By Frans Stiene
Within the Japanese teachings of the system of Reiki we see different ways of drawing the symbols and different names/mantras associated with these symbols. But are they really that different?
“Usui Sensei had no standard curriculum, and the length of time of the training depended on the spiritual progress of each student. It is said that he gave one-on-one lectures mainly on the right mental attitude needed for spiritual advancement based on his own experience.” – Hiroshi Doi
Mikao Usui taught students according to their spiritual progress, like many traditional Japanese teachers, this means that different students learned different things depending on who they were, what else they were practicing – if they were following Zen, Shinto, Tendai, and what their state of mind was. Therefore it is highly likely that Mikao Usui taught different phrases, mantras, symbols to his students all depending on who they were. But even when these tools were different, their meaning and what they pointed at was one and the same: our True Nature, True Self, our essence, that we are Reiki.
Let’s investigate…
The first symbol in Okuden Reiki II links to being Kami, a divine being. When I was doing a 5 day training in Japan the head priest of Mount Omine explained that this symbol means: go to Kami. Of course it doesn’t mean to go somewhere external; it means to go within, to our own inner Kami or divine being.
“All humans have the potential to become Kami.” – The Essence of Shinto Japan’s Spiritual Heart by Motohisa Yamakage
With this symbol we have the mantra/phrase Choku Rei/Naohi. Choku Rei/Naohi. This phrase is a Shinto concept; it points to our inner natural state of being, our divine being.
“The term chokurei 直霊. Choku (直) means ‘direct and rei (霊) means ‘spirit’. Chokurei is the light emanating directly from God to form the origin of humanity. Chokurei could be translated as ‘God in the human world,’ ‘Direct Spirit,” or ‘Divine Self.’” – From Masahisa Goi’s book, “God and Man, Guideposts for Spiritual Peace and Awakening”
Again, it points inwards; each of these tools point us towards our own inner state of being.
“The introspection of naohi is not an abstract process of reflecting on the past. It is to stand in the present and see things exactly as they are. Naohi is the virtue of makoto—sincerity and gratitude for the gift of life.” ~ William Gleason
Choku rei/Naohi also points to being sincere and grateful, this of course we can also see in the Reiki precepts, therefore the deeper meaning of the symbols/mantras are a state of mind.
“There I encountered my own divine spirit [Choku Rei 直霊] ” – From Masahisa Goi’s book, “Living Like the Blue Sky – 5 talks by Masahisa Goi
The more we know the real meaning of these tools, what they point to and how to work with them, the more directly, and more easily we can rediscover our divine spirit.
In some Reiki traditions in Japan, they also have the phrase Zuiun and Kumo. Kumo means cloud and Zuiun translates as an auspicious cloud. This auspicious cloud means divine presence. But of course it is not an external divine presence that we are looking for or connecting to, it is our own inner divine presence. Thus in a way Zuiun, Kumo, Choku rei and Naohi and the first symbol are pointing to exactly the same, our inner divine being. Just different phrases/mantras and maybe a slightly different symbol and yet they are pointing to the same essence. Therefore do not get caught up in the differences but instead focus on what they are pointing at.
It is a bit like going to a restaurant; in essence we go there to eat, to fill our belly. Some like Italian, some Japanese, some Thai etc… And of course we can discuss until we are blue in the face which one is better, but in essence we just go there to fill our belly. The symbols and mantras are exactly like this.
Let’s go to the second symbol and mantra/phrase. Again we see differences within the Japanese teachings.
The symbols might look slightly different but they point to Amida Buddha, their heritage is the buddhist symbol hrih – kiriku. Of course Amida Buddha is nothing external either; it points to our own inner divine being, just as the first symbol and mantra/phrase does.
“Just as emptiness is not something external, Amida Buddha is not an external being but our deepest, truest self – our deepest truest reality.” Mark Unno
We have the mantra/phrase Seiheki which can be translated as: natural disposition. In Zen this natural disposition points to our original way of being before our habits, judgements and confusion of the “self.” So this mantra/phrase is about rediscovering our natural disposition which in a way is the same as our divine being in the first symbol and mantra/phrase.
Some say this natural disposition points to our confused habits but in essence that is the same because we have to let go of these confused habits to realize our divine being, it is just seen from a different angle.
In some traditional Reiki schools you have the phrase Mugen Muryōju for this symbol.
Mugen Muryōju – mugen means infinite, muroyo means immeasurable, ju means life. This phrase is another name for Amida Buddha. So even if it is different than the other phrase/mantra it points to the same thing, our inner infinite light, which is nothing other than our natural disposition.
“But that which is infinite and wondrous is not something that satisfies our desire to grasp things. Something infinite cannot be put into something finite.” – Master Dogen’s Zazen Meditation Handbook with a commentary by Zen master Kosho Uchiyama Roshi
This infinite state of Being Reiki cannot be put into something finite. Thus Mikao Usui is pointing out not to get distracted by finite concepts like hot or cold, here or there, open and closed, having Reiki and not having Reiki, as these are all finite concepts and not infinite.
“Only when you let go of your thoughts is there infinity.” – Master Dogen’s Zazen Meditation Handbook with a commentary by Zen master Kosho Uchiyama Roshi
So the symbols and mantras/phrases are pointers to our innate state of mind of Kami and buddha-nature. Mikao Usui pointed this out too in an interview, saying that this state of mind is the principal object of his teachings.
“Q. Does Usui Reiki Ryoho only heal illness?
A. No. Usui Reiki Ryoho does not only heal illness. Mental illnesses such as agony, weakness, timidity, irresolution, nervousness and other bad habits can be corrected. Then you are able to lead a happy life and heal others with the mind of Kami or Hotoke [Buddha]. That becomes the principal object.” – Interview with Mikao Usui in Shin-Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho Kokai Denju Setsumei and the Usui Reiki Ryoho Hikkei, two booklets handed out by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai
Mrs Takata also said that Mikao Usui’s teachings were intertwined with traditional Japanese religious practices.
“When John studied with Takata, he made over 20 audio tapes of her lectures and classes. On one of the tapes she discusses traveling to Japan in order to teach her approach to Reiki. While there, she met some Japanese citizens who were actively practicing and preserving Reiki as they understood in Japan. Takata regarded their approach as entirely valid, but inappropriate for the West. It was highly complex, required years of training and was closely intertwined with religious practices. She felt these factors would deter students in the West and hobble the spread of Reiki through the world at a time when, in her view, it was urgently needed.” – Hand to Hand by John Harvey Gray
Thus no matter what symbol, mantra, phrase, meditation practice we look at within Mikao Usui’s teachings they all point to the same thing: our True Self, Being Reiki.
