by Frans Stiene
“Komyo exists in me and I exist in Komyo.” – Mikao Usui
Mikao Usui stated that he is Komyo and Komyo is him. But what is Komyo?
Komyo stands for our own inner divine light.
Below is a wonderful teaching about Komyo – Divine Light – from Zen Master Dogen. You may find that you need to read it slowly, perhaps more than once, to take in all it conveys. Following the excerpt, I will bring it all back to Mikao Usui’s teachings, in simple terms.
“Komyo 光明 “Divine Light”
Great Master Chosa Shōken in Konan of the Sung Dynasty, once told his followers, “The entire world is reflected by the eye of a monk, the entire world is contained in everyday conversation, the entire world is throughout your body, the entire world is your own Divine Light, the entire world is within your Divine Light and the entire world is inseparable from yourself.” Everyone who is seeking the Buddhist Way should study this teaching diligently and never become slack. If they do there will be very few Zen students with the Divine Light of enlightenment. Chinese Emperor Kōmyō of Gokan was the fourth child of Emperor Kobu and his era was called the tenth Eihei [c. A.D. 51]. During his reign Buddhism was first transmitted to China by Matogya and Jikuhoran. This Emperor held many discussions with the Taoists, often sitting in front of a table stacked with a huge amount of Indian scriptures, and finally converted them by his superior arguments. Later on, in the reign of Butei during the Futsu era, the first Chinese Patriarch Bodhidharma came, alone, from India to Kōshū, in the southern part of China [c. 520]. He was the twenty-eighth Dharma heir of Shakyamuni, and [brought the right transmission of Buddha’s Law]. He stayed at Shoshitsuho Shorinji monastery on Mt. Sōzan. Later on he transmitted the Dharma to the second Zen Patriarch [Taiso Eka].
The Divine Light of Buddha’s teaching has been handed down continuously by each successive Patriarch. Before Bodhidharma’s time the Divine Light of Buddha was not seen or heard in China; no one was able to perceive his own Divine Light. Even though everyone inherently possesses Divine Light no one can discover it by only using their own judgements. Therefore, no one in China was able to clarify the form and original nature of Divine Light or experience its virtues until Bodhidharma. They did not understand that Divine Light is their very essence. They thought that the Divine Light is completely separate from themselves. Their mind was clouded by this false idea of separation and they could not perceive that everything is Divine Light. People who think that they are separate from Divine Light also believe that Divine Light is red, white, blue or yellow, similar to the light from a fire, or the reflected light of water, or the sparkle of gems or jewels, or the light of a dragon or like sun and moon light. Do not study under masters who teach only letters. Many teachers are like Chōsa who taught that Divine Light is like the light of a firefly and did not emphasize that Divine Light should be studied through enlightenment. From the Han, Sui, T’ang, and Sung Dynasties to the present time most people have thought like this. Even though you may study under a master with a famous name you should not accept any distorted explanations.
The Divine Light of Buddha fills the entire universe; everything is Buddha, everything is the Patriarchs. This is the transmission from Buddha to Buddha. The Buddhas and Patriarchs constitute Divine Light. Through the practice and enlightenment of Divine Light we can become a Buddha and do Zazen as he did; then we will be able to discover the actualization of enlightenment. [There is a koan,] “Divine Light illuminates the Eastern World of 18,000 Buddhas.” Here, “East” means the centre of the universe; that is, ourselves. It does not mean direction as most people think. There is an “East” in this world, in other worlds, even an “East” in east. 18,000 means that which in ourselves is beyond number; in other words, unlimited mind. It is not the 18,000 of mathematics and has nothing to do with numbers like 20,000 or 80,000. The “World of Buddhas” means the land of enlightenment; it is within ourselves – there is no light beam that travels to the Eastern world. If you comprehend “The entire world is the East itself; the East itself is the entire world” you will have some idea how to understand the world. It is nothing but the Divine Light of Buddha. The ten quarters of the world are the same as the Buddha Land of 18,000.
Emperor Kenshū of the Tang Dynasty was the father of two future emperors, Bokushū and Senshū, and the grandfather of the future emperors Keishū, Bunshū and Bushū. Once, after he had finished building a pagoda in his palace he had a dedication service performed. During the evening ceremony he suddenly saw a brilliant light shining in the hall. He was overjoyed at the vision and early next morning he told his high officials about it. They all thought it was a sign of a prosperous reign and congratulated him. They said it occurred because of the emperor’s virtue and noble spirit. However, there was one official, Yūbunkō of Kan, a disciple who studied the Buddhist Way, who did not congratulate the emperor. The emperor asked him, “All the officials except you gave me congratulations. What is the reason for this?” Yūbunkō replied, “Once I read in the sūtras that the light of Buddha was not red, blue, yellow, white or any natural colour. The light you saw was not the light of the Buddha, it was only the light of the dragon which protects you.” Then the emperor asked him, “Well, what is the light of the Buddha?” Yūbunkō remained silent.
Although Yūbunkō was a layman he had the right-minded attitude for practice. We can imagine that he was a man of great power. Following his example we should study the Buddhist Way; if you do not study like this, your study will be in vain. Even though Emperor Butei explained the [Hōkōhannya] sūtra and was able to call down flowers from Heaven, he did not have a proper mind for study and his efforts were useless. When ten sages and three wise men make Yūbunkō’s understanding their own, the real nature of resolve, practice, and enlightenment manifests itself for the first time. However, Yūbunkō did not have a complete understanding of the sūtras. He said that the Divine Light of Buddha was not blue, yellow, red or white. What did he mean by that? It is not a natural light, of course, but what is it? Emperor Kenshū, if he had been like a real Buddha and Patriarch, would have insisted that Yūbunkō answer his question.
Divine Light is found even in countless grasses [i.e., it is found everywhere]. The harmonization of all the different functions of a plant – roots, stalk, branches, leaves, flowers, fruit, colour – are expressed as Divine Light. Not only this world, but also in the other worlds of [celestial beings, human beings, hell, demons, animals, and ashuras] can Divine Light be seen. If we understand Divine Light then mountains rivers and land are secondary [i.e., Divine Light is the most important thing]. Study Chōsa’s saying in the sense that the entire world is suffused with our own Divine Light. The changing of life and death is the changing of Divine Light. The change from ordinary man to saint is like the changing of different colours in Divine Light. To become a Buddha or Patriarch is like the colours of black and yellow.
Practice and enlightenment are one form of Divine Light. Grasses, trees, a mud-fence, skin, flesh, bones and marrow are colours of Divine Light. Smoke, mist, water, stones, sky, flying birds, the Way of enlightenment – all these are the changing form of Divine Light. To understand our Divine Light is to meet and experience the real Buddha. The entire world is ourselves; we ourselves are the entire world. We cannot escape from this fact. Even if there is a place to escape, it can only be enlightenment. Our body is in the form of the entire world. Indeed, the Way of enlightenment and practice of Buddhism can only be grasped by the realization that our skin, flesh, bones, and marrow contain the entire world.
Great Master Daijiun Kyoshin of Mt. Ummon was the 39th Patriarch from Buddha; he received the Buddhist Way from Great Master Seppō Shingaku. Although he began to study Buddhism when already quite old, he studied earnestly and we can see that he was truly one of the great men of Buddhism. He was the one who transmitted the Mt. Ummon school of teaching and was a shining example of their doctrine. Such a Patriarch had never been seen before or since. One day, at the Dharma Hall, he asked the monks, “Divine Light shines in everyone but if we try to look for it we cannot find it. Where is the Divine Light?” No one answered. Then Ummon said, “In the monastery, in the Buddha Hall, in the administration building, and in the main gates.”
Ummon did not mean that Divine Light will come in the future, or was in the past, or can be produced by others; he meant that we ourselves possess Divine Light. Ummon taught that the entire world is Ummon. Ummon did not explain Divine Light; rather each one’s Divine Light explains itself. Divine Light shines in everyone, the entire body of man is Divine Light. Divine Light means people; Divine Light is both inside and outside of human beings. Divine Light is people, people are people, Divine Light is Divine Light, Being is Being.
We can see now that Divine Light possesses everyone; everyone possesses Divine Light within themselves. Everything about Divine Light is everything about ourselves. What did Ummon mean by “people” and “Divine Light”? He asked, “Where is the Divine Light?” This question surpasses any questions about Divine Light. He meant that “people” and “Divine Light” are inseparable, they form one body. The monks did not answer; but sometimes no answer is the correct answer. No answer is the Eye and Treasury of the True Law and the Serene Mind of Nirvana transmitted from the correct teaching of Buddhas.
Ummon answered his own question, “In the monastery, in the Buddha Hall, in the administration building, and in the main gates.” Why did he answer like this? What he meant by these was very different from what monks and laymen think about them. Did he mean himself or the six Buddhas who preceded Shakyamuni or the twenty-eight Indian Patriarchs or the six Chinese Patriarchs, or all the Zen Masters of all ages and countries? Whatever he meant it is nothing other than Divine Light.
His expression not only means people but also Divine Light. After Ummon’s explanation of Divine Light many different teachings arose: “No Buddha in the Buddha Hall”, “No Buddha Hall, No Buddha”, “There is Buddha in Divine Light,” “Buddha does not have Divine Light,” “Divine Light surpasses ‘Buddha’,” “Buddha is Divine Light itself” and so on.
Great Master Shingaku of Mt. Seppō once told his monks, “I met you in front of the monastery.” This was the expression of his enlightenment and the true expression of himself. He wanted to teach the monks the real meaning of the word “monastery.” Once Seppō’s disciple Hofuku asked Gako, another disciple, “Our master insists on only using the expression ‘I met you in front of the monastery’ to explain his teaching but never mentions Bōshūtei or Usekirei3-EN.” Then Gako quickly returned to the master’s quarters and Hofuku to the monastery. They understood the meaning and purpose of their master’s teaching. By returning to their respective dwellings they showed that enlightenment is to meet our real selves. This is the real meaning of meeting in front of the monastery. Similarly, great Master Shim‘) of Jizō-in4-EN said, “The monk in charge of the kitchen enters the kitchen.” This expression surpasses the meaning of time.
This was delivered to the monks on the evening of June 2., 1243, at Kannondōri, Kōshōhōrinji during the rainy season as rain dropped from the eaves. Where can we find Divine Light? Surely Ummon will discover any monk who does not grasp Divine Light.” – From: Shobogenzo – Translated by Kosen Nishiyama
Thus we can see some great teachings in Dogen’s explanation of Komyo. In fact, Mikao Usui also stated this:
“Everything in the Universe possesses Reiki without any exception.”
This means that we are already Reiki – Divine Light, we just have not realized it. Therefore how can we give someone Reiki during an attunement/reiju/initiation if we are it already? The real aspect of attunement/reiju/initiation and in fact hands on healing is realizing that we are Reiki – Divine Light already.
When we look at Mikao Usui’s teachings we see this pointer again and again. And in the Reiki Precepts we see, today. Today in all we do we are already Reiki – Divine Light. This also means that in essence we do not channel “more” energy the more we practice; in fact we start to realize through practicing the meditation practices that we have all this unlimited universal energy right here, today, in our whole mind and body already.
“Usui Sensei taught that practices which are based on the correct understanding of nature and the universe help develop the self. When Reiki practitioners come to a full understanding of such practices and are able to discipline themselves, their speech and conduct fall into alignment with the universe and they attain infinitive power. This is what it means to be a true human being.” from 会員のみに配布する霊気療法のしおりLeaflet of Reiki Ryoho –Members Only. It was issued by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai when Wanami sensei was the 5th president.
