Reiki Encounter

Reiki is God-consciousness (Rei) that guides Ki for healing purposes. There are different kinds of energies spread all over the universe. These energies vibrate at different frequencies. Various healers use healing energies that vibrate at different frequencies. So, no two people using different healing systems could possibly be using the same type of healing energy. For example, healers may use different colored energies to heal people. As we all know that various colors vibrate at varying frequencies, their effect on the human aura is distinct from one another.

That way, Reiki is different from other healing energies. Reiki vibrates at a certain frequency that may not be similar to some other healing energy. If Reiki vibrates at a particular frequency, why is it that we do not get the same results when two different Reiki healers are in action? Possibly, when Reiki passes through a human medium, it loses its purity mingling with the aura of the medium. Depending on the purity of the healer’s energy, Reiki is subject to various levels of dilutions, which could explain varying results at the hands of different Reiki healers.

Healers do use energy for healing, but not all use Reiki. The healing energy Reiki can only be used by those who have been attuned to receive the energy. The life energy Reiki is a “guided” energy that receives guidance from a higher being or power. Reiki thus, can only be used by those who have been attuned as a channel to receive the energy by a Reiki Master. It is necessary to approach a Reiki Master to receive attunement before a person can use Reiki for healing purposes.

Reiki Attunement
Reiki does not involve the technicalities that some energy healing systems employ. The ability to use Reiki is proffered in a simple attunement ceremony that the Reiki Master conducts. During the attunement process, the Reiki life energy makes certain necessary changes in the aura and chakras of the recipient, which facilitates the channeling of Reiki. This process is a prerequisite to connecting the subject to the Reiki source. The entire process is held under the guidance of God-consciousness (Rei). 

The Reiki attunement is a special spiritual experience for most recipients. Adjustments in the energy body are made according to individual needs. The attunement process is assisted, witnessed, and blessed by various higher beings. This results in a wave of spiritual experiences. Some may report having sighted bright light, or different colored lights. For some it is an emotional moment that results in a bout of uncontrolled weeping. Reports of opening of the third-eye are also not uncommon after the attunement process.

The Reiki attunement is a one-time process. Those who have undergone the process are linked to the Reiki source. They can re-link to the Reiki source at will, even after a long gap. The contact can be renewed at any time. However, different attunements are required for each level. These attunements allow subtler and stronger energies to flow through the Reiki channel. These energies are more refined than those achieved at the basic level. By the time the initiate reaches the Master and Grand Master levels, the Reiki energies are at their most effective. The attainment of these levels is characterized by marked improvement in their level of consciousness, mental and physical health, and refinement in their personal Ki. Psychic energies also undergo greater sensitivity.

Benefits of Attunement
Although it may not be experienced by the initiate, the attunement process begins a cleansing process within the energy body. The energy structure too starts undergoing rehabilitation. The ill-effects on the energy body due to gross misuse of the body and emotions start wearing off as a result of the attunement. The changes at the physical level may be marked by the expulsion of toxins in the body. All toxins that have accumulated over the years are removed and the body moves in the direction of attaining purity.

It is not necessary that the above reactions may start taking place immediately upon receiving attunement, but these do take place when the right time arrives. The body starts making certain adjustments to these changes. When these occur, some discomforts might be experienced in rare cases. Hence, it is important to understand what effects attunement may have on the physical body. These could also be accompanied by changes at the emotional level. Unwanted and negative emotions are removed and replaced by positive and spiritually enhancing emotions.

The mind and body may call for more rest during the period of changes. This may be viewed as lethargy. There could be a strong urge to seek solitude and the mind may want to contemplate on various personal issues. These subtle changes are positive in nature and help the mind prepare itself for future changes.

Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a Japanese healing art that helps heal the mind and body of their afflictions. Dr. Mikao Usui rediscovered Reiki in the early 1900s and used a simple technique to project Reiki energy for healing purposes. The ‘laying on hands’ technique, as was promulgated by Dr. Usui, has been in use for thousands of years.

The word Reiki comprises of two words – Rei and Ki. The word Rei has been accepted by all to mean ‘universal’ because it is found everywhere; in all parts of the universe. Experts feel that deep down Rei as in Reiki means universal or higher knowledge that represents spiritual consciousness. Believed to originate from God or God-consciousness, Reiki knows it all, as it understands each being and its problems, and has the key to all healing solutions.

Ki is the vital energy in all beings. It is the vital life-force that sustains life. Ki was known to many ancient cultures. It was known to the Chinese as Chi, the Indians as Prana, and the Hebrew as ruah. Since people belonging to those cultures were well endowed with spiritual knowledge, they not only knew about the existence of Ki, but were also well versed with the techniques to heal mental and physical maladies. Ki is what keeps life going; the moment it leaves, the physical body becomes lifeless. Healthy people have a strong Ki factor. People who have low levels of Ki are prone to ailments either mental or physical or both. Higher levels of Ki make people lively, healthy and happy. 

The Indians in ancient times had deep knowledge of prana (Ki) and had developed certain breathing exercises called pranayama to strengthen the life force. Regular practitioners of pranayama have a healthy physical body, which is apparent from the glow on their face. Pranayama, like yoga, is catching on globally today. Martial artists too use Ki to help build their physical endurance, and that sudden burst of energy comes from a healthy reservoir of Ki. Ki is better known to the western world as ‘aura’ - a body of energy that surrounds the physical body and inter-penetrates it. Its presence can be scientifically explained as an electromagnetic field around the physical body. Science has coined the term ‘bioplasma’ to represent this electromagnetic field. Dr. Semyon Davidovich Kirlian, a Russian scientist, was the first to capture the aura in a photographic device.  The beautiful colors of the aura can be seen using the Kirlian photography device. Thanks to Dr. Kirlian, the presence of the aura has been accepted by the scientific community.

In the previous blog you read about Dr. Mikaso Usui’s relentless endeavor to find an answer to healing the ailing physical body. You read how Dr. Usui learnt a number of languages to pursue the ancient scriptures, and how he finally underwent a 21 day fast and meditation at Kuramayama. We now continue from there.

On the 21st day, a physically weak Dr. Usui stood up facing the east, and before discarding the last stone, he asked the Source the way to use the knowledge that he had so far acquired. The moment he discarded the 21st and last stone, a brilliant light shone in front of Dr. Usui. It was a scary experience, which made him feel like running away. But the gritty Dr. Usui chose to face the light, ready to confront death, if it came to that. The light that was vibrating struck his third eye chakra located at the space between the two eyes. Some say it struck in the center of the forehead. Dr. Usui was gifted with the ability to see rainbow colors and bubbles of gold, violet and blue. Thus, began the attunement process where he was given to understand each symbol and their significance in healing.

After the attunement was over, Dr. Usui felt a sudden surge of energy and he rushed down the mountain to meet the abbot and share the divine experience. In the excitement he did not notice a stone on the way and stubbed his toe against it. Dr. Usui held the hurt toe in his hand and soon noticed that the pain had gone and the bleeding stopped. This was his first brush with the miraculous healing powers of Reiki. While continuing his journey, Dr. Usui felt hungry. He stopped by a poor man’s house and asked for food. The man’s daughter was wearing a bandage around her jaw. With her permission, Dr. Usui placed his hands over her jaws, and soon the pain and discomfort were gone. This was the second miracle that the doctor experienced. The girl’s father being poor could not pay for the healing, so he accepted the bartering of food for the healing; thus, making an equal exchange of energies.

At the monastery, Dr. Usui narrated his experiences to the abbot.  His next goal was further meditation, where he was guided to serve the poor and heal them. Dr. Usui did as he was instructed and the next seven years were spent in the service of the poor where he healed them from dawn to dusk. One day Dr. Usui met a beggar who he had healed long ago. The beggar had gone back to begging, as he did not want to shoulder responsibilities associated with a regular lifestyle. That made Dr. Usui sad. He went back to the monastery and narrated the experience. He was explained that healing the body was not sufficient enough; the spirit needed healing too. This necessitated putting some responsibility on the recipient of the healing. For this, he was explained that an equal exchange of energy was necessary.

With this, Dr. Usui’s enlightenment process was complete.

Dr. Mikao Usui, Dean and Minister of a Christian school in Japan is credited with bringing to the world the noble healing form called Reiki. It took Dr. Usui 28 years to manifest this healing art form in the late 1800. The seeds were sown by an innocent query posed by a student whether he actually believed that Jesus could heal. Dr. Usui did reply in the affirmative, but the student wanted him to demonstrate. Though the students were taught how to heal the soul, yet they wanted to know how to heal the body. Dr. Usui knew that the body could be healed as it was mentioned in the Bible. But his quest to learn how took him places.

Dr. Usui first visited America and joined the University of Chicago to study various religions and their philosophies. After a seven-year long stay he returned to his home country Japan, and continued with his quest. He visited many Buddhist temples and met a number of monks, who said they could not heal. A meeting with the monastery’s abbot explained matters. The art of healing the body was lost on them, as they had been focusing on the spirit too long. However, the abbot invited Dr. Usui to study the writings of the Buddha (sutras) and find answers to his quest. 

The sutras were translated in Japanese, so it was easy for Dr. Usui to read it. But, he found no answers. Since the sutras had been translated to Japanese from Chinese, Dr, Usui was guided to study the Chinese language to carry on with his quest. It took Dr, Usui years to learn the language and read the scriptures, yet he could find no answers. By and by Dr. Usui learned that the Tibetans had translated the original Buddha teachings from Sanskrit to Tibetan. The next obvious step for Dr. Usui was to learn Tibetan language to continue with his study. During this period Dr. Usui found certain secrets to healing the body.

A visit back to the monastery in Japan and a meeting with the abbot put Dr. Usui through the process of meditation. According to the abbot, if Dr. Usui was destined, he certainly would find the answer. Dr. Usui traveled 17 miles on foot to Kuramayama. On the mountain, he chose a serene spot to begin his 21-day fast and meditation. Dr. Usui collected 21 stones and discarded a stone each day to keep track of the number of days. He felt weak and thought that he might die without receiving the knowledge to heal.

On the 21st day, a physically weak Dr. Usui stood up facing the east, and before discarding the last stone, he asked the Source the way to use the knowledge that he had so far acquired.

                                                                                                …To be continued