I would be interested on hearing your thoughts on this

I'm also interested in this as well. I'm also interested in what others think about how Reiki has evolved and much of Usui's Reiki is left today?

Myarka.

I know some people who mistake lineage for seniority - as in the Royal family's lineage. Surely it's how you channel the energies, self healing, and willingness to learn more rather than sitting back on your lineage?

I think the whole point of the lineage is to show how direct and 'undiluted' your healing tradition is, but this very much depends on how good the teacher is, imho. For instance, my teacher is about 5 names removed from Dr Usui, yet she wasn't told that one of the symbols she's passing on is not Usui Reiki, but Sekhem. I only found out because I did a bit research about it. So... if a teacher decides to add something without being clear with their students , then the lineage means nothing, since what's being taken on from that point is not directly from Dr Usui.

Moonfeather

In my mind it is not your linage or your master and what your are taught or how diluted other might perceive it to be, neither is it which symbols you were taught or which symbols you were attuned to. To me it has to do with what you do with it after having been attuned.

Let's face facts - on here (HP) there are people from many different linages, different symbols or variations of attunements have been used. That does not stop us all from feeling the energy, from developing certain things that come across our paths, from feeling the energies more and more the further we develop and spend time on it. Doesn't matter who attuned you or to which kind of Reiki, if you don't work on it and develop your healing/intuition or whatever else is sent your way to develop, and improving and learning on soul level, then no linage or good master can help you.

Doesn't matter who attuned you or to which kind of Reiki, if you don't work on it and develop your healing/intuition or whatever else is sent your way to develop, and improving and learning on soul level, then no linage or good master can help you

Very well said! I would like to add something to this though... A good Reiki teacher can give their students the best possible foundation to grow from and give them the support they need at the times they feel 'lost' with their Reiki.

Back to the original point, I personally feel that the more traditional Usui Reiki methods and teachings offer a potentially shorter learning curve as they teach direct healing by the practitioner using the required frequency of energy. I know in Usui-sensei's day they used the term 'vibrations' but it is just their understanding of frequency at the time.

The other thing is, if you want to learn Reiki in a more traditional way, then it does matter how you are attuned and how you are taught, because it is part of Japanese culture to honour the founder of a system by following their teachings precisely. It all depends on what you believe Reiki is to a certain extent. If you believe 'Reiki' is any form of hands-on energy healing, that can be practiced however the student or teacher wants, then I suppose it does not really matter too much. If on the other hand you see 'Reiki' purely as the system founded by Usui-sensei then it is important to learn and practice the system accurately, otherwise it is not really 'Reiki' as you would define it.

I agree completely with the last three posts!

It all depends on what you believe Reiki is to a certain extent. If you believe 'Reiki' is any form of hands-on energy healing, that can be practiced however the student or teacher wants, then I suppose it does not really matter too much.

I'm afraid I can't see Reiki as just any kind of energy healing as you must have that attunement to Reiki which is not the same as other hands on therapies or energy healing. However, to me, if your intent is to do Reiki, and you have had your attunement, then it is Reiki you are doing, if intuition tells you not to do a specific pattern of hands on healing and this is different from what you have been taught, then to me you are still doing Reiki but you are developing and 'making' it your own.

If on the other hand you see 'Reiki' purely as the system founded by Usui-sensei then it is important to learn and practice the system accurately, otherwise it is not really 'Reiki' as you would define it.

The problem here is what is accurate? Every year more info comes from Japan, more and more people translate documents and interpret things and they all believe they are correct. I think we have gone to far past the point of ever being able to say this is exactly as it should be....

Still, I love doing Reiki and it surprises me how often you use it without thinking about it and also how often you do something and are somehow reminded of one of the principles. Maybe if more of us lived by the principles the Reiki community would be in a better place!

Thank you for this - these are all great comments...

I think for myself, and my personal practice, I always aim to live by the principles of Reiki, and I feel guided by masters previous and spiritual beings, so my lineage and attunements were a means of accessing the reiki energy, and how I use the reiki and live by the reiki, is really what the essence of Reiki should be about.

Love and Light xx

If lineage matters, then who attuned Usui? As several people have pointed out, it's not who did what to you, but what you do with what they gave you, that matters.

I looked hard to find a RM in 1994. I had to go to a neighbouring european country, I certainly didn't care who attuned her though I was fasacinated that it was a dutch man she met in California and she was from Slovenia.

What was important was the environment I found myself in after my first attunement, with several Reiki Masters, in a country that had a history of energy healing: Hildegarde von Bingen, Kneipp Therapy, nearby mountain springs. All these had an influence on what I did and do. It wasn't long before I changed symbols, developed quick attunements instead of giving healing to others so that they could heal themselves or actually their horses. I made Reiki fit my life as healing horses was the reason why I wanted the attunement.

If we are to be concerned with doing what Usui did, we would have to spend many years learning oriental martial arts and hours in meditation, or we would not know what he did. If we want to heal, we have intention and put our hands on - for me everything from plants to shopping. If we want to do distance healing, we think it and it's done. That to me is what makes a Master: experience, self healing and learning from what we've done.

When I teach Reiki, I teach what I was taught, not what I have learnt, though I do tell students of my experiences. If my students read my manuals, they will see it tells them more of what I do, but the attunement and Reiki information is exactly as I was taught. Interestingly for me, it did not include 'cleansing' and some of the other things that were invented after 1994. These were things I never heard of until 2001, so I doubt Usui passed it on.

When I teach Reiki, I teach what I was taught, not what I have learnt, though I do tell students of my experiences. If my students read my manuals, they will see it tells them more of what I do, but the attunement and Reiki information is exactly as I was taught. Interestingly for me, it did not include 'cleansing' and some of the other things that were invented after 1994. These were things I never heard of until 2001, so I doubt Usui passed it on.

...I have added some chakra clearing exercises and meditations to my Reiki days as I felt this to be a crucial part of being able to accept the attunement with the students energy being as close to 'accepting' as possible - however, the actual attunements are exactly as I was taught, so I guess, that's the real issue isn't it - Usui passed on the attunements, and we should essentially follow the same procedure, as pass them on exactly, and what we do around the attunements, we can modify as we bring our own energies to this ceremony....:rolleyes:

I just want to say I've really enjoyed reading this discussion, it is so, so nice to see a discussion like this that does not fall into 'this way is right and all the other ways are WRONG!' kind of discussion!

I was taught a 'traditional' japanese style (Jikiden reiki) but I completely agree with this said above by jobelle:

"The problem here is what is accurate? Every year more info comes from Japan, more and more people translate documents and interpret things and they all believe they are correct. I think we have gone to far past the point of ever being able to say this is exactly as it should be...."

It's true, so much of the historical records have been eroded we will never know for definite, we have to trust what has been taught to us by our teachers and also follow our own intuition of what is right.

I also agree with the comment on the Japanese tradition of honoring your teachers... if I give a Jikiden reiki treatment, or if I eventually go on to teach, I practise these in the exact way I have been taught by my teachers out of respect for their teachings.

It does not mean I cannot go and learn seichem, or violet flame, or angel reiki or any other form, I am free to keep investigating and learning about other styles... it just means that my Jikiden Reiki teachings and practice need to be kept a little seperate from the rest, to prevent them from being changed.

I could come up with a treatment that incorporated my teachings with, say, some chakra clearing or angel work and that is fine, no problem, so long as I do not call it 'Jikiden Reiki'. It also means that all the teachers in this style stick to the same thing on their courses, give the same materials at the same quality level, so it makes sense to me... it's not dogmatic, it's more a case of respect for the teachers and protecting the teachings from changing.

I'm just glad we can have a diplomatic discussion on this subject! Reiki discussions can get so heated sometimes!

Hey Gabrielle,

I completely agree!! It's so nice to be part of a "grown-up" conversation:D!!

Today I felt like I had to come to reiki's defence a bit when someone was being skeptical... but I felt myself about to get heated, but then calmly made my excuses and removed myself from the situation...

Then I felt really proud of myself :o!

D xx

Yes, sometimes we just have to walk away and smile to ourselves! Thing is we each have our own path to walk... even with the original question, lineage is bound to matter a lot to some people, less so to others... but it's horses for courses, we should respect each other's differences!

Catrin, thank you for asking this......

...........who attuned Usui?

The Reiki lineage is always a contentious issue
It does not worry me that a lot of Reiki masters are changing things
People change things so the are more comfortable, more at ease
I do prefer it though, that we teach people as we were taught
And not teach the method that they have changed things to
Just to try to keep things as traditional as possible
With people bringing out newly named differing versions of Reiki
It’s a worry that things may be lost for the future
Things lost never to be found again
What does matter is that we are comfortable with what we are teaching
The new generation of Reiki masters must have the correct ground work
It’s always a good place to start for them

What a wonderfully refreshing thread and a joy to read! It saddens me when ego creeps into Reiki with "my way is the right way" and have ducked out of this forum a few times over the past years so as not to get dragged in lol.
Things have definately changed since I took my first level 12 years ago, mostly the history. I like to keep up to date on things like this because my students will have more access to information than I had all those years ago.
When questioned years ago about 'authentic' Reiki an answer came into my mind (channelled?) which I have stuck with ever since.
When the motor car was first invented it consisted of an engine, four wheels and got you from A to B and was black. Today the car has progressed and changed and become more colourful to the original, BUT, at the heart it STILL has an engine and four wheels and gets you from A to B!! It doesn't matter how many 'add-on's' as long as the Reiki energy flows and you use your intent. Reiki is Reiki is Reiki.

Thanks for starting this debate!

Love and light

reikiangel

xxx