Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Reiki Principles







The Reiki Principles

The Reiki Principles, or precepts, were thought to have been the words of Meiji, who was born Prince Mutsuhito, and became the emperor of Japan from 1867 to 1912. Meiji means “enlightened rule” and it was during this time in Japan's history, that Japan became a modernized, industrial power.

The confusion about who wrote The Reiki Principles, comes from the fact that Dr. Usui's memorial references the Emperor's admonitions, in addition to mentioning The Reiki Principles. By referencing the Emperor's admonitions, people thought the Emperor himself had written The Reiki Principles.

It is now believed that Dr. Usui created The Reiki Principles -"Usui Sensei created (the) Gokai (the 5 principles) getting hints from a book "Kenzon no Gebri" written by Dr. Bizan Suzuki (published in March, 1914.) The book says "Just for today, do not get angry, do not feel fear, be honest, work hard, and be kind to others."

It could be said, then, that Dr. Usui adopted the idea for The Reiki Principles from viewing Dr. Suzuki's book, and thus, Dr. Usui created The Reiki Principles.

It is thought that Dr. Usui's memorial referred to the Emperor's admonitions out of great respect for the Meiji, and also to show that The Reiki Principles were to be thought of as an addition to the Emperor's words, and not a replacement for the Emperor's words. (In 1890, the Meiji had presented a written document to his people known as the Imperial Rescript on Education. This declaration was a guideline for the way in which the people of Japan were asked to behave towards each other, further their education, and live their lives.

What do we know about the man who wrote The Reiki Principles? Born thirteen years after the birth of the Emperor, he was a respected Sensei, i.e., teacher, named Mikao Usui (August 15, 1865). His memorial states that he studied abroad, was knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, and often meditated at Mt. Kurama. During his lifetime, he held many positions/jobs, married, and had two children.

However, Dr. Usui was much more than that. He was a man who wished to become spiritually enlightened. After many years of research and searching for answers, his quest took him to Mt. Kurama, where he fasted and meditated for 21 days. On the last day of his fast, he felt one large Reiki over his head and he achieved Satori (the state of Spiritual Enlightenment). When he achieved enlightenment, he acquired an ability to heal, which he called 'Reiki Ryoho'.

Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key) means 'spiritual energy'; Ryoho means 'healing method'. This method of healing is called Usui Reiki Ryoho, or Reiki Ryoho; the short name for it is Reiho. Usui Sensei used this healing method on himself and on his family. Then, he decided to share his healing method with the public. In April, 1922, Usui Sensei founded the Reiki Method Learning Society. Dr. Usui practiced, taught, and gave Reiki to others until the end of his life on March 9, 1926.

There are several versions of the Reiki Principles. The version that I like best is the one that begins with the words Just For Today at the beginning of each line. Click here to go to a website to view this version of The Reiki Principles. The author at that website also offers her interpretation of The Reiki Principles, how they relate to one's life, and particularly to the life of a Reiki practitioner.

The Reiki Principles are easy to understand, but difficult to put into practice, especially on a daily basis. They are words that encourage us to think and evaluate how we live our lives, i.e., how we choose to live our lives. Dr. Usui thought that if you applied these principles, along with receiving Reiki, that you would have the "secrets of happiness" for the mind, body, and soul.

Excerpt taken from Laura Bullack in Reiki Just For Today – Thank you, Laura.

Thank you for visiting. Wishing you Peace today and everyday.



POI
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