The essence of any spiritual practice is to reveal the ultimate truth which is hidden deep inside of us. What is this truth? This truth is our True Self. Different traditions have different names for it, but the essence is the same. Within the system of Reiki the True Self is symbolized by the word Reiki. Often Reiki is translated as “spiritual energy” but this spiritual energy is really our True Self, our essence.
Mikao Usui left many clues as to what this spiritual energy really is and many practices to help us to reveal it. One of the essential practices is called Hatsurei-ho, which is traditionally taught within Mikao Usui’s teachings in Okuden level II.
Lets take a deeper look at Hatsurei-ho and see what it is revealing.
The Japanese kanji for Hatsurei-ho is 発霊法
Hatsu 発 means to arise, to give birth, to reveal what is hidden or to emit.
Rei 霊 means spirit, soul or inconceivable spiritual ability.
Ho 法 means dharma, ultimate truth or method.
We could therefore say that Hatsurei-ho means, “the ultimate truth to reveal our hidden inconceivable spiritual ability.”
This inconceivable spiritual ability is not hands-on healing; hands-on healing is simply a by-product of the spiritual practice. It is also not about seeing colors, feeling tingling or heat in our hands or body, which are also just by-products. This inconceivable spiritual ability is our True Self/Reiki. It is inconceivable because we are not capable of imagining or mentally grasping this True Self. This is why the teachers of old used poetry, paintings, metaphors and symbols to point the True Self out. One of the ways Mikao Usui pointed the inconceivable True Self out is through the precepts:
Do not be angry
Do not worry
Be grateful
Practice this diligently
Show compassion to yourself and others
It is only when we have revealed the ultimate truth of our True Self that we are no longer angry and worried, that we are grateful and compassionate to ourselves and others.
What is interesting to note is that Hatsurei-ho was traditionally taught in Okuden level II, and that the word Okuden 奥伝 means hidden/inner teachings. Thus we can see that both Okuden and Hatsurei-ho are pointing to the same thing. They both reveal what is hidden deep inside of ourselves: our True Self/Reiki.
Traditionally the symbols and mantras taught within the system of Reiki were also meditation practices for ourselves to reveal what was hidden inside of ourselves, however over time those meditation practices have become more and more externalized. The more we externalize Reiki practice, the more we move away from looking inward and revealing our inconceivable spiritual ability or True Self.
Hatsurei-ho also links to another practice within the system of Reiki. Hatsu also means to emit, which relates to the Shinpiden level III symbol/mantra 大光明 which literally translates as, “great bright light.” When we are revealing our great bright light we start to emanate or radiate this light through the whole world. We emanate love and compassion into the world, which is our ultimate truth.
Thus the more we practice Hatsurei-ho and meditate on the symbols and mantras, the more we start to reveal our hidden ultimate truth, our True Self, and the more we will be able to emanate healing into the world.
Based in Holland, Frans Stiene teaches in North America, Europe, UK, Australia and Asia.
Frans is also the author of Reiki Insights, it is the continuation of his previous book The Inner Heart of Reiki, taking your personal practice and understanding of the system of Reiki yet another step deeper.