one hand (does not matter which) on the forehead and other one on the back of the head and give affirmation. Rest in the universal love and harmony for as long as you like 9) Do Gassho and finish.

Hatsurei-ho This is a process to enhance your capacity to channel Reiki and to help you grow energetically: Standard Posture (Kihon Shisei) Sit on the floor or on a chair. Relax and close your eyes. Focus your awareness onto your hara. Put your hands on your lap, palms down. Focusing (Mokunen) In your mind say "I'll start Hatsurei-ho now" to your sub-conscious. Dry Bathing or Brushing-Off (Kenyoku-ho) Place the fingers of your right hand near the top of your left shoulder, with the fingertips over the indentation just in from the edge of the shoulder (where the collar bone meets the shoulder). Keep the hand flat. Draw the flat hand diagonally down across the chest, over the "V" of the sternum (where the rib cage meets) down to the right hip. Repeat this procedure on the right side, using the left hand. Repeat the process on the left side again. Now, place the right hand on the edge of the left shoulder, fingertips on the edge pointing outwards. Draw the flattened right hand down the outside of the arm, all the way to the finger tips, all the while keeping the left arm straight at your side. (This can also be done with the arm straight out in front of one – which may be easier for some people.)

Repeat this process on the right side, with the left hand on the shoulder and drawing it down the right arm to the fingertips. Repeat the process on the left side again. Connect to Reiki Raise your hands high up in the air, visualize and/or feel the vibration or light of Reiki flowing into your hands and running down the arms, filling your whole body. Cleansing Breath (Joshin Kokyuu-ho) Put your hands on your lap with your palms up and breath naturally through your nose. Focus on your hara and relax. As you breathe in, visualize white Reiki light coming in through your crown chakra, into your hara and then expanding to the whole of your body, melting all your tension away. As you breathe out, visualize the light that filled up your body expanding out through your skin, into infinity in all directions. Continue this for a few minutes or as long as you like Gassho As described above. Concentration (Seishin Toitsu) Remain in Gassho. Imagine that you are breathing through your hands. As you breathe in, visualize the light of Reiki flowing in through your hands into your hara, your hara being filled with light. When you breathe out, visualize that the light stored in your hara radiate out through your hands. Continue this for a few minutes or as long as you like Focusing (Mokunen) Put your hands back on your lap with your palms down. Say in your mind: "I've finished Hatsurei-ho" to your subconscious. Open your eyes and shake your hands up/down/left/right for a few seconds.

Crystals and Stones31 Most of the research concerning the use of crystals has dealt with varieties of quartz (including ametrine, amethyst, citrine, rose, smoky) and particularly clear quartz. See Norman Shealy M.D., Ph.D. (1995), “Miracles Do Happen”, Element, pp 203-204; Richard Gerber, M.D. (1988) “Vibrational Medicine: New Choices for Healing Ourselves, Bear and 31

Dr Usui used quartz crystals as carriers of energy from the divine “store-houses of merit” to his clients, maybe because they exhibit the properties of piezo-electricity and pyro-electricity. This means that they can receive, store, and emit electrical energy and transform physical energy into electricity. This is what makes crystals so useful in modern electronics. Our energy (thoughts and emotions) of course is electro-magnetic. This essentially may be why crystals can be so useful and beneficial to us.32 It is only the capacity of our hearts and minds that limit the use we are able to make of crystals. After you have decided on the crystal you wish to use, cleanse and programme it. The cleansing can be done in many different ways, as long as the intention is clear. The programming can be done more or less elaborately, using prayer and heart-energy. A simple way is to use a healing phrase or other statement or affirmation of intent. Use a short, simple, positive, emotionally meaningful goal stating what you want to create, rather than what you want to get rid of. Create an image to go along with this goal and allow the crystal to go to work! Finally, charge your crystal and your intention with Reiki as often as you wish to. Enjoy!

Healing Beyond Time and Space (Enkaku-Chiryo-ho) Sitting still, imagine holding the person or situation you wish to send Reiki to (or even the whole world) in a ball of energy between your hands. Allow the current of blessing and healing to move between your hands and to and through the recipient. Remain unconditionally present to whatever arises in your awareness, blessing all without judgement. As an evening practice this way of using Reiki may take the form of expressing gratitude for and sending Reiki to all the experiences of the day. As a morning practice it may focus on what is to come during the hours that follow. Co. For example in a study with 141 chronically depressed patients who used a quartz crystal mentally programmed with their own healing phrase. This reinforced a two-week therapeutic programme. It was found three to six months afterwards that without further treatment, 80% remained improved as opposed to 28% who used a glass crystal. The quartz or glass was randomly assigned double blind (i.e. neither researcher nor patient knew whether they were getting quartz or glass). See Norman Shealy’s book referred to above. 32

Any situation or experience or person (even if they are not on the earth anymore) may be blessed in this manner, with no limitation of time nor space.

Where to from Here? When we first learn about Reiki a whole new world of wonderful possibilities opens up to us: a simple system to alleviate suffering from the roots and a tool for personal and spiritual growth. The question of course is how to make this a reality in our everyday lives, rather than its being just another book of ideas to cram into our heads, or a dream of possibilities to be forgotten with the passage of time. There are a number of ways. The most crucial may be to make a firm commitment to yourself to realise your goals and to seek your bliss. Or at least to free yourself from suffering. Then the value of using Reiki may be more obvious and you may have greater motivation to learn to utilize it effectively. This can be done fairly simply: by linking with Reiki from time to time during the day, and by using it whenever you require help. These paradoxically often tend to be the times we are most self-abusive: judging and blaming ourselves when self-acceptance and kindness really offer the only genuine way forward33. In fact link with Reiki as you wake up in the morning and as you fall asleep at night. Empower your food with Reiki. Also do regular treatments for yourself and others. This has the benefit of helping you develop the internal and external energetic skill to live more consciously and to do the work of Reiki 2 and 3 if you ever wish to continue studying it. The more immediate benefits should not be underestimated. They extend way beyond the obvious. The teachers sometimes say that all the suffering we encounter is presented to inspire us to open our hearts to the practice of healing and compassion in the world. They also say that when we do this, its like laying Often we misunderstand compassion, thinking that it is selfish or wrong to be kind to ourselves; or that simply by focusing on the suffering of others our own problems will disappear all by themselves. Making friends with ourselves, being generous to ourselves and uncovering our own kindness and confidence are essential for coming to know our real nature. It’s important that we first uncover our own fundamental goodness, our own Good Heart, and that is the aspect of ourselves we identify with and nurture. It is essential to begin with ourselves, offering ourselves love and compassion before going on to help others. If we neglect doing this, our “help” may be motivated by unclear motives and subtle selfishness and have harmful consequences both for others and ourselves; quite contrary to our intentions. 33

on a vast heavenly banquet, even if there are only one or two guests for the feast. Don’t be skimpy with your gifts! Chogyam Trungpa wrote: "When you awaken your heart... you find, to your surprise, that your heart is empty. You find that you are looking into outer space. What are you, who are you, where is your heart? If you really look you won't find anything tangible and solid. Of course you may find something very solid if you have a grudge against someone or you have fallen possessively in love. But that is not awakened heart. If you search for awakened heart, if you put your hand through your ribcage and feel for it, there is nothing there except for tenderness. You feel sore and soft, and if you open your eyes to the rest of the world, you feel a tremendous sadness. This kind of sadness doesn't come from being mistreated. You don't feel sad because someone has insulted you or because you feel impoverished. Rather this experience of sadness is unconditioned. It occurs because your heart is completely exposed. There is no skin or tissue covering it; it is pure raw meat. Even if a tiny mosquito lands on it, you feel so touched. Your experience is raw and tender and so personal... real fearlessness is the product of tenderness. It comes from letting the world tickle your heart, your raw and beautiful heart."

As we work with Reiki, we easily come to experience and know our “raw and beautiful” heart. We become open to allow its profound capacity for tenderness and bliss to guide our path through life. But it is only through ongoing practice that this experience becomes effortlessly possible and capable of stability and constancy even amid the chaos of everyday life in the modern world. During Reiki 1 the focus is on learning about energy. Internally, we learn to identify it as it runs through and around us and to manage it as best we can through our awareness and discipline. At the external/practical level we used the metaphor of the massage therapist and the physical body as an image of what is required at this level. During Reiki 2 we’re challenged to learn to transform energy by developing our capacity to see through illusion. Focusing on three basic tendencies that cause our suffering, we are introduced to the three Reiki 2 symbols. With the evocation of these ‘whole-ing’ archetypal forces we learn to make that which is hidden visible and to give voice to that which is not seen. We are reminded of dreams we have forgotten and are encouraged to grow in the skill of transforming negative energy into a more positive, enlightened expression34. During Reiki 3 we’re challenged to master the skill of remaining in present-time and non-dual awareness; and to come to know “reality” as Reiki, like many processes of spiritual development, offers the phased introduction of complex knowledge by which the speed of change and the potential for ego disruption may accelerate as we continue along the path. 34

“holographic”. We recognize that space and time are useful constructs we require to organise our experience in the physical dimension and not much more. We realise that all is interlinked and simultaneous and that everything we do affects everything else. We’re challenged to recognize enlightenment and infinite possibility as our real nature and to realise our capacity to meet any energy which may come our way – regardless of whether it presents “positively” or “negatively” - to liberate its power, and harness it in the service of our supreme goals. The focus at the 3rd level is on self-liberation, and living our essence in the world. In the words of Joseph Campbell: "Two degrees of initiation are to be distinguished in the mansion of the father. From the first the son returns as emissary, but from the second with the knowledge that 'I and the father are one'. Heroes of this second, highest illumination are the world redeemers, the so-called incarnations, in the highest sense. Their myths open out to cosmic proportions... The aim is... to realize that one is, that essence; then one is free to wander as that essence in the world. Furthermore, the world too is of that essence. The essence of oneself and the essence of the world: these two are one. Hence separateness, withdrawal is no longer necessary. Wherever the hero may wander, whatever he may do, he is ever in the presence of his own essence - for he has the perfected eye to see.35"

One comment from Dr Usui is pertinent in this age of new age spiritual tourism: "The character of the person who is practising the higher levels of the Lightning Flash should be one who is dedicated to healing, not to self-aggrandisement, ego-satisfaction, or material profit … The individual who is initiated should be of good character, but most of all they should have the mental capacity to absorb the wisdom that is contained within each degree of the system. They should be stable individuals, not flitting from this healing system to that healing system like a careless butterfly feeding on each of the blossoms of a peony. They should be willing to dedicate themselves to the perfection of one system, before continuing on and seeking other systems."

These are wise words, and well worth heeding. If you are not already dedicated to a particular healing/spiritual modality, I would encourage you to stick with Reiki for a while and perfect your capacity to work with it before moving on to another system. It is infinitely more valuable to commit oneself to mastering one method, while remaining open and respectful to the insights of all others; rather than shopping around from one teaching to another without any continuity or real, sustained dedication. There is a Tibetan saying “Knowing one, you accomplish all.” 35

Joseph Campbell in The Hero's Journey.

Without the discipline of this dedication, we can very easily sabotage our own growth. As a new practitioner you may also be surprised by many, and unfortunately often competing “forms” of Reiki being offered. As Reiki developed in the West, the diversity of “additions” and “improvements” has become rather alarming. I feel this developed as a result of a lack of understanding the less obvious aspects of the Reiki system (not surprisingly, referred to as the “inner” and the “secret” teaching), and the Western idea that more and bigger is better. Dr Usui’s comments are probably much more applicable now than when he wrote them more than eighty years ago: "It is fine to use other adjuncts, such as massage, Shiatsu and so on, to aid the individual. It is even proper to incorporate things such as body movement, and exercise, which when the Tantra of the Lightning Flash was written were unimportant because people had more physical activity in that day. This lack of physical activity does cause blockage in modern individuals. So these things are beneficial and can be incorporated, but other systems which indicate they channel spiritual energy from this or that source for healing are unnecessary and a waste of valuable time and endeavour because within the system of the Lightning Flash all of this is contained."

Therefore, practice, practice, practice! Give yourself the chance to experience and become skilled with this gift. For a while after receiving the Reiki empowerment, you may experience a process of energetic re-adjustment. The nature of this is shaped greatly by how grounded one is, and how skilled at transmuting energy. The empowerment introduces a charge of awakening consciousness and our challenge is to accommodate that in our everyday, ordinary, physical lives. Until this accommodation is complete, re-adjustment will be ongoing, sometimes for hours, sometimes for years. Energy that is not creatively engaged and radiated becomes morbid. This may find expression through anything from major physical illnesses through to very minor experiences of feeling out of sorts. The exercises presented earlier in the text may be used with considerable benefit. If you experience insomnia, attempt to identify and correct the disordered energy causing the disturbance in sleep and eat moderately before going to bed. For the rest, the easiest and most direct way to channel energy is through the body. Do treatments! And do exercise especially in natural settings, consciously connecting with the energy and expressing it through the movement of your body. Also, sing and dance to give expression to the energy. That

assists greatly to integrate the energy, decrease discomfort, and establish newer and elevated levels of equilibrium. And remember that when we re-enter our ordinary lives after a workshop or retreat or other time out, the gravity of our usual habits and relationships quickly tend to push newly-opened doors shut, sometimes even leading to our feeling a bit depressed. This is a common experience and there is no need for guilt or blame. However, it requires that we make some effort to keep the door open. Solitude and silence (even in small, committed doses) are invaluable for this. During your time alone examine whether the details of your life do harm to yourself and/or others. And examine whether your motives serve your quest to come to know your real nature, or not. Use Reiki with reverence and with trust. Rest in the protection of the tradition and come to know the energy. It is your own. May it help you achieve your goals at all levels, relatively and absolutely!

Love after Love The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror, and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was yourself. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you, all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love-letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life. DEREK WALCOTT SEA GRAPES

Appendix 1: Some Notes on Buddhism In the Tibetan tradition the word for Buddhist is nangpa, which means someone who seeks the truth in the nature of mind itself (Consciousness Itself) rather than in the contents and phenomena of consciousness. All the teaching and training in Buddhism are aimed at this one single point: to come to know the nature of the Absolute and so to free us from the fear of death and help us realize the truth of life.

However Buddhism can be regarded as a collection of skillfull methods (Dharma), alive in a body of practitioners (the Sangha) gathered with the mutual aim of supporting the realisation of one’s real (buddha) nature. The buddha nature of each and everyone of us is no different from the Absolute itself (described as the “Nature of Mind”). The tradition generally traces its origin to the Shakya Prince Gautama Siddharta, who achieved Enlightenment (completely realised his buddha nature) in Northern India approximately 2500 years ago. He is commonly referred to as Shakyamuni Buddha. It is important to realise however that there are groups which claim an unbroken lineage seventeen thousand years old, which go back to the Buddha Shenrab Miwoche rather than Shakyamuni Buddha. The simplest way to relate Buddhist understanding to the ideas of the theistic traditions is to think of “Enlightenment” as comparable to “God-realisation.” At the external level of religious expression and cultural paraphernalia, of course there are many differences. At the level of mysticism and essential process, the similarities greatly outweigh any differences which seem apparent36. The Buddha Shakyamuni drew people together around the issue of the universality of suffering, and the equally universal wish to be free from suffering and achieve lasting happiness. Out of this focus various kinds of teachings arose to meet the varying interest, capacity, commitment and situations of people longing for these teachings. Starting from the model of human-beings comprised of three dimensions: body, energy, and essence, three kinds of teaching arose. These are the paths of “Renunciation” (Sutra Teaching), “Transformation” (Tantra), and Self-Liberation” respectively. If the entire focus of Buddhism is aimed at coming to know the nature of mind, why do people find such difficulty conceiving of its depth and glory? Why does it seem like a slightly outlandish improbability? The teachings speak about four impediments which prevent our having this realisation right now: 1.

The nature of mind is just too close to be recognized. Just as we are unable to see our own face, we find it difficult to look into our own nature. 2. It is too profound for us to fathom. We have no idea how deep it could be; if we did, we would already to a certain extent have realised it. 3. It is too easy for us to believe. In reality, all we need do is simply rest in the naked, pure awareness of the nature of mind, which is always present. 4. It is too wonderful for us to accommodate. The sheer immensity of it is too vast to fit our narrow way of thinking. We just can’t believe it, nor possibly imagine that enlightenment is the nature of our minds37 Another potential obstacle to Westerners encountering Buddhism may be the vast pantheon of deities, images, symbols etc. It is essential to realise that at a very fundamental level all the Buddhas, icons and symbols associated with them are mirrors of the “aspects and faculties in everyone, which in the Buddhas have been made manifest38”. By giving them their own existence and form, it is easier to recognize and 36

See also Sogyal Rinpoche’s discussion in Chapter 21 “The Universal Process” of “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, Rider, 1992. 37

Sogyal Rinpoche “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, Rider, 1992, p50.

38

Eva Rudy Jansen,The Book of Buddhas, Binkey Kok Publications, (1990) pp ix-x.

understand these aspects. However, the ultimate goal is always to turn the insight thus obtained inwards; where it leads to self-awareness and spiritual knowledge. Then the constricting bonds of the conditioned mind which trap every thinking being, may be released. Only when you break through this conditioning is there room for liberating enlightenment. Viewed this way, Buddhism can be seen as a system that is based on profound psycho-spiritual insight. In the words of Roman Catholic monk, the late Thomas Merton: “The symbols of the higher religions may at first sight seem to have little in common, but when one comes to a better understanding of those religions, and when one sees that the experiences which are the fulfilment of religious belief and practice are most clearly expressed in symbols, one may come to recognize that often the symbols of different religions may have more in common than have the abstractly formulated official doctrines… The true symbol does not merely point to something else. It contains in itself a structure which awakens our consciousness to a new awareness of the inner meaning of life and of reality itself. A true symbol takes us to the centre of the circle, not to another point on the circumference. It is by symbolism that man enters affectively and consciously into contact with his own deepest self, with other men, and with God… One cannot apprehend a symbol unless one is able to awaken, in one’s own being, the spiritual resonances which respond to the symbol not only as sign but as ‘sacrament’ and ‘presence.39’” Thus, the qualities represented by these religious symbols (and the Reiki “symbols” you may learn if you continue with Reiki) are not only external images of divine power. They are vessels of the holy power they portray. The purpose and goal of each one of these symbols is to help us to realize the divine within ourselves, uncover aspects of ourselves which are still hidden and achieve our own inner perfection. They are tools for spiritual growth and mystical experience. For one who knows how to use them, they provide instruction in cultivating the seed of inner divinity through a process of selftransformation and mystical union. As such, the symbols provide a representation of the spiritual potential which the practitioner may come to recognize within, and which he or she may endeavour to experience and become. We meditate on and enter into the symbol and extract an essence in the form of a blessing. Through this practice we have a way of realising magnificence and coming to know our real nature. Hope that helps you understand Reiki better!

Appendix 2 – Dr Usui’s Memorial The inscription on Dr Usui’s memorial at the Saihoji Temple in Tokyo, briefly describes his life. The memorial was erected by his students shortly after his death. Mr. Okata, a member of the Gakkai and Mr. Ushida, who became president after Usui Sensei’s passing, wrote the inscription40. The large words at the top of the memorial read: "Memorial of Usui Sensei's virtue." The remainder of the inscription reads as follows: 39

Thomas Merton, Symbolism: Communication or communion? New Directions 20, New York, 1968.

This translation is from Inscription on the memorial stone at Dr. Usui grave at Saihoji temple: Frank Arjava Petter, Reiki Fire, Lotus Light, 1997. 40

“Someone who studies hard (i.e. practices meditation) and works assiduously to improve body and mind for the sake of becoming a better person, is called ‘a man of great spirit.’ People who use that great spirit for a social purpose, that is, to teach the right way to many people and do collective good, are called ‘teachers.’ Dr. Usui was one such teacher. He taught the Reiki of the universe. Countless people asked him to teach them the great way of Reiki and to heal them. Dr. Usui was born in the first year of the Keio period called Keio Gunnen, on August 15th (1865). His first name was Mikao and his other name is pronounced either Gyoho (or Kyoho). He was born in the village of Yago in the Yamagata district of Gifu prefecture. His ancestor's name is Tsunetane Chiba. His father's name was Uzaemon. His mother's family name was Kaweai. From what is known, he was a talented and hard working student. As an adult he travelled to several Western countries and China to study, worked arduously, but did at some points run into some bad luck. However he didn't give up and trained himself conscientiously. One day, he went to Mount Kurama on a 21-day retreat, to fast and meditate. At the end of this period he suddenly felt the great Reiki energy at the top of his head, which led to the Reiki healing system. He first used Reiki on himself and then tried it on his family. Since it worked well for various ailments, he decided to share this knowledge with the public at large. He opened a clinic in Harajuku, Aoyama, Tokyo in April of the 11th year of the Taisho period (1922). He not only gave treatment to countless patients, some of whom had come from far and wide, but he also hosted workshops to spread his knowledge. In September of the twelfth year of the Taisho period (1923), the devastating Kanto earthquake shook Tokyo. Thousands were killed, injured, or became sick in its aftermath. Dr. Usui grieved for his people, but he also took Reiki to the devastated city and used its healing powers on the surviving victims. His clinic soon became too small to handle the throng of patients, so in February of the 14th year of the Taisho period (1925), he built a new one outside Tokyo in Nakano. His fame spread quickly all over Japan and invitations came from distant parts asking him to heal many ailments. Once he went to Kure, another time to Hiroshima prefecture, then to Saga prefecture and Fukuyama. It was during his stay in Fukuyama that he was hit by a fatal stroke on March 9th, of the fifteenth year of the Taisho period (1926). He was 62 years of age. Dr. Usui had a wife named Sadako. Her maiden name was Suzuki. They had a son and a daughter. The son, Fuji Usui took over the family business after Dr. Usui's passing. Dr. Usui was a very warm, simple and humble person. He was physically healthy and well proportioned. He never showed off and always had a smile on his face; he was also very courageous in the face of adversity. He was at the same time, a very cautious person. His talents were many. He liked to read, and his knowledge of medicine, psychology, fortune telling and the theology of all religions around the world, was vast. This lifelong habit of studying and gathering information certainly helped pave the way to perceiving and understanding Reiki. Reiki does not only heal diseases, but also amplifies innate abilities, balances the spirit, makes the body healthy and thus helps achieve happiness.

To teach this to others you should follow the five principles of the Meiji Emperor and contemplate them in your heart. They should be spoken daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. 1) Don't get angry today. 2) Don't worry today. 3) Be grateful today. 4) Work hard today (meditative practice). 5) Be kind to others today. The ultimate goal is to understand the ancient secret method for gaining happiness (Reiki) and thereby discover an all-purpose cure for many ailments. If these principles are followed you will achieve the great tranquil mind of the ancient sages. To begin spreading the Reiki system, it is important to start from a place close to you (yourself). Don't start from something distant such as philosophy or logic. Sit still and in silence every morning and every evening with your hands folded in the "Ghasso". Follow the great principles and be clean and quiet. Work on your heart and do things from the quiet space inside of you. Anyone can access Reiki because it begins within yourself! Philosophical paradigms are changing the world. If Reiki can be spread throughout the world it will touch the human heart and the morals of society. It will be helpful for many people, not only healing disease, but the Earth as a whole. Over 2000 people learned Reiki from Dr. Usui. Even more learned from his senior disciples who carried Reiki further. Now after Dr. Usui's passing, Reiki will continue to spread far and wide. It is a universal blessing to have received Reiki from Dr. Usui and to be able to pass it on to others. Many of Dr. Usui's students converged to build this memorial here at Saihoji Temple in the Toyotoma district. I was asked to write these words to help keep his great work alive. I deeply appreciate his work and I would like to say to all those who respect his teaching that I am honoured to have been chosen for this task. May many understand what a great service Dr. Usui did to the world."

Glossary Bonze – A spiritual minister, teacher, priest Bodhisattva - A Bodhisattva is a being whose sole wish and commitment is to benefit all sentient beings and who dedicates his or her entire life, work and spiritual practice to the attainment of enlightenment in order to be of the greatest possible help to other beings.

Consciousness Itself – A personal, utterly non-conceptual revelation of what we are, why we are here, and how we should act. This experience is described in different ways in the different mystical traditions. An intuited experience beyond the dualism associated with the contents of consciousness such as good-bad, desireable-undesireable, love-hate etc. Dark nights – Experiences of mystical madness and depression marked by particular characteristics that distinguish these from ordinary psychological madness and depression. Dharma – In this context dharma refers to the spiritual teachings that ultimately derive from the Enlightened Mind, and to the spiritual path itself. Egoic – A sense of identity circumscribing the parameters of our concerns and self-definition. Our conditioned way of accessing, holding and expressing energy and aliveness. It is the way of being in our bodies that we have learned by emulation of parents and societal norms and “internalised” as the energetic template through which we hold the life force. The egoic body can only sustain a circumscribed range of energy before it manifests exhaustion or illness. Esoteric – A focus on the subtle energies and the nature of mind rather than the exoteric focus on the five senses and the contents of the mind. Gaijins – Japanese term for foreigners. Gakkai – The Reiki Organisation founded by Dr Usui, currently under leadership of its sixth president. Hara – Sometimes referred to as the navel chakra in the esoteric teaching. At conception the “sound” of our incarnation is said to arise from the navel chakra, laying the basis on which our energetic structure can grow. Also see “Tanden” below. Karma – The law of cause and effect. Any intentional action taken physically, verbally, or mentally serves as a “seed” that will bear the “fruit” of its consequences in the future when the conditions are right for its realisation. Positive actions have positive effects such as happiness; and negative actions have negative effects, such as

unhappiness. Karma does not mean that life is determined, but that conditions arise out of past actions. Kobo Daishi – The monk Kukai, 774-835 CE, founder of the Japanese Tradition of Esoteric Buddhism, and awarded the title of Kobo Daishi (Great Teacher) by the Imperial Court. Lightening Flash, Tantra of the – The Healing Tantra which inspired Dr Usui’s exploration and eventual discovery of Reiki. Medicine King – or “Medicine Buddha.” The representation/embodiment of the healing power of all enlightened beings; or of all healing power in the universe. Mystical/Mysticism – Finding the truth within, in immediate experience of divine presence and one-on-one relationship with God. Moving through social and intellectual constructs of divinity, through a “door of aloneness” into the experience of spiritual intimacy and ‘knowledge’ revealed in secret. Nangpa – Literally “inside-er”… seeking the truth in the nature of mind itself, rather than in the contents and phenomena of the mind. Nembutsu – The mantra/prayer of the Buddha Amida (“Boundless Light”) that is used to invoke the heart essence/consciousness of the Buddha. Nirvana – The attainment of complete liberation from ignorance. Non-dual awareness – A state of perfect unobstructed being where the boundaries marking separation break down and Oneness is experienced. Psychodynamic – In this instance referring to conscious and unconscious processes in the bodymind involving thoughts, emotions, sensations, personality/egoic templates, archetypal dynamics etc. Reiju - In the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, no separate initiations were and are given for the different levels of Reiki. The student receives an initiation called "Reiju" every time he or she attends the weekly or bimonthly meetings.

Rigpa – Innate awareness/experience of the truth of our real nature characterised by the presence of its sky-like Essence, its radiant Nature, and its unimpeded Energy of compassion. The experience of non-dual awareness. Real nature – See Rigpa, Consciousness Itself, Mysticism, Spiritual. Sacred Contract – The idea that each one of us is here for a specific purpose, embodied in the events, challenges, talents, people, relationships etc. in our lives. Starting from the assumption that the Universal script is scripted, yet free will exists. Where we move from the position not only about what we can get out of this life, but what we are here to give. Samsara – The realm of suffering that arises from the occluded dualistic mind trapping us in delusions of ignorance and duality. Sanskrit – The language of ancient India and its spirituality and religion. Shingon – A form of Japanese esoteric Buddhism in which Usui eventually found a home and which provided the context from which he developed Reiki. Shintoism – Shintoism and Buddhism were two of the most widespread forms of religious and spiritual practice in Japan. And yet Japanese Buddhism underwent various experiences of persecution, one of the most recent around the time of the Meiji restoration when Shintoism was institutionalised as the official state religion of Japan. Spiritual – The challenge and impetus to a way of life that honours the highest aspect of ourselves while simultaneously celebrating the physical, human, time-bound and personal side of our nature. Living the transcendental principle in time and space so that one’s whole being may conduct a higher energy into the manifest plane. In full expression it introduces the spaciousness of being throughout the whole range of ordinary living. Surrender – Breaks with the familiar and the known, freeing us to transcend to different dimensions of consciousness. Surrender experiences generally refer to particular events. However surrender also describes a way of being characterised by living in the space of

“Consciousness Itself” with constant openness to the revelation of the mystery of life. Sutra – Texts of teachings that came directly from the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The sutra teachings are based on the “path of renunciation” and form the base of monastic life. Tanden – An energetic centre approximately three fingers’ width under the navel. Tantra – The teachings and writings that set out the practices of Tantric Buddhism, many rediscovered by yogis of the terma tradition. Tantras are based on the principle of the “transformation of impure vision into pure vision” and include practices such as working with the energy of the body, the transference of consciousness, dream and sleep yogas, etc. Tendai Buddhist – Together with Shingon, representing the two most visible Japanese forms of esoteric or tantric Buddhism (Mikkyo).

Terma – Sacred objects, texts, or teachings hidden by the spiritual adepts of one age for the benefit of a future age in which the termas are found. The tantric masters who find termas are known as tertons (treasure finders). Terma have been and may be found in physical locations such as caves and cemeteries; in elements such as water, wood, earth or space; or received in dreams, visionary experience and in deep levels of consciousness. Dr Usui’s discovery of Reiki is sometimes referred to as a mind-terma. Transmission – Spiritual teaching including the heart-essence (energetic charge and atmosphere) of the teaching, the knowledge and the means to apply the knowledge to the student. Unobstructed relationship – A quality of free attention between two or more persons. Here the individuals are able to see each other as whole, as divine, as if they are two mirrors facing. This can arise when all selfinvolvement by those persons is absent. Yamabushi - Mountain Monks of the tradition of ‘Shugendo’ (or the “Way of Cultivating Spiritual Powers”). The ‘Yamabushi’ sought 'Kantoku' (“wisdom”… see “terma” above) through a variety of testing practices

including fasting, seclusion, solitary meditation, group pilgrimages, chanting incantations and sutras, sitting or standing under waterfalls.