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    Can being a Reiki Master Hold You Back?

    Colin
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    Can being a Reiki Master Hold You Back? Empty Can being a Reiki Master Hold You Back?

    Post by Colin Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:39 am

    Here is a link to a provocative article written by Daniel Simpson, a Jikiden Reiki Teacher, which discusses the term 'Reiki Master':

    http://www.jikidenreikiuk.com/documents/ReikiMasterEssay.pdf

    It would be interesting to see comments - especially from non-Jikiden Reiki practitioners Smile
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    Post by Milarepa Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:59 am

    Really good piece. I enjoyed reading it and feel Dan's got it spot on about the vast majority of it.

    Just one or two comments though..

    It's true, using the term Master can feed the ego, for someone who tihnks the word is so important. for some, it's just another word to describe a teacher. If in the west the west use a word that universally is symbolic with teaching, Master coul;d be expected to be used. Difference being, Dan's point that a Master should know everything about what they teach. Or at least in our current Reiki climate, strive to understand everything about the style.

    I kinda disagree with the martial arts example, though that's a side-issue. Masters & Grandmasters in martial arts doesn't mean an end to training, martial arts is to acheive enlightenment. so why should it mean it in Reiki? My martial arts Grandmaster referred to me as 'Master' of his self defence system about 4 months ago in promotional material, it just means teacher. And he's from Indian sub-contient, hehe.

    For me, using the term of Reiki Master has defined my responsibility to Reiki. regarding myself as a Master of Usui Shiki Ryoho hasn't made me feel important, in fact the opposite. As i've got the title it's been my duty to sort out my Usui Shiki Ryoho, that i shouldda been teaching. The respect's been so much that it's stopped me teaching Usui Shiki Ryoho these last 2 1/2 years. And i'll never teach Usui Shiki Ryoho until i learn what i should have. So, using the term Master has been an incredibly powerful, respectful, catalyst for personal responsibility.

    It's worthwhile mentioning also, the ego. I know Dan wasn't saying this, but it's important for us individually to be clear if we object to the term Master really, or just do it out of political correctness. If we lose our hang-ups, it's a huge sign of our own sprituality, so a little ego isn't a bad thing. It's ok & cool to feel important. Why the heck should i not feel special? We're all special, and should applaud that. The difference is, if a Reiki person calls themselves a master, but doesn't do anything to try to sort out the possible inevitable crap they learnt, or adds knowing crap also, then the respect to what a Reiki Master means, or say, a Master of Usui Shiki Ryoho, just isn't there.

    Good topic colin!

    warmest wishes
    Wayne
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    Post by Dragonfly Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:22 am

    I appreciated his article and agree with the basic substance of it. The more I learn about Reiki and its original Japanese teachings/philosophy, the more I wish they were incorporated into Western Reiki because I think the context is important. However, I think such adherence to tradition would turn off a lot of people who could still provide deep benefit to the world by the healing work they do. Reiki as a healing technique is really pretty simple - at least the basics are. Reiki as a spiritual practice and path is another thing all together.

    Now, if you're talking about someone who makes the journey to "Reiki Master", then yes, I do think stricter standards should apply because they are teaching others how to do the techniques and embody the practice in their lives. I would be perfectly fine with being called a "Reiki Teacher." I hardly consider myself a "master" of anything and in fact, would like to do more training in the traditional Japanese schools at some point because I want to learn more. But I try not to denigrate the people who learned Western Reiki and are sincere in trying to live the Reiki principles and practice with love and compassion. Just because they don't know the "traditional" Japanese practices doesn't mean they aren't doing Reiki.

    I think some of this comes down to motive. Why would someone want to be a "Reiki Master"? When I went through the levels (which I now believe I went through way too quickly but I had no context for it then) I just wanted to understand more and more. The more I learn, the less it seems I understand! LOL Gotta love beginner's mind! Smile
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    Post by chi_solas Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:14 pm

    Dana, I understand that the
    the original Japanese Reiki
    classes involved memorizing
    and symbols drawn could not
    be taken home. The present
    day style of teaching is less
    stressful and more inclusionary.

    I have no problem with "Reiki Teacher"
    Reiki Master Teacher level is also Ok.
    Belitting other Reiki practicioners
    is being disrespectful and a dishonor
    to the Reiki principles. sunny
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    Post by Lambs-Wool Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:12 am

    Hi Colin Smile

    a beautiful stich to the disucssion i was having through the other thread...

    the title "master" is a shap, dual edged thing! while (like Wayne says) it gives the titleholder a greater responsibility, a sense of deeper attachment to reiki system, a compulsion that 'you should know more and more and more, since you are a master', etc., but on the same time, it has some negative effects like Daniel has pointed out, and everyone here knows of them without doubt...

    While Daniel has pointed out a very sensitive issue, i must give a reference to other systems... Daniel says that in many systems the Founder of the School gives title of "Mastership" to people who have attained that height(or depth)... while this might be easy to believe once a system was budding in its infancy (like in the times of Usui himself), it may hold increasingly reduced value as the time passes.... Given this principle, reiki might have died out even so very earlier immediately after the times of Usui, and, even we take the chain some longer, the 23 Masters who were trained by himself, could have been the last drop of this path... if it were so, had it been reached here to us ??


    in spiritual systems in a variety of systems prevailing in world, the Founder of the School allots the title... even if the founder is dead, systems are there as to how to approach his soul and to request confirmation of such title.. this may appear weird to some on-board here, but this is what i have learnt about various systems...

    so had reiki been curtaild in a closed group within a closed country or a cultural boundary, it could have been possible that a person was ascended to mastership only when a 'confirmation' came from Usui, who is in soul's universe, as everybody else is...


    but i think, here is where symbols come in... symbols contain Usui's Mandate, in the same way that he could have given, had he been alive at present... this is little esoteric or may be dogmatic, but this is how we find the spiritual systems working...


    it is sure not necessary to have a tag if we have to discover and learn more, and but is also not necessary that by removing the tag, or that by not opting to have a tag, we will learn better or more... this is highly personalized and varies from person to person... if i have a tag of a student, i m respectful, i m geared up to deepen my understanding, blah, blah, blah, but if i m having the tag of a 'master' all these sentiments reinforce and amplify... i m now 'answerable' for a greater responsibility... i have now to deepen the knowledge more than before since now i m the 'representative' or the 'spokesman' of the system....

    the title of a "master" is sometimes the only bond that helps us from astraying away from reiki system amid certain ebbs and flows of our spiritual development... it is akin to a higer, better, and stronger covenant... !!


    finally, the thing that the word 'master' imports the art of mastery, this is again a cultural confusion, i suppose... a master, in spiritual systems is also somebody who is a devout, who has taken upon himself to be committed and dedicated to the cause of what he is holding the title...


    instead of doing a service to enhance the awareness in the western world that a master in reiki does not mean a person who has 'mastered' it, we are, on the other hand, constantly trying to dump the very word ?

    being a master, is not only a title for a lot of person.. it is a representation of or rather an acknowledgement of their time and efforts they have heartily given to the cause of reiki, just for the sake of it.... so the word 'master' has great emotional attachment to the system too Smile


    like reiki percepts, there might also been somewhat like 'percepts of mastership', which we could recite daily, so that our innate ego, vanity, our "your holyness", does not astray us from the beauty of holding the title of being a "master" Smile


    take care

    salman
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    Post by rzukic Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:40 am

    Colin wrote:Here is a link to a provocative article written by Daniel Simpson, a Jikiden Reiki Teacher, which discusses the term 'Reiki Master':

    http://www.jikidenreikiuk.com/documents/ReikiMasterEssay.pdf

    It would be interesting to see comments - especially from non-Jikiden Reiki practitioners Smile

    Here we go Collin,( I hope I will not disappoint you Very Happy )

    I guess I fit perfectly the above description (I never heard of Jikiden Reiki) but somehow I do not feel ashamed because of it but to the contrary. While there are some legit points in this article I can not help but to note that when you strip all the rhetoric away what's left is egoistic, self-serving interest.

    It is laughable how people assume that all western reiki practitioners should “go back to the roots” of whatever the call traditional reiki. Call me septic but all this motion and re-discovery (or do I dare to say re-inventing) reiki history and the “race” who is more traditional seems to be designed with one goal in mind: To make some quick cash!

    I was fortunate enough to read great article on this very same forum by James who explained what happens if you change the formula, that was given to us by Dr. Usui. You get pure new system which at the same time is impure usi reiki. So assuming that Jikiden Reiki is Reiki style how pure or traditional it is than?

    Why in the world should I be expected to trust “that secret Reiki Gakkai-or whatever they call it- society when Dr. Hayashi didn't see it that way. Again, call me septic but it is quite possible that some of these new original reiki teachers were thought by...yes, you guessed it right.. “inexperienced western masters”

    I do not see anything wrong with being Western Reiki practitioner, master, teacher or in being western in general. We celebrate differences and value the freedom. We witness that only certain thing we can take to the bank is the change itself. Why resist the change if it is designed to meet new needs?

    Why in the world do we want to make things complicated when practicing reiki is so simple. Just take your ego out of equation and let the reiki do the rest.

    And finally, if this article reflects overal Jikiden Reiki attitude than I most certainly agree with the author of this article insofar that they reallyly shouldn't be called Masters when they even can not master to respect other people and yet ask to be respected.

    Regards.

    Discover How Learning Reiki Can Change Your Life!
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    Post by chi_solas Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:00 am

    rzukic, what you have said here is very important.....
    And finally, if this article reflects overal Jikiden Reiki attitude than I most certainly agree with the author of this article insofar that they reallyly shouldn't be called Masters when they even can not master to respect other people and yet ask to be respected.

    sunny Can being a Reiki Master Hold You Back? 850837
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    Post by aronaya Sat Apr 10, 2010 12:44 pm

    Respect comes from being and doing, not from titles.

    Calling myself a Reiki Master is primarily a way of honoring my teacher's lineage, including all the changes it went through on the way from Mrs. Takata.

    What I tell people who ask what it means: "beginner". Just the same as shodan in the martial arts. Also, it is one who can teach.

    That I take my teaching seriously, and give my students what they need to practice independently, is a matter for their judgment as they make their way in the Reiki world, meeting and sharing with others. The student is the teacher.

    When I am moved to offer guidance to a student or client, the very next thing after that is to ask myself, "how does what I told them apply to me, now, today?" This is to be a perpetual beginner.

    I have been a Reiki Master for almost seven years. There is still so much to learn. Each step is the first one.
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    Post by aronaya Sat Apr 10, 2010 12:48 pm

    Note, too, that Zen masters did not shy from the title of "Roshi", even the ones who attained it in only three years. Yes, monastic Zen is physically far more demanding and rigorous than Reiki appears to be. So, we in our human hubris, assume that one is "worth" more than the other.
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    Post by Lambs-Wool Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:57 pm

    Two Great Posts Aronaya Smile

    i m enjoying the wisdom you have shared...


    Calling myself a Reiki Master is primarily a way of honoring my teacher's lineage, including all the changes it went through on the way from Mrs. Takata.

    what a lovely thought of reverence and belongingness! Smile


    i would request you to come visit us here at RLL as and often as you feel convenient sir... i find a learning potential in myself in your presence!


    great care!

    salman
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    Post by aronaya Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:28 am

    Thank you, most kind~!

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