by Frans Stiene
Recently the English translation of a Japanese book focused on the system of Reiki came out. Written by Tomita Kaij, Reiki and the Benevolent Art of Healing was published in 1933.
Tomita Kaji was a student of Mikao Usui and therefore this book is a wonderful insight into the Japanese concept of the system of Reiki.
I have used some quotes from the book in this blog with my comments below each to give further explanations on the teachings.
“Usui Reiki was difficult to pass on because it has many esoteric elements and therefore could not be written down as words”
Here we can clearly see a link between Usui Reiki and the esoteric Japanese spiritual teachings and Tomita Kaji notes that it was not easy to pass on. In fact Mrs Takata also pointed this out:
“When John studied with Takata, he made over 20 audio tapes of her lectures and classes. On one of the tapes she discusses travelling 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 it 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
“This is the method for addressing the suffering of birth, old age, death, and disease.”
Again we can see a clear link to Buddhism as these concepts are intertwined with Buddhist teachings. We can’t escape birth, old age, death, and disease. And yet we can deal with them without anger and worry, with gratefulness and being true to our way and our being, and with compassion and kindness. This is why the Reiki precepts are the foundation of Mikao Usui’s teachings.
“The power of the healing ability of nature operates without anything being done. People can also immediately utilize it with their consciousness. In this way, this is a truly precious inborn capacity that we share.”
Reiki is our inborn natural ability; it is our own inner great bright light, which we can realize with our own mind.
“This is because the source of reiki, the agent of this therapy, must be sought in the proper heart and mind. The power to treat disease is thus a by product of becoming a better person. The healing of diseases with this therapy is secondary. First and foremost one engages in disease prevention.”
Here we see an important element, that the source of Reiki needs to be sought in our own mind. It is not outside of us and hands on healing on others is a by product. When we look at Mikao Usui’s teachings we can see this very clearly. For example, the Reiki precepts are all about a state of mind. And being in this state of mind is disease prevention.
“This merit is not acquired because one worships the kami and buddhas but, rather, because through worshiping the kami and the buddhas, one rectifies the heart-mind [kokoro] and unifies one’s spirit. This is the root of self-cultivation. There are various forms of self-cultivation, but in the end they return to this. Therefore this therapy is a gift, that is, a result, or by-product, of self-cultivation. In this therapy, one maintains a purified heart-mind and brings together the hands, so it is a kind of self-cultivation. In other words, hands-on therapy is learned by actually engaging in self-cultivation.”
This state of mind of Kami and Buddha is another important element in Mikao Usui’s traditional teachings. In fact, Mikao Usui said that this state of mind is the principal object of his teachings. We can find this teaching in an interview with Mikao Usui in the two booklets Shin-Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho Kokai Denju Setsumei and the Usui Reiki Ryoho Hikkei, both handed out by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai:
“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.”
“If one repeatedly carries out this self-cultivation method, then, of course one will become increasingly adept. It is said that famous and wise Buddhist priests of the past could cure a variety of diseases by placing their hands on affected areas. However, this is not something acquired in just one day. It is nothing other than the result of continually engaging in self-cultivation – the root of this therapy – over time.”
Again and again we see that the system of Reiki is first and above all a self-cultivating practice and that the side effect is helping other people. But if we think that the system of Reiki is just hands on healing on ourselves and others, then we are mistaken. This is why Mikao Usui placed lots of very specific meditation practices within his system.
“Its essence is seeking the harmony of body and mind. When engaged in self-cultivation by doing seiza, forgetting the “self” is of utmost importance. When it comes to self-cultivation, one must discard all thoughts”
Forgetting the “self” is the most important element and when that happens we have a clear state of mind in which we do not get caught up in our thoughts. Mikao Usui pointed this out with the symbol/mantra hon she ze sho nen 本者是正念 which literally translates as: my original nature is right thought/mind. What is this right mind? Not getting caught up in our thoughts.
“To reach the aim of gassho, one must always – not only when doing gassho – maintain this gassho heart-mind power. In other words, gassho is done to receive a certain benefit, and the aim of gassho is only fully reached when constantly maintaining this heart-mind power, twenty four hours a day.”
This is why Mikao Usui put meditation practices like seishin toitsu in his system, so that we can have that state of mind of “gassho” 24 hours a day. This is also pointed out in the Reiki precepts: today. This means that the system of Reiki is not just for using on a Reiki table or chair and for performing hands on healing – no – it is about a way of being, living. So that we can be Reiki, today in all we do.
“For a long time, it has been said that self-cultivation must be centered on the tanden [hara]. This is also the case in this therapy – one must always focus on the tanden. It is the centre of self-cultivation.”
Here we can see the importance of focusing on the hara within Mikao Usui’s teachings. Being grounded and centred. The hara is an important point just below our navel inside our body and a common concept in Zen, Tendai Buddhist, Shugendo etc… This is why Mikao Usui taught specific hara meditation practices like joshin kokyu ho and seishin toitsu.
“Therefore, developing the tanden [hara] – the “pool of rei awakening”
Thus we can see that the pool of rei is in our own body, in the hara. In fact Mrs Takata also pointed this out in her teachings. Reiki is therefore not sought outside of ourselves; we are Reiki in all we do today.
“Ultimately tanden [hara] development must be a state that can be maintained throughout the day and is rooted in nature.”
Today, is such an important element within Mikao Usui’s teaching and yet we seem to think that it is only on a meditation pillow or a Reiki table. But Mikao Usui was teaching a way of being – today, every day, in all we do – so that we can live a healthy and happy life.
“Collecting and releasing rei is controlled by the heart-mind, which is a pool or rei. Mental-spiritual concentration readies the palm’s radiating surface, enabling one to gather rei power.”
Again and again Mikao Usui’s teachings point us to the mind and not just energy. Why? Because energy follows the mind. So if our mind is scattered, busy analysing, distinguishing etc…our energy is also all over the place. This is why the right mindset is so important.
“Reiki, the driving power of the treatment, is the power of the heart-mind [kokoro].”
When we look correctly at Mikao Usui’s teachings we see that he pointed towards the mind again and again. We can see this in the Reiki precepts, and within the meditation practice joshin kokyu ho, which translates as pure mind with each breath. We can see it in the symbols and mantras. Therefore it is important to make sure we understand that the real teachings of Mikao Usui are all about the mind.
“However, we practitioners do not cure them. They were healed due to the working of a certain power that exist in the natural universe. In other words, it is people’s original nature to be healthy, and they were healed by that power. Therefore, practitioners only assisted this activity of the universe.”
We do not cure or heal people; we are just facilitators. Through our own self-cultivation we hold space for our clients, and that will trigger their own natural inner healing ability. We are the universe and the universe is us. We are Reiki and Reiki is us.
This was true in (and long before) 1933 when Reiki and the Benevolent Art of Healing was published, it is true today and it will be true long into the future. Always, endlessly and timelessly, we are Reiki and Reiki is us.
