The Reiki Principles

Reiki Dharma Newsletter Volume 19, November 9, 2006

Dear Friends!
Hello again from Germany. Many months have passed since I last wrote to you, and I am happy to speak to your heart again. The heart understands everything: it understands the ways of the Word as well as the mystery of Silence. It knows that the connection from heart to heart is always intact... Since last spring, many things have changed in my personal life, as well as in my work. On a personal level, I got married to the love of my life last May, and we moved to the house I grew up in. My heart is in an intense process of softening due to fatherhood. Compassion comes naturally now, and this has been a blessing that I appreciate deeply. On the work level, I have published another book, called Reiki, ganz Klar! in German( Reiki clear and simple) and that has changed the way I work, and will work in the future. It helped me see all the "additives" in my own Reiki- practice and like the Indian art of preparing purified butter, I have been working on letting go of quite a bit of extra weight. My practice is becoming increasingly simple: just hands and an overflowing heart... Also I will take more time for training from now on. The first step in this direction was a twenty- one day intensive training in Greece last summer.

A new website

Also I am happy to announce the birth of a new website (JikidenReiki.de) that has been created for Jikiden Reiki- the Reiki Way I learned from my teachers Chiyoko and Tadao Yamaguchi. This website is available at present only in German, but will be translated into English shortly. In the future I will dedicate more time teaching Jikiden Reiki than what I learned in my Western Reiki Lineage. The spring is bubbling effortlessly... from the source and that suits me well.

New Book Projects

At present I am working on a book on Reiki- History as well as writing inspirational texts, poetry and short stories, which hopefully will manifest in book- form some day soon.

The Reiki Principles

This time I would like to talk to you about the Reiki- Principles. They once were once the most important aspect of the Reiki practice in Japan, and are still regarded as the back- bone of Reiki in the Japanese tradition now. In the beginning of my Reiki- practice I used to underestimate this greatly, but now, I pay daily attention to it. And I hope that you do too.

Usui Sensei's words on the Principles

In the interview that Usui Sensei gave to his students along with his workshop materials, he said that we must first heal the mind/spirit before the body can be healed successfully. He said so, because he found that his clients would return to him, after they had been healed, once more with the same- or with a similar ailment. To solve this problem, he came up with the Reiki Principles. In Japanese culture it was and still is common to have an ethical basis for a spiritual tradition. In the martial arts and other traditional arts of Japan, similar guidelines are given to the student, so he can lead a life of happiness. And this is what Usui Sensei thought of Reiki: He called it: "The secret art of inviting happiness- the spiritual medicine for all diseases (of body, mind and soul)."

Obstacles on the Path

But there are obstacles on the path to happiness, that are in the way of reaching our goal. In Usui Senseiﾕs words a person that is transformed by Reiki, is one whose mind has become "Buddha- likeﾓ. You and I know that we are far from that, even though we may have experienced one or the other glimpse of the divine by the grace of god. There is always more work to do... The Reiki Principles help us to become more and more open, loving and compassionate. They help us let go of the fangs of the small mind- the ego, individuality or personality: what a job!

Chiyoko Yamaguchi's guidance

My teacher, Chiyoko Yamaguchi once told me what she thought of the Reiki Principles: She said that we should incorporate them into our life, that we should breathe and live them, embody them with all our heart. She said that the first four are for your own inner work. The last one, she said, is the most important of all. It blossoms when the first four are integrated. One day in 1999, I realized that the Principles have a mantric character, when they are pronounced in Japanese. Usui Sensei suggested to chant them once or twice daily and to feel their meaning in your heart while you do that. When they are translated into English or any other language they loose their power. A Mantra is a word or phrase imbibed with spiritual power. It is a word or phrase that has a soul and with this soul touches the soul of the one reciting it. When the soul is touched real healing may take place...

I know that you have read or even practiced saying the Principles already in Japanese, but I want to invite you to do it every day, to do it now... as you read these words. The Five Reiki Principles (Japanese "Gokaiﾓ) Kyo dake wa Ikaru na Shinpai suna Kansha shite Gyo o hage me Hito ni shinsetsu ni The translation of theses Five Principles is very straightforward and simple. The first sentence " Kyo dake wa" means "only today" or "today only." My spiritual teacher, Osho , used to say " tomorrow never comesﾓ and this is how this "kyo dake wa" is to be understood. It means stay focused in the Now, be here and leave all dreams of the future and the memories of the past behind. Stay here and your enter what Usui Sensei looked for on Mount Kurama; you enter Anjin Ryumei" an inner state of contentment with whatever is happening inside and outside of your self...right now... Kyo dake wa...

"Ikaru Na"

The first principle: "Ikaru na" means do'ﾕt be angry. That does not mean that you should not get angry anymore. Sometimes anger is the only appropriate reaction. It may be good for you and it may actually be good for the person that the anger is directed to. Sometimes the other needs to be shaken up and shaken out of his unconsciousness. Sometimes it is good for you to see that you are still as human and as neurotic as you ever were, therefore not misjudging your own state of mind... even though that may hurt. The word "ikaru" has an explosive character. But: don't remain in that state of explosiveness. Another face of anger is that it may be sadness in disguise. So instead of trying to manage the anger, look at the sadness in your heart. Acknowledge it, face it and feel it. Cry for the losses you have experienced, cry for loved ones you have lost without trying to make the pain go away. And you will see that your "anger" disappears all by itself...

"Shinpai Suna"

Worry is one of the most toxic substances, for body, mind and soul, along with fear and guilt. They often act like siblings and appear together, making your life difficult. But you are not at the mercy of worry. If you understand that no worry is personal, it is a collective dis- ease. If a worry is not " your ownﾓ maybe the next time it comes to you, you can look at it from the outside. Look at it as if it does not belong to you personally, and you will see that you do suddenly have a choice; either you energize the worry with your active participation, or you don't. If you don't participate in it, you see it and you let it go. Eventually the worry runs out of gas and, after continuing from the past momentum for a little while, it comes to a full stop. And if no gas station is in sight, the worry will starve to death- until the next worry comes to you. The same dynamic is applicable for thought. Watch it and it will eventually go away... Not worrying does not necessarily make all your challenges go away, but you will be able to deal with them more effectively- with less suffering and more joy. Then life may just be fun. Oops!

Kansha Shite

This is my personal favourite: be grateful. Notice that we are asked to be grateful for no special reason. Our gratefulness should not have any attribute to it. Just be grateful for whatever life presents you with. I invite you to feel this right now. Feel it! Be grateful... feel it in your chest. Let it be a blessing falling from the heavens like nectar...Be it, be gratefulness and your heart will overflow with a sweetness that will intoxicate you and your surroundings.

Gyo o Hage Me

This can be translated either as "work hard", or " do your duties." To be able to understand this correctly, it is helpful to know the cultural background of Japanese society. The Japanese society is highly structured into a system of tight hierarchy. In this hierarchy, jobs are distributed depending on the individualﾕs social status. The society as such is typically Asian: it is collective, rather than individual. In order for the group to survive, the individual may even sacrifice himself, without wavering. So in this society, one does ones duties without complaining about. They come with your role, your role is you, you are the duty...Just like in the advertisement of Nike " Just do it." We would probably do much better, if we would follow this seemingly simple rule a lot of the time. Just put out the garbage...

Hito Ni Shinsetsu Ni

Mrs. Yamaguchi called the last Principle the culmination of your inner work. Once the first four are integrated into your life, there is nothing else to do, but to put what you have learned into action. So, Reiki is compassion in action... In Usui Senseiﾕs wordsﾓ When you have found happiness (by living the Reiki Principles), your mind becomes Buddha- like and with this spirit you touch the spirit of the other, thus transforming him.

Wishing you, your friends, students and clients a liberating transformation of the heart, with love and gratitude from Germany

Your friend, Frank Arjava Petter

Copyright by Frank Arjava Petter ©2006