(1) THE JAPANESE PRINCIPLES/PRECEPTS
The original Japanese Principles or Precepts, were somewhat different to or Western version, the following are the Japanese precepts in three different languages English, Kanji and Rōmaji.
English
The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine for all diseases.
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to people.
Every morning and evening, join your hands in meditation and pray with your heart.
State in your mind and chant with your mouth.
For improvement of mind and body.
Usui Reiki Ryōhō.
The founder,
Mikao Usui.
Kanji
招福の秘法,
萬病の霊薬.
今日丈けは:
怒るな,
心配すな,
感謝して,
業をはけめ,
人に親切に.
朝夕合掌して心に念じ,
口に唱へよ.
心身改善.
臼井霊氣療法.
肇祖,
臼井甕男.
Rōmaji
Shōfuku no hihō,
Manbyō no reiyaku.
Kyō dake wa:
Okoru na,
Shinpai su na,
Kansha shite,
Gyō wo hakeme,
Hito ni shinsetsu ni.
Asayū gasshō shite kokoro ni nenji,
Kuchi ni tonae yo.
Shinshin kaizen.
Usui Reiki Ryōhō.
Chōso,
Usui Mikao.
*Information compiled from various sources including Wikipedia.
(2) Traditional Japanese Reiki
Traditional Japanese Reiki is usually associated with the teachings of Reiki that did not leave Japan and describes the original system formed by Dr. Mikao Usui. Western teachers travelled to Japan in the 1990′s to try and track down this particular tradition of Reiki, but were unable to do so. Instead they established Reiki Schools and began to teach Reiki levels 1 and 2 to the Japanese. A German Reiki Master Frank Arjava Petter, started to teach to the Master/Teacher level, in about 1993 and because of this, the Japanese then began teaching their knowledge of Traditional Reiki.
Several systems of Traditional Japanese Reiki have evolved and been established since that time. Below you will find the main traditions.
Usui Ryoho Gakkai 臼井靈氣療法學會 - The Usui’s Reiki Healing Association, founded by Dr. Mikao Usui. It is assumed that Mikao’s style has survived to the present time, however it is difficult to assess as no-one is privy to how the Gakkai practise in the present day. Ushida, upon Mikao Usui’s death, became president of the Association. The Association has remained secret for many years. The present president of the Gakkai is the Shihan (Master) Masaki Kondoh.
Many of the teachings still remain secret to the outside world, however some members such as Master Horishi Doi are beginning to share their knowledge. Despite this the Association remains closed being nearly impossible to access.
Reidō Reiki Gakkai 靈道靈氣學會 – ”Spiritual Occurrence/Spiritual Energy Society”. Led by Fuminori Aoki. This is the name given to the system that derives from the masters of the Ryōhō Gakkai. Aoki added to the teachings of the Gakkai, but the differences in the teaching are minimal. The symbol the Koriki – “the force of happiness”, inspired Fuminori Aoki and as such he adopted the symbol to Reidō Reiki Gakkai .
Kōmyō Reiki Kai 光明レイキ會 – “Enlightened Spiritual Energy Meeting/Association” was established by Hyakuten Inamoto, a Reiki teacher with a Western Reiki background. The system takes its name from a Japanese Traditional Reiki. This system differs because it does not originate from the Gakkai. It comes from the Hayashi line through Chiyoko Yamaguchi and remains in Japan.
Jikiden Reiki 直傳靈氣 – “The Direct Teaching of Spiritual Energy”. This was the original system taught by Dr. Hayashi and founded by Mrs. Yamaguchi and her son Tadao.
Japanese Reiki hand positions presented in the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Hikkei – 臼井靈氣療法必携 - The Usui Reiki Treatment Handbook, compiled and used by Dr. Mikao Usui are considerably more extensive than the hand positions used in Western Style Reiki.
*Information complied from various sources including Wikipedia.
(3) Three Pillars of Reiki
Together with the five Reiki Principles or Precepts, Dr. Mikao Usui based his Reiki system on three other practises: -
Gasshō
Reiji-hō
Chiryō
Gasshō
Gasshō “合掌” – The Japanese translation is – “two hands coming together”. This is a meditative state where both palms of the hands are placed together, as in the prayer position. It was used at the beginning of every one of Usui’s Reiki workshops/meetings. One of the techniques of Gasshō is to concentrate on the pads where the two middle fingers meet.
Reiji-hō
Reiji-hō “霊示法” – The ”Indication of the Reiki Power Method”. In order to connect with the Reiki Power the practitioner needs to ask three times for the Reiki to flow. This is usually split into three parts.
Firstly ask for the Reiki Power to flow through the Practitioner. The Power will enter through
the Crown Chakra – the highest ascension,
the Heart Chakra – the pure love of Reiki or
the hands – as the palms are attuned with symbols.
If your are a Second Degree student you can use the Distance Symbol to connect with Reiki together with the Power Symbol. Use the Distance Symbol first followed by the Power Symbol.
Secondly pray for the recovery of the person if a specific ailment is being healed, or for the general health of the person if otherwise.
Thirdly place both hands, palms facing each other, to the third eye – this is the point above the bridge of your nose between the eyebrows. Ask the Reiki power to guide the hands to where energy is needed. This allow the practitioner to heal intuitively.
Chiryō
Chiryō “治療” - Translated to mean “medical treatment”. This requires the practitioner to place his/her dominant hand on the crown chakra and wait for hibiki – “feedback”. This will manifest as an impulse or inspiration, which the hand then follows. During Chiryō, the practitioner gives free movement to the hand, touching painful areas of the body until the area no longer hurts or until the hands move on their own to another area.
*Information compiled from various sources including Wikipedia.
(4) Western Reiki
The system of Reiki that we recognise in the Western World known as Western Reiki can be accredited to Mrs. Hawayo Takata. The main difference between Japanese traditions and Western Reiki is the use of set hand positions for healing treatments instead of Reiji-hō, the intuitive skill of “knowing where to place the hands”. This style of Reiki places more emphasis on the healing of ailments, and ascension to higher levels of attunement is more formalised.
Trained by Hayashi, Mrs. Takata went back to Hawaii, taking Reiki with her. Having set up clinics in Hawaii, Reiki then spread around the Western World. After the second world war, Takata decided to modify the Traditional Japanese Reiki system. This was to enable the mentality of the West to understand and make Reiki more credible.
Usui Reiki Shiki Ryōhō 臼井靈氣式療法, – The literal translation is Usui’s Spiritual Energy Style of Medical Treatment, however it is more commonly translated as Usui’s Spiritual Energy Style Therapy. This is the name given to the Western system of Reiki, and is a system that has tried to stay near enough the same as the original practises of Hawayo Takata.
In this system, as with most Western systems of Reiki, there are three levels, respectively called the First Degree, Second Degree, and Master/Teacher Degree, which uses Takata’s versions of the four original symbols passed to her by Hayashi. Usui Reiki Shiki Ryōhō is also the norm requested qualification (along with Reiki lineage) when seeking insurance to practise Reiki on the general public in the United Kingdom.
Usui/Tibetan Reiki – This is the system developed by Arthur Robertson and later popularised by William Lee Rand and Diane Stein. This system is derived from Usui Reiki as taught by Takata and includes techniques from the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai, such as: -
Byōsen-hō -病専法, Scanning Method,
Gyōshi-hō - 凝視法, Healing Eyes Method
Kenyoku-hō - 件抑制法, Dry Bathing Method.
Additions have been made to this system by Rand. Compared with Usui Shiki Ryōhō, the attunement method has been modified to incorporate: -
The Violet Breath.
The Tibetan Master and kundalini fire symbols, together with the four traditional Usui symbols.
The hui yin position (located in the perineum).
The microcosmic orbit.
As well as introducing the above, Usui/Tibetan Reiki incorporates psychic surgery. Unlike Usui Reiki Shiki Ryōhō, it has four levels, commonly called First Degree, Second Degree, Advanced Reiki Training (commonly 3A or ART), and Master/Teacher (commonly 3B).
Gendai Reiki Hō 現代靈氣法 – ”Modern Spiritual Energy Method”. A system that incorporates elements of both Japanese and Western Reiki. Established by Hiroshi Doi. Doi was first trained in Western Reiki by Mieko Mitsui, a Master of the “Radiance Technique.” In 1993, he was granted membership to Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai.
*Information compiled from various sources including Wikipedia.
