The Healing Power of the Five Reiki Precepts
Just for Today, do not worry.
Just for Today, do not anger.
Just for Today, honor your parents, teachers and elders.
Just for Today, earn your living honestly.
Just for Today, show gratitude to every living thing.
Reiki energy is a powerful healing tool, and can help you to come into alignment with your own inner truth. There have been a large number of people around the world learning Reiki. Many of those people use the precepts lightly, as a way of thinking about the work, but these precepts contain a powerful healing mystery in and of themselves.
Contained in the precepts is a pattern for living a life of constant peace and harmony. They are not something to struggle to attain, but rather, if you look closely, you will see a treasure map to living a life of wonder, joy and awe. Though these precepts appear in various wordings from book to book and teacher to teacher, they are basically the same with one exception: not all versions begin with the words, “Just for Today.”
“Just for Today…” These three words, alone, can heal, for you can do anything for just a day. Alcoholics Anonymous and the other Anonymous 12-step programs work well because of this one-day-at-a-time concept. But, it also and even more deeply contains the concept of “being in the NOW.” It helps you to remember, that the past is gone. It only exists in your mind. The future has not arrived. It too, exists only in your mind. NOW is really the only place where you can truly live in peace. No past; no anger, guilt, resentment. No future; no fear, anxiety, manipulation.
In the first precept, “Just for today, do not worry,” you are given a clue that you might be living too much in the future. The future is the place we all go to worry. But in reality, the future does not exist. It is simply a story you have created in your mind, and then it becomes so real that it cheats you out of your present life. The imaginary future is where worriers spend most of their days. And for those who believe in self-fulfilling prophecies, you will virtually create the future you are worried about in some fashion or other.
In the second precept, “Just for today, do not anger,” you can see that you might be living too much in the past. Recounting old injustices day after day puts you in the imaginary world of the past, as you literally interpret circumstances only exist now, in your mind. As you go over and over this story you rekindle anger and other negative emotions, triggering chemical reactions in your body that can literally make you ill, sometimes in the most extreme ways. And, you are robbing yourself of the present. Thinking about angry or guilt-filled circumstances in your mind virtually guarantees that you will continue to attract circumstances and people into your life that make you angry or guilty.
Contained in the third precept, “Just for today, honor your parents, teachers and elders,” is the notion of humility in honoring those who have participated in our becoming who we are. In our modern world, counselors and psychologists often have us dissect our past, and many of our present neuroses and psychoses are found to be rooted in family and parental “dysfunction.” At that point, many of us separate from our parents and spend a good amount of time actually blaming our parents for much of what we have become. We could honestly not find much to honor as we poke around in our past. However, again, choosing to enter the infinite NOW, you can see that the past is gone. All hurt resulting from the past is only carried forward into the present moment in your mind only. In the present moment you and you alone have responsibility for your behavior. Not only can you forgive, but you see that in this moment there is nothing or no one to forgive – only the stillness of life, itself, breathing through you. You can honor all your teachers, all the elders who have gone before you, including your parents. Even your reactions to them have been valuable teachings. In the present moment you can see that you are who you are because of these way-showers.
The fourth precept, “Just for today, earn your living honestly,” brings forth the infinite NOW, as well. If you are aware and conscious of your true being right here and right now, you cannot possibly violate yourself or another. It is only in the unconsciousness of fear (a symptom of living too much in the future) or anger, resentment or guilt (a symptom of living too much in the past) that someone would work at a position or do conduct their work in a way that was not in alignment with his or her truest calling or that was doing damage in some way to others or to the world. Clearly rooted in NOW, there is trust and knowing, love and truth. You would be working for good, and the world would respond in kind towards supporting your well-being.
In the fifth precept, “Just for today, show gratitude to every living thing,” the principles come closest to the belief system of its founder, Mikao Usui. For if we go into Buddhist teachings, you will encounter the concept of reincarnation, where you are told that during the millions of incarnations you have had, literally all sentient beings have been your mother in one lifetime or another and should be honored and given gratitude simply for giving you birth and life. This blending of lifetimes again is found most clearly in the NOW. If you sit or walk quietly, peacefully noticing the stillness of nature in which sound and movement arises, you begin to see the connectedness of all things, and notice your place in the panorama of life as you look around. In the stillness you find peace. In the stillness of no past, no future, you are able to show gratitude for life, itself. You can forgive and release the past, and you are released from fear and worry about the future.
In these five small teachings you are healed and you can heal others. These ideas lay the foundation of any Reiki healing practice and should be looked upon with reverence in their simplicity. Beneath all historical teachings and information given about the sacred symbols and hand positions, lies the fundamental healing nature of Reiki. Namaste’
Gail Juliano, LMT, is a licensed body worker, and has been teaching Reiki principles for over 15 years. She teaches Usui, Karuna(R), and Shakti Reiki systems. She is a story-telling healer and mentor, and has owned several small businesses since 1991.
Gail Juliano, LMT, Reiki Master/teacher. I have been teaching Reiki for over 15 years. I teach Usui Reiki, Karuna Reiki®, and Shakti Reiki systems. My practice is rooted in my spiritual and meditation practices. I practice distance Reiki, and I have a strong one-on-one practice. For information about classes and healing sessions call 719-635-9916 or 719-205-1788 or click on my website, http://www.21stones.mysite.com.
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