Deities and Reiki

by Frans Stiene

“All of us are Kanzeon [Kannon] Bodhisattva.” – Teaching of the Great Mountain – Zen Talks by Taizan Maezumi Roshi

It is said that Mikao Usui also linked the symbols and mantras to specific Japanese Buddhist deities. They are:

Seishi Bosatsu
Amida Buddha
Kannon Bosatsu
Dainichi Nyorai

The first three are also called the Amida Sanzon Triad. Amida Buddha sits in the centre and Seishi Bosatsu and Kannon on either side. These are linked to the Okuden Reiki II symbols and mantras. 

Dainichi Nyorai is linked to the Shinpiden Reiki III symbol and mantra.

But why are these deities there and what do they represent?

“Just as emptiness is not something external, Amida Buddha is not an external being but our deepest, truest self – our deepest truest reality.” – Professor Mark Unno

Mark Unno states it very elegantly, Amida Buddha is not something external but our truest self. These deities are not hanging in the sky, they are an aspect, a personification, of our essence, our True Self. 

“Sometimes a Zen master may say, “No Buddha; Kill Buddha.” What does that mean? It means to be completely one with Buddha. You don’t need Buddha anymore. You yourself are Buddha. You attain this through your practice.”” – Becoming Yourself by Shunryu Suzuki
Through practicing the meditation methods, internalizing the symbols and mantras, working with the Reiki precepts, etc.. we realize that we are Amida, we are Buddha, we have rediscovered our True Self, that we are Reiki in all we do today. We are the Great Bright Light.

“Dainichi Nyorai personifies the essential nature of the universe and also symbolizes the wisdom and compassion which allows us to realize the true world of our mind.” – Kaji: Empowerment and Healing in Esoteric Buddhism – Ryuko Oda.

Ryuko Oda, a famous Shingon priest, states the same as Mark Unno, Dainichi Nyorai personifies and symbolizes the essence of our mind. Therefore these deities are pointing to the same essence as the symbols and mantras within the system of Reiki, they are not separate elements at all.

“So on one side of the altar we have Manjushri who personifies wisdom beyond wisdom, seeing everything just as it is without any distortion, and on the other side, we have Avalokiteshvara [Kannon] who personifies compassion. In between we have Buddha. Each one is a Bodhisattva who represents a different aspect of our nature. Since these are not idols but personifications, having these figures on our altar is a way we respect aspects of our own nature. Similarly, when we bow, we don’t worship something in particular, but we greatly respect these aspects of our nature. When we offer incense and chant the sutra, we invite the spirit of Kanzeon to join our practice. We evoke something from within ourselves.” Zen Master Sojun Roshi

As we can see, all these wonderful traditional teachers point out the same thing. This is why it is so important to know why these deities are there. If we keep seeing them external to ourselves we keep practicing duality and as we all know duality triggers anger, worry, separation etc… This is why the Reiki precepts are also linked to these deities and the symbols and matras, they point to our non-dual essence. Therefore it is important that if we work with these deities we see them as a personification of our essence, of Being Reiki. That way we practice according to the ancient teachings and start to feel the deep interconnectedness with everything, which in turns makes our compassion blossom, instead of anger, worry, fear, etc…

“All the epithets of the buddhas and bodhisattvas are the different names for this one mind.” Mud and Water by Bassui Tokusho

The more we practice the system of Reiki the more we realize that all of the methods and practices Mikao Usui placed within his teachings are pointing to the same thing again and again, this one mind, Being Reiki, our True Self.

“Amida means the Buddha-nature of ordinary people. Kannon Bodhisattva, Seishi Bodhisattva, and other sages accompanying Amida Buddha are the wonderful activity of one’s self-nature.” – Mud and Water by Bassui Tokusho

As these deities are personifications and aspects of our True Self, then through practice we take these aspects with us in all our daily activity, as Mikao Usui said within the Reiki precepts, today. Our daily activities are therefore intertwined, for example, with Kannon, compassion. Or with Dainichi Nyorai, the embodiment of wisdom and compassion in all we do today.

“Of course, there are differences in terms of deities’ colors, ornaments, implements, and numbers of faces and limbs. When one is drawn to those outer appearances, it is simply a reflection of one’s individual inclinations, interests, and past lives’ connections. So, although practitioners have diverse individual preferences, there is no distinction whatsoever among different deities’ power and force. The mind transmissions of all wisdom deities are the same. Since this is so, those who claim there are differences among deities have made such judgments based on personal preferences.” – Garchen Rinpoche

Garchen Rinpoche points out that the mind of all the wisdom deities is the same and that of course is the same as our own mind. And that if we claim there are differences we have done so according to our own judgements. 

“The process of working with our life situation in the practice of tantric Buddhism consists first of acknowledging that one’s own basic nature is that potential, that Buddha nature, and then of meditating upon its presence within one by regarding oneself as a deity. The form of the deity is the embodiment or expression of that potential, that union of emptiness and wisdom within one. It is through regarding oneself as the deity that defects are gradually eradicated and qualities gradually revealed since the potential to transcend our problems is innate rather than external to us.” – Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

Thus no matter if we regard ourselves as the deity, the symbols or mantras, or we regard ourselves as a Great Bright Light, or as the Reiki precepts, these tools are there to help us to realize our inner True Self, our essence. They are there to eradicated our anger and worry and bring forth the qualities of gratefulness, being true to our way and being, and a compassion which doesn’t change according to circumstances. 

“If one recognizes the actual condition of the mind just as it is, whichever deity one practices, one will know that deity to be mind itself.” – Garchen Rinpoche

Here are some additional teaching about these teachings from the great teacher Garchen Rinpoche:

“The most important thing is to bring the deity to mind again and again. This will cause ordinary concepts to disintegrate and ordinary physical propensities to be forgotten. Always recalling the deity, one will come to realize that one’s mind and the deity’s mind are nondual.”
– Garchen Rinpoche

“Sometimes the deity’s form will just as suddenly disappear. This is the union of development and completion. Understanding this, one will be devoid of grasping at perceived objects and their characteristics. That is to say, when there is no grasping at the appearances of divine forms, there will be no disappointment at their disappearance.”
– Garchen Rinpoche 

“Now, although one has outer physical illnesses, if one grasps at them, those outer illnesses will be conjoined with inner suffering, making the hardship even greater. Because deity yoga diminishes grasping, it brings manifest benefit to those who practice it.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“With regard to deity yoga, many people give rise to doubts, thinking, “If I meditate on the deity, am I actually the deity? Since the deity is not really me, it must be something false.” These sorts of apprehensions are completely mistaken. Others think they must be convinced that “I am the deity!” This is also not right, since there will be no benefit from a deity practice rooted in grasping at an “I.”” – Grachen Rinpoche

“All yidams are endowed with equal blessing and potency. Even though there exist many thousands of deities, the heart—the very life force—of every one of them is the nondual unity of emptiness and compassion. Even if one meditates on one hundred thousand different deity forms, they all share this life force that is singular in nature. At the very basis, every deity is the same. Thus, there is no point in creating a lot of distinctions, thinking, “My deity is most profound. Other deities cannot compare.”
– Garchen Rinpoche.

“Not following after thoughts of past, present, or future but remaining with awareness single-pointedly focused on the deity and mantra, one’s mind is isolated.” – Grachen Rinpoche

“In brief, the meaning is that by repeatedly meditating on the deity, one will forget body-based propensities.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“When the deity emerges in the mind, one understands the mind to be the creator of the deity.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“All deities are of a singular nature.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“The most important fruition of the accomplishment retreat is the destruction of self-grasping that occurs through visualizing the deity and reciting his or her mantra.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“Regardless of which deity one practices, all wisdom deities have but one life force, which manifests in various ways.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“When one focuses on the seed syllable, the entire deity is complete therein.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“They think the real accomplishment is to meet the deity face to face and to converse with him as though he were an actual person. This is not at all the case! ” – Garchen Rinpoche

“Since all deities are of a singular essence, each deity embodies every other deity.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“If one finds it difficult and tiresome to visualize the deity, it is a sign of dualistic grasping, which causes one to perceive the deity as something other than oneself. Until duality and self-grasping have been completely torn down, it is necessary to repeatedly supplement with nondual primordial awareness.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“A single deity is pervaded by all the buddhas.” – Garchen Rinpoche

“Even though there are many different deity forms, the single life force of them all is love and compassion.” – Garchen Rinpoche