For me the precepts within the system of Reiki are the foundation; without the precepts the whole system of Reiki would collapse. They are…
Do not anger
Do not worry
Be grateful
Be true to your way and your true self
Show compassion to yourself and others
However, some teachers see hands-on/off healing as the foundation and thus spend more time focusing in their classes on this specific element within Mikao Usui’s teachings.
Let’s see if we can get a clearer picture of the difference between the precepts and hands-on/off healing.
Imagine; what if everybody in the world would practice the precepts and take them to heart and no one did hands-on/off healing?
Imagine; what if everybody in the world would do hands on/off healing but did not practice the precepts and take them to heart?
In which world would we feel safer, more compassionate, and content? And in which world would you like to live, and bring up your children?
If we practice and/or teach the system of Reiki, then these questions are very helpful to contemplate to get a clearer insight into Mikao Usui’s teachings and what is important in his teachings.
I would prefer to live in a world in which everybody would practice the precepts and take them to heart, a world of no anger, worry and fear. Imagine living in a world in which we can be grateful for everything that comes our way, in which we can be true to our way and our true self, a world filled with compassion to ourselves and others.
A world in which everybody only practices hands-on/off healing doesn’t necessarily mean one in which everybody is taking the precepts to heart. We might still be very angry and worried. We might find it hard to be grateful and be true to our way and our true self. We might not feel very compassionate to ourselves and others.
Of course if we practice hands-on/off healing long enough on ourselves and others, we might get to the point of taking the precepts to heart. But why wait? Why not start straight away with the precepts?
In essence we can not see the two elements as black and white as I am pointing them out in this article because by taking the precepts to heart, we might start to feel like doing hands-on/off healing on ourselves and others. And by practicing hands-on/off healing, we might start to embody the precepts.
But just think about it for a minute or two. Which world would you like to live in? Although both elements are intertwined, which one do you see as your foundation? When we contemplate questions like these, we get to go into the inner heart of the system of Reiki.
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 2
For me the precepts are a ‘condicio sine qua none’ for the practice of Reiki or to become Reiki.
Before I was initiated/attuned in Reiki, I was wondering how I could prepare for the initiation/blessing and started to memorise and meditate on the precepts. After a few weeks of daily practice twice a day I noticed my hands were unusually red at some time as if the Reiki was starting the flow more through my hands than normal (as we all do have Reiki) when concentrating on the precepts.
This was for me a confirmation that Reiki is more than hands on healing and that you need to prepare your mind for it. It is a shame that in many Reiki traditions Usui precepts are put at a second place and are hardly explained during a Reiki 1 course. There is too much emphasis on hands on healing in the western tradition of Reiki that will ultimately keep us from the goal of Reiki. Usui reminded us that the ultimate goal of the Reiki path is to attain Satori, enlightenment or Samadhi as it is called in the Indian tradition of Yoga in which I was introduced at a young age.
There are many similarities between the elements of the Yogadarsana of Patanjali and the precepts of Reiki and which you can find in many other traditions as well. To attain Samadhi as explained in the Yogasutras by Patanjali it is not possible to meditate or attain a stage of enlightenment if your mind and body are not prepared for it. To be able to meditate, which is an inward process after the senses have been withdrawn from the outside world, you need to be able to sit straight for a long time completely still without any pain or movement. In order to do this your mind, need to be calm and serene. A mind that is afflicted with attachment, hatred, jealousy, fear, pain, full of desires etc. cannot even concentrate at all. The practice of Yamas (restraints) and Niyamas (vows) in the path of Yoga are means to make our minds and senses more introspective and will enable to practitioner to sublimate his desires and will purify the mind and sense. Therefore Patanjali placed the practice of Yamas and Niyamas, in order to prepare your mind and senses, conditionally before you can practice asanas or pranayamas. In daily practise they go hand in hand but you cannot become successful in the practise of asanas or pranayamas by not achieving success in the practise of Yamas and Niyamas.
The Reiki precepts reminded me of the Yamas and Niyamas of Patanjali’s Yogasutras in many ways. Through the meditation on the precepts, I learned through the feedback of the Reiki flowing more readily through my body, that they are essential to the practise Reiki and to become Reiki at a later stage. The precepts prepare help the aspirant to become more Reiki (according to practise done) and set the foundation to become Reiki in the end.
Thank you Paul, very clear and well said.
Yes for me the precepts are the foundation of it all.