Reiki and
the Use of Symbols
Published in the April 1999 issue of "The
Messenger"
There is no doubt that Reiki is popular today. One only
has to go to a metaphysical bookstore to see increasing numbers of
books or to the internet to find a rapidly growing number of web sites
about this ancient energy discipline, In fact, when we first
connected to the internet 2 1/2 years ago, we only found nine sites on
Reiki; today there are literally thousands, and more added each week.
There are many questions posed to us, mostly about the symbols..."
Which ones are correct, do they really work, and are they necessary?"
are the ones most often asked. This article will help to answer these
questions; but remember, dear reader these answers are based on our
perceptions...stemming from the countless teachers we have studied and
talked to, the numerous books we have read, and our personal
experience based on hundreds of client treatments, self-treatments,
and our own inner guidance. If you connect to the information
contained within this article, we suggest you work with it until you
receive your own inner answers. Your ability to receive Higher
teachings/understanding from the inner dimensions of Reiki will
develop with continued practice, and by your openness to receive. But,
you have to let go of belief systems that limit your ability to
receive. The practice of Reiki can lead a practitioner to
enlightenment... in our understanding, this means to expand our
awareness beyond only the input of information through our physical
sensory organs.
Many non-Reiki and level 1 practitioners think the
symbols are the power behind Reiki. Perhaps if the symbols could be
obtained, then anyone could utilize Reiki without the necessity of
training. This is just not true. The symbols are not the power of
Reiki; they are not secret; they are not special. In and of
themselves, symbols reveal little of the teachings of Reiki. But, the
symbols are tools that help an attuned practitioner to hone his/her
awareness of higher understanding contained within the system itself.
We use the following analogy...Reiki is like a large hollow pipe. The
pipe is one sub-energy of all energy existing everywhere in the
Universe. Contained within this pipe is the totality of all that is
understood of Reiki by humanity at this time. Within the large pipe
are smaller pipes made up of information packets representing all of
the teachings of Reiki. Each smaller pipe represents the different
branches of Reiki, the symbols - their meanings and uses, the
attunement techniques, all the esoteric and exoteric information that
has been acquired from all philosophies/religions thought to make up
Reiki. The symbols are the keys that open up the doors to the
information packets. When we have fully experienced the information
within each sub-pipe, we will be considered "masters" of Reiki.
Traditionally, there are only four symbols that were passed down
through the lineage of Usui, Hayashi and Takata. So where did the many
other "Reiki" symbols originate? Most have been intuitively
channelled. Some have been incorrectly remembered, and taught to
others as original. In truth, most symbols are variations of the four
traditional ones. Many people have researched the origins of Reiki,
and when information is found in ancient manuscripts and documents, it
was sometimes offered as Reiki, even if it has little similarity to
today’s Reiki. We receive a lot of manuals and symbols from
practitioners, and most are but variations on a theme...traditional
teachings that has been changed to accommodate one's belief systems.
This is not to say that the contemporary symbols do not have some
purpose and use; they help us to understand ourselves and humanity as
a whole. But they are not the original information taught by the
lineage holders.
Do the symbols work, and how does one use them? As
keys to Higher understanding of Reiki, the symbols do indeed unlock
information beyond what is taught in classes. We recommend that
practitioners find ways to use the symbols to help open their
awareness to these higher meanings. In our classes, we draw oversized
symbols in the air, and have students step into them, intuitively
feeling their energy and possible meanings. We recommend the symbols
be focused on at the beginning of meditation sessions, calling upon
Higher guides/teachers in deep meditation to give greater insights,
journaling the mind's responses. Symbols can be visualized at the
beginning of sleep, and the mind programmed to remember "dreams" for
even greater understanding. Wearing symbols on the body can trigger
spontaneous memories from the collective un-conscious. The methods for
working with symbols are unlimited.
Are symbols necessary? Does a
practitioner need to use them? As in all tools, they are only
necessary until a practitioner integrates them into their waking
consciousness; until they become a response to everything life throws
at us. Most of us humans do not fully understand what it means to be "
responsible" for our reality...to be a conscious 'co-creative agent'
working within the Divine Plan of the Creator. There are indeed many
paths to the mountain-top, and Reiki is one of them. Through the
disciplined practice of this 'energy accumulating' system, a
practitioner's sensitivity can be heightened so s/he can utilize the
innate powers of perception that we call "psychic". These include the
abilities to perceive subtle energies beyond our limited five senses,
to discern energies that are out-of-balance within physical bodies or
in all matter, to supply greater amounts of energy to everything that
exists...extending it's usefulness and lifespan. Working with symbols
can awaken these abilities within us more quickly. Reiki is a
spiritual ladder... use it to discover what and who you are and your
purpose for being.
|