I want the to go to the source!

Some of us enjoy a little pride in lineage positoning, if only admitting this to ourselves. Lots of us enjoy expereincing the latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki. Even more of us want to experience the latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure. Or, there's the accepting among us whom eagerly deavour the best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem.

Probably most have been there, somewhere, to some degree, at some point. I know i have many times. I still am, haha! Just what is it that makes so many of us feel the motivation to keep experiencing, keep learning new concepts, ways of interacting, with, ourselves?

I'm really interested in as many views as possible.

Warmest Wishes
Wayne

Milarepa wrote:Some of us enjoy a little pride in lineage positoning, if only admitting this to ourselves. Lots of us enjoy expereincing the latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki. Even more of us want to experience the latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure. Or, there's the accepting among us whom eagerly deavour the best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem.

Probably most have been there, somewhere, to some degree, at some point. I know i have many times. I still am, haha! Just what is it that makes so many of us feel the motivation to keep experiencing, keep learning new concepts, ways of interacting, with, ourselves?

I'm really interested in as many views as possible.

Warmest Wishes
Wayne

Hi Wayne

Great questions!

Here is the way I see it.

1) Lineage positioning?

- It may just be that your were an "early adopter" and learned Reiki in the early days before there were thousands (millions?) of Reiki Teachers, which means there will be fewer steps back to Usui. A nice place to be but only because it means you will have had more time to practice Reiki!

It may be that you have actively sought out a Reiki Teacher who has a very short lineage. Why might this be? Maybe because you feel in a shorter lineage the Reiki teachings will have been less mixed with non-Reiki add-ins?

- Well it appears that many, if not most, of the add-ins to Reiki teachings, such as chakras, crystal grids, Reiki guides etc. first started to be taught as Reiki very early in the development of Reiki - as early as several (but not all) of Takata's Master Students. So a lineage would have to be very short and exclude certain people to be fairly sure that what you have been taught as Reiki is just Reiki.

Or, maybe because you feel the energetic link with Usui is stronger, and the Reiki you "receive" will be stronger, more powerful?

- Well, I believe that Reiki just is, it doesn't come in different strengths or levels of power, it just has different effects depending on the circumstance and maybe the experience and amount of regular practice of the practitioner. If you meet a Reiki practitioner who has been regularly practicing Reiki for many years you can sense or feel the Reiki emanating from them. However, this does not mean that the Reiki we "receive" from them will be stronger. In fact I don't think we "receive" any Reiki from anyone in terms of the Reiju or Initiation/Attunement. We may "receive" an (increased) awareness of Reiki within us and around us but it is up to us and our regular practice to become more confident and develop our technique so that we can be more effective Reiki practitioners (i.e. become better at staying out of the way and not becoming attached to specifics!).

2) The latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki?

- Well, yes there are hundreds of new Reiki styles still appearing everywhere but in many cases, the only thing connected to Usui's style of Reiki is that the name of the style has the word 'Reiki' in it! It is part of the (modified by the media, peer pressure etc.) human nature to want the latest, best, purest, most powerful version of something but, as I mentioned above Reiki is Reiki! I don't believe you can get a "New Improved Reiki! Works Twice as Fast as the Old Reiki!". It may be that some people are becoming more sensitive to Reiki and find it easier to emanate this phenomenon but the Reiki is no different. A Reiki practitioner still needs to practice regularly (on self and others) and all the extra symbols and techniques we often find in these newer styles realy just clutter the system and mean that there is more for the practitioner to learn, remember and worry about getting wrong - and makes it more difficult to stay out of the way and let the Reiki do what it needs to do.

3) Latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure?

I think the majority of Reiki practitioners who have been around for a few years have become more discerning about who to "believe" when they come forward with "original Reiki teachings/students". Since Lama Yeshe (Richard Blackwell), who managed to pull the wool over the eyes of many respected Reiki teachers with what turned out to be channelled material,in particular, many people have naturally been more wary of originality claims. Like Richard Blackwell, many of these other "single sources" claim to be being taught by students of Mikao Usui but are unwilling/unable to produce any documentary evidence of either the fact that they are being taught (certificates, which are usually issued after achieving certain stages in the teaching of most arts and practices in Japan - not only Reiki) or photographs of their teacher or their classes/other students (or in at least one case the actual proper name of their teacher!). In the case of those teachers who claim to teach what Usui taught before he came up with Usui Reiki Ryoho then they are not teaching Usui Reiki Ryoho as we understand it and it is up to their students to decide what they are being taught is useful and helpful for them.

4) The best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem?

Well, this depends on what your goal is! If you want to learn all there is to know about Reiki and exactly what it was that Mikao Usui (or Chujiro Hayashi or even Hawayo Takata) taught then the goal is very far away and is most likely unreachable unless you could go back in time and attend one of their classes in person!

There are no short cuts to Reiki - only practice and more practice. In my opinion, the beauty of the Japanese approach, is its simplicity and lack of unnecessary dogma and techniques, which makes it easier for the student to focus on practicing Reiki rather than worrying about lots of extra things that the teacher has added-in.

In Japan, becoming a Master in any art or practice is a lifelong journey, so the goal of becoming a true master is always "far away" for most of us. We can, however, learn to become good teachers for our students by helping them on their journey to mastership by keeping what we teach free of unnecessary clutter. What actually is "unecessary clutter" is of course up to the teacher!

Colin wrote:

Milarepa wrote:Some of us enjoy a little pride in lineage positoning, if only admitting this to ourselves. Lots of us enjoy expereincing the latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki. Even more of us want to experience the latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure. Or, there's the accepting among us whom eagerly deavour the best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem.

Probably most have been there, somewhere, to some degree, at some point. I know i have many times. I still am, haha! Just what is it that makes so many of us feel the motivation to keep experiencing, keep learning new concepts, ways of interacting, with, ourselves?

I'm really interested in as many views as possible.

Warmest Wishes
Wayne

Hi Wayne

Great questions!

Here is the way I see it.

1) Lineage positioning?

- It may just be that your were an "early adopter" and learned Reiki in the early days before there were thousands (millions?) of Reiki Teachers, which means there will be fewer steps back to Usui. A nice place to be but only because it means you will have had more time to practice Reiki!

It may be that you have actively sought out a Reiki Teacher who has a very short lineage. Why might this be? Maybe because you feel in a shorter lineage the Reiki teachings will have been less mixed with non-Reiki add-ins?

- Well it appears that many, if not most, of the add-ins to Reiki teachings, such as chakras, crystal grids, Reiki guides etc. first started to be taught as Reiki very early in the development of Reiki - as early as several (but not all) of Takata's Master Students. So a lineage would have to be very short and exclude certain people to be fairly sure that what you have been taught as Reiki is just Reiki.

Or, maybe because you feel the energetic link with Usui is stronger, and the Reiki you "receive" will be stronger, more powerful?

- Well, I believe that Reiki just is, it doesn't come in different strengths or levels of power, it just has different effects depending on the circumstance and maybe the experience and amount of regular practice of the practitioner. If you meet a Reiki practitioner who has been regularly practicing Reiki for many years you can sense or feel the Reiki emanating from them. However, this does not mean that the Reiki we "receive" from them will be stronger. In fact I don't think we "receive" any Reiki from anyone in terms of the Reiju or Initiation/Attunement. We may "receive" an (increased) awareness of Reiki within us and around us but it is up to us and our regular practice to become more confident and develop our technique so that we can be more effective Reiki practitioners (i.e. become better at staying out of the way and not becoming attached to specifics!).

2) The latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki?

- Well, yes there are hundreds of new Reiki styles still appearing everywhere but in many cases, the only thing connected to Usui's style of Reiki is that the name of the style has the word 'Reiki' in it! It is part of the (modified by the media, peer pressure etc.) human nature to want the latest, best, purest, most powerful version of something but, as I mentioned above Reiki is Reiki! I don't believe you can get a "New Improved Reiki! Works Twice as Fast as the Old Reiki!". It may be that some people are becoming more sensitive to Reiki and find it easier to emanate this phenomenon but the Reiki is no different. A Reiki practitioner still needs to practice regularly (on self and others) and all the extra symbols and techniques we often find in these newer styles realy just clutter the system and mean that there is more for the practitioner to learn, remember and worry about getting wrong - and makes it more difficult to stay out of the way and let the Reiki do what it needs to do.

3) Latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure?

I think the majority of Reiki practitioners who have been around for a few years have become more discerning about who to "believe" when they come forward with "original Reiki teachings/students". Since Lama Yeshe (Richard Blackwell), who managed to pull the wool over the eyes of many respected Reiki teachers with what turned out to be channelled material,in particular, many people have naturally been more wary of originality claims. Like Richard Blackwell, many of these other "single sources" claim to be being taught by students of Mikao Usui but are unwilling/unable to produce any documentary evidence of either the fact that they are being taught (certificates, which are usually issued after achieving certain stages in the teaching of most arts and practices in Japan - not only Reiki) or photographs of their teacher or their classes/other students (or in at least one case the actual proper name of their teacher!). In the case of those teachers who claim to teach what Usui taught before he came up with Usui Reiki Ryoho then they are not teaching Usui Reiki Ryoho as we understand it and it is up to their students to decide what they are being taught is useful and helpful for them.

4) The best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem?

Well, this depends on what your goal is! If you want to learn all there is to know about Reiki and exactly what it was that Mikao Usui (or Chujiro Hayashi or even Hawayo Takata) taught then the goal is very far away and is most likely unreachable unless you could go back in time and attend one of their classes in person!

There are no short cuts to Reiki - only practice and more practice. In my opinion, the beauty of the Japanese approach, is its simplicity and lack of unnecessary dogma and techniques, which makes it easier for the student to focus on practicing Reiki rather than worrying about lots of extra things that the teacher has added-in.

In Japan, becoming a Master in any art or practice is a lifelong journey, so the goal of becoming a true master is always "far away" for most of us. We can, however, learn to become good teachers for our students by helping them on their journey to mastership by keeping what we teach free of unnecessary clutter. What actually is "unecessary clutter" is of course up to the teacher!

Hi,
I agree with everything that is being said here. I`m a new reiki practitioner having only three months of practice. Before attending my course I read "Japanese Reiki" and it was a very good book but I always only believed in the energy its self not so much the wrapping. I respect the system of reiki of course, like religion, it is there to appeal and help people with different views in their practice, and that is only good. Had it not been there it would probably never have reached me or many others.

I had a treatment from my current Reiki teacher before I attended her course, and I knew she thought a more Chakra influenced system, but I also knew she was a very serious practitioner and that was the only qualification I needed from my teacher. Although I believe more in the intuitive ways of Japanese Reiki, I admit that the strict routine of hand positions helped me at first when I wasn`t too sure about the energy.

I plan on taking a reiki II and maybe III course eventually and experience for my self if the new tools give me anything, but out of curiosity I am more eager to delve deeper into the teachings of ki energy with no relation to the system of Reiki necessarily. Most importantly of course I give Reiki to my self every day, and some to my partner when I feel she need it (or to our baby inside her ).

This is the first day on the net actively trying to do a bit more studying, and happy to find this forum that seems to reflect my mentality towards Reiki.

Haakon wrote:

Colin wrote:

Milarepa wrote:Some of us enjoy a little pride in lineage positoning, if only admitting this to ourselves. Lots of us enjoy expereincing the latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki. Even more of us want to experience the latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure. Or, there's the accepting among us whom eagerly deavour the best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem.

Probably most have been there, somewhere, to some degree, at some point. I know i have many times. I still am, haha! Just what is it that makes so many of us feel the motivation to keep experiencing, keep learning new concepts, ways of interacting, with, ourselves?

I'm really interested in as many views as possible.

Warmest Wishes
Wayne

Hi Wayne

Great questions!

Here is the way I see it.

1) Lineage positioning?

- It may just be that your were an "early adopter" and learned Reiki in the early days before there were thousands (millions?) of Reiki Teachers, which means there will be fewer steps back to Usui. A nice place to be but only because it means you will have had more time to practice Reiki!

It may be that you have actively sought out a Reiki Teacher who has a very short lineage. Why might this be? Maybe because you feel in a shorter lineage the Reiki teachings will have been less mixed with non-Reiki add-ins?

- Well it appears that many, if not most, of the add-ins to Reiki teachings, such as chakras, crystal grids, Reiki guides etc. first started to be taught as Reiki very early in the development of Reiki - as early as several (but not all) of Takata's Master Students. So a lineage would have to be very short and exclude certain people to be fairly sure that what you have been taught as Reiki is just Reiki.

Or, maybe because you feel the energetic link with Usui is stronger, and the Reiki you "receive" will be stronger, more powerful?

- Well, I believe that Reiki just is, it doesn't come in different strengths or levels of power, it just has different effects depending on the circumstance and maybe the experience and amount of regular practice of the practitioner. If you meet a Reiki practitioner who has been regularly practicing Reiki for many years you can sense or feel the Reiki emanating from them. However, this does not mean that the Reiki we "receive" from them will be stronger. In fact I don't think we "receive" any Reiki from anyone in terms of the Reiju or Initiation/Attunement. We may "receive" an (increased) awareness of Reiki within us and around us but it is up to us and our regular practice to become more confident and develop our technique so that we can be more effective Reiki practitioners (i.e. become better at staying out of the way and not becoming attached to specifics!).

2) The latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki?

- Well, yes there are hundreds of new Reiki styles still appearing everywhere but in many cases, the only thing connected to Usui's style of Reiki is that the name of the style has the word 'Reiki' in it! It is part of the (modified by the media, peer pressure etc.) human nature to want the latest, best, purest, most powerful version of something but, as I mentioned above Reiki is Reiki! I don't believe you can get a "New Improved Reiki! Works Twice as Fast as the Old Reiki!". It may be that some people are becoming more sensitive to Reiki and find it easier to emanate this phenomenon but the Reiki is no different. A Reiki practitioner still needs to practice regularly (on self and others) and all the extra symbols and techniques we often find in these newer styles realy just clutter the system and mean that there is more for the practitioner to learn, remember and worry about getting wrong - and makes it more difficult to stay out of the way and let the Reiki do what it needs to do.

3) Latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure?

I think the majority of Reiki practitioners who have been around for a few years have become more discerning about who to "believe" when they come forward with "original Reiki teachings/students". Since Lama Yeshe (Richard Blackwell), who managed to pull the wool over the eyes of many respected Reiki teachers with what turned out to be channelled material,in particular, many people have naturally been more wary of originality claims. Like Richard Blackwell, many of these other "single sources" claim to be being taught by students of Mikao Usui but are unwilling/unable to produce any documentary evidence of either the fact that they are being taught (certificates, which are usually issued after achieving certain stages in the teaching of most arts and practices in Japan - not only Reiki) or photographs of their teacher or their classes/other students (or in at least one case the actual proper name of their teacher!). In the case of those teachers who claim to teach what Usui taught before he came up with Usui Reiki Ryoho then they are not teaching Usui Reiki Ryoho as we understand it and it is up to their students to decide what they are being taught is useful and helpful for them.

4) The best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem?

Well, this depends on what your goal is! If you want to learn all there is to know about Reiki and exactly what it was that Mikao Usui (or Chujiro Hayashi or even Hawayo Takata) taught then the goal is very far away and is most likely unreachable unless you could go back in time and attend one of their classes in person!

There are no short cuts to Reiki - only practice and more practice. In my opinion, the beauty of the Japanese approach, is its simplicity and lack of unnecessary dogma and techniques, which makes it easier for the student to focus on practicing Reiki rather than worrying about lots of extra things that the teacher has added-in.

In Japan, becoming a Master in any art or practice is a lifelong journey, so the goal of becoming a true master is always "far away" for most of us. We can, however, learn to become good teachers for our students by helping them on their journey to mastership by keeping what we teach free of unnecessary clutter. What actually is "unecessary clutter" is of course up to the teacher!

Hi,
I agree with everything that is being said here. I`m a new reiki practitioner having only three months of practice. Before attending my course I read "Japanese Reiki" and it was a very good book but I always only believed in the energy its self not so much the wrapping. I respect the system of reiki of course, like religion, it is there to appeal and help people with different views in their practice, and that is only good. Had it not been there it would probably never have reached me or many others.

I had a treatment from my current Reiki teacher before I attended her course, and I knew she thought a more Chakra influenced system, but I also knew she was a very serious practitioner and that was the only qualification I needed from my teacher. Although I believe more in the intuitive ways of Japanese Reiki, I admit that the strict routine of hand positions helped me at first when I wasn`t too sure about the energy.

I plan on taking a reiki II and maybe III course eventually and experience for my self if the new tools give me anything, but out of curiosity I am more eager to delve deeper into the teachings of ki energy with no relation to the system of Reiki necessarily. Most importantly of course I give Reiki to my self every day, and some to my partner when I feel she need it (or to our baby inside her ).

This is the first day on the net actively trying to do a bit more studying, and happy to find this forum that seems to reflect my mentality towards Reiki.

Welcome Haakon to RLL

I love the sincere way you have
layed out you attitude about Reiki.
I did a Reiki session once with a
pregnant client. She was a nurse at
the hospital where I volunteered.
It was a twenty minute session. on a
full massage table. When the session
was over she said she has such a busy
schedule she never feels the baby & it
was strange during the session she
could feel the baby moving

Welcome Haakon to RLL

I love the sincere way you have
layed out you attitude about Reiki.
I did a Reiki session once with a
pregnant client. She was a nurse at
the hospital where I volunteered.
It was a twenty minute session. on a
full massage table. When the session
was over she said she has such a busy
schedule she never feels the baby & it
was strange during the session she
could feel the baby moving

Hi, thanks!
The pregnant has definitely an even greater benefit of Reiki.
I actually use it to calm the little one down so my partner can get some rest. He has been very quiet for the first six months but is now causing turmoil in her belly. I give the belly some Reiki when she goes to bed and the little one calms down 100% of the time. I try to not do it during the day because it is probably doing all that for a reason too. He probably needs to tone his muscles for the big push

Haakon wrote:

Welcome Haakon to RLL

I love the sincere way you have
layed out you attitude about Reiki.
I did a Reiki session once with a
pregnant client. She was a nurse at
the hospital where I volunteered.
It was a twenty minute session. on a
full massage table. When the session
was over she said she has such a busy
schedule she never feels the baby & it
was strange during the session she
could feel the baby moving

Hi, thanks!
The pregnant has definitely an even greater benefit of Reiki.
I actually use it to calm the little one down so my partner can get some rest. He has been very quiet for the first six months but is now causing turmoil in her belly. I give the belly some Reiki when she goes to bed and the little one calms down 100% of the time. I try to not do it during the day because it is probably doing all that for a reason too. He probably needs to tone his muscles for the big push

Yes Reiki has plus'for a pregnant woman.
That big push will finally help him with
his first independent gulp of Universal Engery

Milarepa wrote:Some of us enjoy a little pride in lineage positoning, if only admitting this to ourselves. Lots of us enjoy expereincing the latest, stronger, purer, more effective Reiki. Even more of us want to experience the latest single source white western who has exclusivity to some ellusive Japanese hermit type figure. Or, there's the accepting among us whom eagerly deavour the best marketed 'Japanese' styles, no matter how far away goals seem.

Probably most have been there, somewhere, to some degree, at some point. I know i have many times. I still am, haha! Just what is it that makes so many of us feel the motivation to keep experiencing, keep learning new concepts, ways of interacting, with, ourselves?

I'm really interested in as many views as possible.

Warmest Wishes
Wayne

'what is it that makes so many of us feel the motivation to keep experiencing, keep learning new concepts, interacting with ourselves' ?


Well for me in regards to learning and growing within the context of offering healing to others, it's never a case of thinking about things from an intellectual perspective, 'ooh I must progress further, higher, harder, learn the latest, best more effective form/meditations, set of techniques, etc etc....' for me there has always been an inner drawing towards a particular direction which has always involved a great many sweet synchronicities.......when these synchronicities keep knocking on one's door, its time to open it. There has been a very natural progression for me...a calling and a being drawn towards. I don't know If I have shared this before on here, but after my first attunement with Reiki, i was led on my bed one night having a 'conversation' with my friends in spirit.... I said I hope they didn't feel I was being disloyal by becoming involved in this new Reiki thing...( Not exact words but you get the Jist).....when I had a most beautiful experience.......I was lifted up ( not my physical body)...and lifted into waves of Light and Bliss ( The whole tears streaming down my face thing happened again) and I could feel many many hands supporting me in this Light....I knew immediately that the path I had found myself on was one in which I was being fully guided and supported.

edited 5/23 to fix quotes~ Bridget

Once I discovered that there were other Reiki styles out there in the marketplace I began looking for Traditional ones to compare my Takata Western training with.
While I had no problem with the 5 Reiki principles, I did have issues with the additional two 'precepts' - energy exchange and the client having to ask.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that these two 'precepts' were not part of Traditional Japanese Reiki. This difference lead me to believe that someone in my lineage 'upline' had added something that wasn't Reiki to this teaching.

It has been my experience that Traditional Japanese Reiki is simple and uncomplicated. No special rituals, fasting, saying prayers - that kind of thing. Being able to be close to the top of the lineage was important only in the sense that it was transmitted more accurately. Less of the 'broken telephone' effect.

I have become aware since taking this training that my focus is more on becoming a Master of my own Enlightenment as opposed to having a bigger, faster, stronger, more symbols kind of Reiki.

Right now, I'm comfortable where I'm at. The internal quest for more courses or styles seems to be satiated. That may change but Just for Today it's ok.