A Book I Will Not Read Twice

Hello Folks,


The first Reiki book I purchased was Diane Stein`s. It`s easy to tell that it was not intended for men...There is one little sentence that praises men for taking the Reiki path...but the sentence tastes more of patronage than praise, I found this disappointing and rather offensive...She left me with the impression that few men were capable of the compassion and inner peace that makes Reiki more effective...Looks to me like Diane needs a little more self healing time, if my interpretation of her regard for men is serving me accurately.

There is a considerable amount of info in Stein`s book that is interesting. It just happens to have very little to do with Reiki...This info comes from things studied in other spiritual disciplines...that`s all. Shes combined them...like that`s something new to western Reiki...not

It would seem, to me at least, that alot of modern woman have decided that only another woman can understand things from a woman`s perspective...possibly quite true. Reiki does appear like a "woman`s club" sometimes, but this is changing slowly...I dislike divisiveness, but it`s very apparent in this book...I gave my copy away to a young lady who was more interested in Wicca than Reiki...i`m sure it will serve her well.

Wow...I wonder how many times i`ve read or heard this...seems endless "I was a witch in another life and was burned on a cross or hung until death"...

I have had mediums tell me of my past lives...3 different mediums, to be exact, and they said mostly the same thing, rather amazing I thought, and rather amazing lives I have led...But..this information I have, would have no reason to be included in a book about Reiki...It has nothing to do with Reiki...
Wicca and Reiki....yeah whatever...should have been Shinto and Reiki, then possibly I could have seen some alignment or direction of truth.

I know that alot of the ladies feel Stein as some kind of champion of their cause..."girl power"...whatever. I`m not looking for a gender brawl with this that i write...Yet I find her gender based position small minded...

I have compassion, I have intuition, I have love for others, I can be effective in Reiki...Therefore if you want my respect and consideration, if you want me not not find fault in reasoning...keep gender based divisiveness out of Reiki, it has no place.

RJ

Well yes I take your point, but you would say that wouldn't you!

My RM who is a man uses Diane Stein's book as his set book for all levels of Reiki. Go figure, as they say. He is comfortable with the female-centric tone, as he recognises the oppression of women which has led to it. It's hard for men to quite understand how oppressed women have been for centuries in Western society.

And yes I too have been told of past lives, however I wasn't burned at the stake or hanged.

Personally I will continue to recommend her work and to use it in my teaching. I owe her a great deal, as does my Reiki Master.

Pandora wrote:Well yes I take your point, but you would say that wouldn't you!

My RM who is a man uses Diane Stein's book as his set book for all levels of Reiki. Go figure, as they say. He is comfortable with the female-centric tone, as he recognises the oppression of women which has led to it. It's hard for men to quite understand how oppressed women have been for centuries in Western society.

And yes I too have been told of past lives, however I wasn't burned at the stake or hanged.

Personally I will continue to recommend her work and to use it in my teaching. I owe her a great deal, as does my Reiki Master.

Hi,

I can understand how one could use this book. It just depends on one`s personal perspective.It`s a reiki hybrid...in my opinion

I also understand that it may take centuries for the affects of the oppression of woman to clear. Just do not become an oppressor of men through your journey of healing, as this amounts to revenge, and nothing more, it`s not a balanced position.

In my time, woman have gained alot of personal power, which, of course, i feel is a good thing and was necessary for better balance in our societies. I also see considerable resentment towards men through modern women. This indicates that we have a long road ahead of us in regard to mutual respect, and letting the past truly become the past.

Most people who know me personally would say that i have the ability to connect with both genders on the friendship level, as I am warm and approachable in person. I am, as a man, very much in touch with my feminine attributes, and i welcome them, they give me balance. So when I read Stein`s book I was disappointed that this "Reiki" book was slanted with Wicca and self empowerment for the female gender...To me...that`s divisive, in a land that is supposed to be promoting.....

ONENESS

Pandora, there is no judgement from me towards you in this matter...A person has to teach what they feel in their soul...Thank you for being non-emotional and tolerant of my ideas and words with respect to Diane Stein`s book...peace to you...

RJ

A few personal points on Diane Stein's book...

The Reiki History section is inaccurate (or should I say out-of-date), and I recall I disagreed with some of the notes on energy systems...

Agree the book goes beyond Reiki and is quite "new age" in focus. This will appeal to some people - so good to know before you buy it.

The book's also got a narrative style which is interesting, and often opinionated - but there's a personal touch there.

I agree with Jim on the Oneness aspect from the male perspective. Putting the past aside, oppression of female aspects of the psyche (both for men and women) is not a good thing. Especially for men, acceptance of those female aspects and drawing from them specifically in the healing context can be a great personal advance. In that respect, I think Diane Stein fails to inspire - most men are turned off by the book.

Overall it's quite a comprehensive manual-type book so I can understand why someone might use it as a basis for training.

It'd be interesting to see an updated edition.


John

never read her book....and I would love someone to tell me about any past lives I may have had....I'd like to think I was buddhist monk at one time, but I was more likely a bloke raping and pillaging.... I'm open to the idea of past lives, but until I have some direct experience telling me of my last lives then all I can be is open to the idea.....

also regarding past lives perhpas genetic memory gets thrown into the mix and people aren't remembering their OWN past experience but an experience of their ancestors......

I'm waffling off topic but hey ho.....

Shakti ~ Rising wrote:never read her book....and I would love someone to tell me about any past lives I may have had....I'd like to think I was buddhist monk at one time, but I was more likely a bloke raping and pillaging.... I'm open to the idea of past lives, but until I have some direct experience telling me of my last lives then all I can be is open to the idea.....

also regarding past lives perhpas genetic memory gets thrown into the mix and people aren't remembering their OWN past experience but an experience of their ancestors......

I'm waffling off topic but hey ho.....

Good point Shakti.This sounds like the concept of the "collective archetype" as put forwards by Jung, in which he says we each carry round with us a stereotype of a person, such as a "grandfather" or "grandmother", and this stereotype is formed by the collective unconsciousness of the society in which we live. (It explains why we think of "granny" as being a little old lady, when in reality my friends who are grannies may be little, but they are most certainly not old or grey or disabled or retired...) Are we accessing these archetypes through a "memory" of a past life"?

Hi Ladies!

Woooow...makes one wonder if the spirit gets gets "recycled" into the same family, from generation to generation.

RJ

Jim, it's possible that it does, but I'm really not sure how we would know! For example, there is a possibility that I was my grandfather, who died 9 years before I was born (I think my grandmother thought so). However, as his spirit's been channelled to me I don't think I am.

My grandmother's life parallels her great-grandfather's in many respects, but does that mean she was his reincarnation?

Something Buddhists beleive, which is kinda romantic. If two people in love, live their lives together, have the same intetests, and follow life the same way, they can reincarnate together again! prettty cool that1

Now I do believe in soul families. My friend Ruth, myself and my husband have incarnatd together for thousands of years. We all know this and have told each other independently.

You always been married to your husband, over that time? Or is it more risque?

Pandora wrote:Now I do believe in soul families. My friend Ruth, myself and my husband have incarnatd together for thousands of years. We all know this and have told each other independently.

Hi Pandora,

Did mediums give you this information, or did you become aware through personal intuition?


RJ

Milarepa wrote:You always been married to your husband, over that time? Or is it more risque?

As far as I am aware, in each incarnation we have been lovers.

Reikijim wrote:

Pandora wrote:Now I do believe in soul families. My friend Ruth, myself and my husband have incarnatd together for thousands of years. We all know this and have told each other independently.

Hi Pandora,

Did mediums give you this information, or did you become aware through personal intuition?


RJ

Steve and I told each other late one night when we were discussing the depth of our commitment to each other. When Steve told me it totally threw me because he is an IT geek and not someone you'd expect to be into reincarnation! Ruth has always seen dead people, and has told me of lives where I have tended to her after her death. While I saw a battlefield scene where we died together, once when giving her Reiki.

Pandora wrote:

Milarepa wrote:You always been married to your husband, over that time? Or is it more risque?

As far as I am aware, in each incarnation we have been lovers.

I's making a little joke to begin with. that's real romantic though! kinda comforting in a way for you now perhaps? After you both move on, chances are you be back toegether again. Fantastic stuff that Chris!

hmmmm I'm open to many many many ideas and concepts about reincarnation....

I'm open to the idea of soul groups reincarnating together......but I feel uneasy about some of my thoughts regarding this idea.......for instance if it's possible that two lovers from a previous life incarnate as a parent and child, could some deep set feelings lead to sexual abuse and incest?

well here's gonna be a hot potato twist, hehe. Good on ya, be interesting to see what way this develops!

I'd be interested in other people's thoughts for sure.....

also got plenty other thoughts regarding incarnation.....if there is such a thing as reincarnation then wouldn't it make sense for some humans to have been a different kind of humanoid form, from another part of the universe?......I read a fascinating book about this very subject a few years ago..can't remember the name of the book now, but I may still have it somewhere....

Shakti ~ Rising wrote:

also got plenty other thoughts regarding incarnation.....if there is such a thing as reincarnation then wouldn't it make sense for some humans to have been a different kind of humanoid form, from another part of the universe?......

if aliens exist, perhaps, hehe. In Buddhism, we can come back as anything from hungry ghosts to gods, for instance.

Milarepa wrote:

Shakti ~ Rising wrote:

also got plenty other thoughts regarding incarnation.....if there is such a thing as reincarnation then wouldn't it make sense for some humans to have been a different kind of humanoid form, from another part of the universe?......

if aliens exist, perhaps, hehe. In Buddhism, we can come back as anything from hungry ghosts to gods, for instance.

or maybe a goddess

True!