by Frans Stiene
Within the Reiki precepts we see the phrase: 今日丈けは – kyo dakewa – today only – just for today.
Often we think that this focus on “today” is just a phrase within the system of Reiki. But the concept of today is also widely used within Zen.
“At each moment do not rely upon tomorrow. Think of this day and this hour only, and of being faithful to the Way while given a life even just for today, for the next moment is uncertain an unknown.” – Dogen Zenji
Zen master Dogen Zenji also used today within his teachings, pointing out the impermanence of today.
“The time-being has the quality of flowing. So-called today flows into tomorrow, today flows into yesterday, yesterday flows into today, today flows into today.” – Dogen Zenji
Today flows in today, we have to stay unattached to whatever happens. No attachment to the past, the future or even the present moment. This non-attachment doesn’t mean that these events never happened or we have to ignore them; rather, it means that in each moment we do not carry the past, present, and future with us. When we can do this, then each moment is fresh and free.
“Remember that you are alive only today in this moment.” – Dogen Zenji
Our body is not in the past and neither in the future, our body is right here in this moment. However, often our mind is busy with the past, present, or future. And therefore the action which we are doing right now is not fresh anymore; it is contaminated with the past, present, and future.
“There is only today, only this one period of meditation. Actually, there is only this one breath. There is only this one-doing, this one single point. This is all there is.” – Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha by Tangen Harada
All these wonderful Zen masters point out that we only have today, so as you can see, it is not just a statement within the system of Reiki. And as we know, Mikao Usui also trained at a Zen temple, so it’s no wonder that he used the common Zen teachings of “today”.
“Do today’s things today. These were Dokyo Etan’s words: “Serious matters only matter today.” Meaning that even the most important things are here only today —that is to say, dwell in each moment with a pure mind. To dwell in each moment with a pure mind—this, I believe, means to do only the things that must be done.” – Don’t worry: 48 lessons on relieving anxiety from a Zen Buddhist monk by Shunmyo Masuno
Mikao Usui taught a meditation practice called joshin kokyu ho, which translates as pure mind with each breath. Right in this moment there is just one breath. And right today in this moment we have to perform every action we do with a pure mind. Not a mind filled with anger and worry, but a pure mind. This pure mind of course points to non-attachment, emptiness, non-duality, spaciousness, etc… This is why the whole of the precepts are a description of this state of pure mind.
Mikao Usui also used the word today to point out that this pure mind is right here today. We do not gain it in the future; no, it is right here. We just do not see it because in reality our mind is all over the place, distracted by past, present, future.
This is why within the Reiki Ryoho no Shiori, a booklet handed out by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, we find a section called “Strict Teachings of Mikao Usui.” Within this section we find a wonderful poem, which encapsulates that today we are pure already.
“Kumo wa harete nochino hikari to omounayo Motoyori sorani ariake no tsuki”
“Do not think that the light appears only after the clouds [confusion, thoughts, ego] have cleared. The light of the moon [Great Bright Light – that we are Reiki] has been shining in the sky from the very beginning.”
This is why today is so important—realizing that today we are pure already.
“Zen is everyday life—to live day by day. And day by day is today—right now, right here. Right now, right here influences your whole life.” You Have to Say Something: Manifesting Zen Insight by Dainin Katagiri
Today is everyday life, not just on a Reiki table or on our meditation pillow; no, we have to integrate Being Reiki in all we do today, in every action. Being Reiki is of course the embodiment of that pure mind Mikao Usui was pointing out.
“Each morning, we are born again. What we do today matters most.” – Shunryu Suzuki
Each day is a fresh day if we wake up with a pure mind. Why? Because we do not carry the past, present, and future with us and therefore we are free. And when our mind is free our energy flows freely through our whole being.
“Today we can live as a fresh new life.” – Kosho Uchiyama
When we keep carrying the past, present, and future with us in our actions today we are not fresh. We see things with a filter over them, the filter of past, present, and future.
“No day is more important than today.” The Art of Simple Living, 100 Daily Practices from a Japanese Zen Monk for a Lifetime of Calm and Joy by Shunmyo Masuno
Why is today the most important day? Because today is all we have; we are not in the past and we also are not in the future. This is why we focus on our body and breath during the practices within the system of Reiki, as both our body and breath are right here. There is no past or future body or breath.
“If you can’t do anything about it, then don’t worry about it. If you can do something about it, then do it today.” – Kodo Sawaki
Today and the rest of the Reiki precepts are all interwoven with each other. If we take the word today away the whole of the precepts will fall apart.
“Nichinichi kore kōnichi — every day is a good day.”
– Blue Cliff Record
