Just Love

by Frans Stiene

These days I see many teachers of practices like Reiki, yoga or tai chi pointing fingers at other teachers. It is almost a kind of fad, a sad fad among those whose teachings and practices are rooted in Oneness. Often when we point at others we are actually pointing to our own shortcomings.

Famous yogi Garchen Rinpoche points this out very beautifully:

“Don’t criticize or judge others, just love.

Don’t be bothered with what others do, do not criticize or judge them for their dualistic thoughts and actions; just pay attention to your own mind and nothing else.

Once you have become completely liberated you will be able to help others become liberated. When you are liberated you become like a lake of warm water, naturally melting all the ice-blocks you touch. So don’t scrutinize what others say or do, just let them be, love them, be kind, and focus on your own liberation first.

We are unable to let go of dualistic thoughts that label and judge because, although we might be smart, our love is limited, it isn’t yet immeasurable.”

Mikao Usui said the same thing in the Reiki precepts: be compassionate. This is a compassion, a love, which does not change according to circumstances. Even if a person or group does or says something that we can not love: we still can love and show compassion to them without agreeing or condoning. But most of the time our compassion or love is limited because it changes according to circumstance. Therefore it is paramount that we first work on ourselves so that we can find this limitless compassion – love within ourselves. Then we also will find that there is no need to criticize others; all we have to do is work on ourselves and shine our own bright light to and for ourselves and others.

However, often it can be much easier to criticize others than to practice for ourselves and rediscover our own inner great bright light of love and compassion, our own liberation. Of course all of this is not easy to do, but it is an important act of self responsibility that is essential to work toward.

We see the same teachings in Taoism:

“People who blame others have a long way to go on their journey.

People who blame themselves are half way there.

A person who blames no one has arrived”

– Chinese proverb

By finding our own centre and groundedness, we will find true compassion and love, just as Mikao Usui pointed out again and again within his teachings. And that is the most important thing to do. As Garchen Rinpoche says, keep focusing on your own mind – but he also points out an important element: our confused dualistic thoughts.

And within the system of Reiki, we have a tool/practice to help us with that confused mind, those dualistic thoughts. Within the system of Reiki, we see the symbol/mantra hon sha ze sho nen which translates as, “my original nature is right mind.” Right mind in Japan is the non-dual mind. So, like Garchen Rinpoche, Mikao Usui also points out that we have to let go of our dualistic thoughts.

The more we focus on I, me, mine, the more we water the seeds of duality, the harder it will be to remember our essential non-dual mind. This is the same as when we keep watering distinctions of here – there, higher vibration – lower vibration, male – female, human – animal, good – bad…or in other words, duality.

Therefore it is so important to practice – to sit on our butt and apply Mikao Usui’s teachings so that we begin to embody our non-dual nature. And that is nothing different than the embodiment of the precepts. When we do this, when we find our own liberation / True Self, then there will be no more need to criticize others: all we do is just love, pure love. This is a love which is immeasurable, love which doesn’t compare and doesn’t change according to circumstances. And in that way we will have peace in our world.

Frans Stiene