The Right Aim

by Frans Stiene

“If you want to go deep into your life and learn who you really are, you should have a destination. You should know where you are heading. If so, where are you heading? Know where you are heading but don’t attache to your destination.” – The Light That Shines Through Infinity – Zen and the Energy of Life by Dainin Katagiri

One of the most important elements in any kind of practice is that we have the right aim. And we need to have this right aim straight from the beginning so that we know where we are heading. But what is the right aim? 

Many years ago I attended a talk by a yogi in a fancy yoga centre in Sydney. When he sat down, the first thing he did was ask 10 or so people why they practiced yoga. After listening to their answers he said: “So none of you really practice yoga.” They all were stunned. The yogi said that none of the people he asked had stated that they practice yoga for self awakening, which is of course the aim of practicing yoga. One said they practice to get fit, one to be flexible, another to relax etc., but none said self awakening.

When we have the wrong aim in our practice we also do not get to the right destination!

It is like going to visit someone in Amsterdam: the first thing you need is their address. And if you do not have the right address you might end up in Berlin. Of course Berlin is also fun, but it is not where you wanted to go.

So what is the right aim/address, within the system of Reiki? Mikao Usui pointed this out very clearly within his teachings. The aim is self awakening, realizing our great bright light, our true self, that we are Kami or Buddha, that we are Reiki, or in other words the embodiment of the Reiki precepts in all we do today. That is the right aim/address. 

Within 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, we find an interview with Mikao Usui. His answer to one of the questions is a very important pointer to the aim of what he taught was the right aim/address.

“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.”

Therefore right from the start of our training and practice we have to have the right aim/ address; else we do not hit the right target. It is a bit like a bow and an arrow, if we want to hit a specific point, we need to aim at that point and not at something else. But there is something very important beyond our aim;  we need to let go of the arrow. If we keep holding our bow with the arrow ready to fly, we will never hit any target no matter what it is. So when we start a practice, first we look at the aim/address, and then during the practice we completely let go of the aim/address.

Thus if we practice the system of Reiki with the aim to feel energy, see colors, or chant mantras because it sounds nice, then we have the wrong aim/address. We will not hit the target of realizing that today we are already Kami, Buddha, that we are Reiki right now in all we do. And we will not realize the embodiment of the Reiki precepts in all we do. Therefore, as Mikao Usui pointed out, the core principle, aim/address, is in realizing the mind of Kami, Buddha.

Then of course we might ask, what is that kind of mind? It is the mind we have already, beyond the clouds of suffering, pain, and confusion. Or as Mikao Usui pointed out so elegantly, a state of mind free of anger and worry, a state of mind which is full of gratefulness, being true to their way and their being, a mind which has a compassion which does not change according to circumstances.

We are not creating a new mind, we are looking at the essence of our mind and not the confusion which takes place in our mind. This is the most important aim/address, within the system of Reiki.

Here is another example: say you buy a car, you need to know the aim of why you buy a car. You buy a car to drive from point A to point B, not to drive in circles. If you just drive circles, then that is a waste of buying a car. You could just walk circles and save a lot of money. If you do not recognize the full aim of driving a car, its use is very limited. 

If you practice the system of Reiki just to just heal your pain in your knee, to become relaxed, to earn money, to feel energy, to see colors, etc… then your aim is very limited. You might find all of these aims beneficial and helpful, but they are not the principal aim.

So no matter if you are a Reiki practitioner or teacher, check what your aim/address is. And go for the deepest aim/address, within the system of Reiki; why limit yourself?