When considering “receiving” within the system of Reiki there are specific initiations, the Japanese term for these are Reiju, which literally translates as spiritual blessing. The initiations are often also called attunements, however the word attunement only came to be used after Mrs Takata, (who brought the system of Reiki to the West) passed away - she herself called them initiations. And then we have hands on healing on ourselves and others.
In an earlier article (The Confusion Around Reiju), we wrote that reiju is a spiritual blessing or initiation that facilitates direct experiencing of your true nature. We also described how the practices within the system of Reiki — precepts, symbols, mantras, meditation, and hands-on healing — play a role in deepening your reiju experience, whether you are a student or a teacher.
Shinpiden Reiki Level III graduate of the International House of Reiki, Sundar Kadayam, continues his pondering of the system of Reiki and its elements. Do you have any ponderings to add?
Within the modern Reiki community, there appears to be a lot of confusion about reiju and attunement. In this article we present a perspective that will, hopefully, clear up some of this confusion. We invite your comments.
How my recent shugendo training has informed my understanding of the system of Reiki. As some of you might know I recently went to Japan to train with a Japanese Shingon priest, Takeda Hakusai Ajari, who was once a Tendai monk as a disciple of the great Sakai Dai Ajari, learning about Shinto, Shugendo, Tendai and Shingon. This training has brought me different insights into the system of Reiki and Mikao Usui.
There’s always lots to discuss about the system of Reiki. We have a question for you about attunements and treatments. Come and join the discussion.
When I was a young priest I had occasion to visit a contemplative community of sisters. An old sister opened the door. Knowing that I was a new priest, she asked for my first blessing. I stood over this contemplative and drew on every resource I knew to invoke the most intimate blessing. As I was completing the blessing, it struck me how ironical this situation was…
Lately, there has been some discussion in the Reiki community questioning whether the founder of the system, Mikao Usui, actually taught the DKM mantra/symbol in the system of Reiki. DKM is encountered in the system’s final teachings of Shinpiden Reiki Level III. Most Reiki practitioners know of DKM through the teachings of Mrs Takata who, in the late 1930s, brought the system from Japan to the West. Mrs Takata taught the DKM mantra/symbol as the last of the system’s four mantras and symbols. Those questioning the DKM’s origins stem from the lineage of Mrs Yamaguchi.
