There are many practices within the system of Reiki, but Mikao Usui pointed out again and again that the essential focus is rediscovering our original nature. This is because it is only through this rediscovery that we can help others heal with compassion and wisdom.
In the Reiki Ryoho Hikkei, a manual handed out by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Hakkai in Japan, it states that Mikao Usui said, “If you can’t heal yourself how can you heal others?”
A very clear and direct pointing out instruction towards this essential focus is one of the Okuden Reiki II symbols/mantras hon sha ze sho nen 本者是正念. This symbol/mantra is commonly used to do distance healing but in Mikao Usui’s time this was not the case, it was a tool to rediscover our own original nature.
Recently I had a conversation with a Japanese Tendai priest in Japan and he said that for him 本者是正念 hon sha ze sho nen has a close relationship with the Tendai Hongaku teachings 天台本覚思想.
Hongaku is the original state of enlightenment. Hongaku means that everything is originally enlightened already, or in other words that everything is the great bright light already, we just have forgotten.
Hon sha ze sho nen 本者是正念 translates as; “My original nature is a correct thought.”
What is this correct thought? Is it the thought that we can do distance healing? No, of course not. This thought points straight towards our original nature. It is the thought that we are originally the great bright light already.
This is also pointed out within the Shinpiden Reiki III symbol/mantra Dai Kômyô.
“Komyo (the light [of the Buddha], emphasizes the notion that there is no place between heaven and earth that Buddha-nature, and therefore original enlightenment, does not permeate.” – The Bodymind Experience in Japanese Buddhism – A Phenomenological Study of Kukai and Dogen by David Edward Shaner
Thus both Hon sha ze sho nen and Dai Kômyô are doing the same thing: pointing towards our original nature.
“Komyo exists in me and I exist in Komyo.” – Note from a student of Mikao Usui, supplied by Hirsohi Doi
The precepts point to the rediscovery of our original nature out as well. Because it is only in the state of our original nature, our great bright light, that we have no more anger and worry, that we are grateful, true to our way and our being, and compassionate.
But why did he feel the need to remind us in so many ways about our original nature?
Because he realized that we must first heal ourselves before we can heal others.
This leads us to the question of what Mikao Usui thought healing was. We can find the answer in his teachings. Our original nature is also the deepest state of healing. This can also be seen within the precepts, because the precepts do not discuss physical issues at all, but rather state of mind. If we are rediscovering our own original nature we can help others to rediscover theirs.
Therefore the essential focus of the system of Reiki is foremost about rediscovering our original nature. But how do we do this?
Hongaku – original enlightenment is explained in the Jimon Tendai text of Hongaku-zan in a symbolic way as “beans.” Everything has original enlightened beans within it, all we have to do is water them. give them light and keep the weeds out.
Within the system of Reiki the rain, the sun, and the weeding is done through meditating on the precepts, meditating on the symbols and mantras, practicing the meditations like joshin kokyu ho and being in a meditative state of mind during reiju/initiation/attunement.
Based in Holland, Frans Stiene teaches in North America, Europe, UK, Australia and Asia.
Frans is also the author of Reiki Insights, it is the continuation of his previous book The Inner Heart of Reiki, taking your personal practice and understanding of the system of Reiki yet another step deeper.
Comments 5
Thank you Frans for this article. You put the practice and dicipline of Reiki into propective. However, if we wait to we heal ourselves before healing others, we may be in for a long wait.
Hi Miriam,
True, but this is why we have to keep practicing while we hep others. If we stop and think I have it now we loose our way.
Love
Frans
Some time ago I had read a quote – Do not trust the healer who doesn’t limp.I think I am just starting to understand a altogether different layer of that.
To me it means that we cannot go deep in healing others if we ourselves haven’t gone through process of our healing.However I don’t think there is anyone in this world who doesn’t need some sort of healing.We all do.
What I realize is now that as long as we have this understanding that we don’t have to be perfect , we don’t have to be a performer etc. when we are “doing” healing on clients , students and just have to be with them just as we are in best way possible- with our “bright light” healing goes deeper . Not just for them but ourselves , so in that process we are healing ourselves.
I also think this is also true when we are with our teachers as students or if we are receiving healing .We just have to be what we are ..
In that way I think healing self and others is a two fold practice/ healing/ teaching/ learning.
This is what I have started to think/ feel after my recent Shinpiden class.
Change is healing….not easy sometimes…
Thank you for the reminder , that we have to keep practicing to heal together in this journey !
I had already suspected there was a lot of distortion of the original teachings of reiki when I began doing research into with who and where I could train. In the end, this led me to a woman in the western suburbs of Chicago who was a teacher for IHR. I was equally drawn to her presence and integrity as I was with the readings I’d done of Franz and Bronwen. Here, there was something. The primary tennant that attracted me was their emphasis on practicing with oneself first. This impressed me because, as any of us know, it simply takes commitment, patience, and just plain doing the work, frustrating as it can be in the beginning. It wasn’t practicing reiki, itself, that made it clear to me that the greatest obstacle in being able to do something really well is myself; this was something that had been raising its frightful head in every area of my life since the first time I fell wonderstruck by Love. We think we’re practicing reiki, but really we’re practicing letting go, patience, and non-contrivance that eventually leads to the deep of silence and the ground of openness in which everything unfolds, itself. This is where the introduction occurred. Is there a ‘me’ that is doing anything in this? And what of the mystery that is this unfolding in the deep of silence?
Love
p
Author
Thank you Paul,
Yes, practice and realizing that there is no “I” in the first place.
Love
Frans