The Traditional Reiki symbols
according to Mikao Usui are four. No more, no less. All other
symbols related to Reiki HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MIKAO USUI!
Often the four traditional symbols
are represented in a different way depending on the teacher.
Why does this happen? There
are different possibilities, among which the most realistic
are:
1) The
Reiki method according to Usui has been spread in western countries
chaotically
and without a strict definition of its theoretical and practical
methodology. After passing through Chujiro Hayashi – Usui’s
pupil who allowed Reiki to be known in western countries - the
Reiki system was divided in 1980-1982 by MONOPOLISTIC CLAIMS
of Furumoto (Reiki Alliance) and Weber-Ray (A.I.R.A. - T.R.T.I.A.).
Both claimed to be the only person in the West knowing the REAL
Reiki method! That’s a good start, yeah, right... Today
there is no clear definition of the Reiki practitioner, and
learners often find a low-quality teaching, if not exaltation
and fanaticism.
2) Graphical
imprecision. It appears that
Ms. Takata, a pupil of Hayashi who brought Reiki to America
– a critical element in the lineage of most Reiki practitioners
in the world – was never really precise in the representation
of Japanese Kanji. Each of her learners/masters received slightly
different symbols, and it appears that this diversification
was not deliberate, but rather an imprecise graphical representation,
further amplified by each subsequent learner. Such poor graphic
qualities are especially related to the symbols consisting of
Japanese Kanji, i.e. Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen and Dai Ko Myo, whereas
with Choku Rei and Sei Heki (graphically simpler) the damage
has been lighter.
3) Senseless
secrecy. Quite often, during
Second Level seminars by some teachers, symbols were shown and
the task was given to draw them for 2-4 hours until the pupil
learned them. The learners were not allowed to take a copy home,
only their memories of the hours spent drawing them. This debatable
practice was and is sometimes maintained also for the master
course, so that new Masters only have a memory of symbols. Little
alterations on top of each other can, after a few passages,
become noticeable differences, even in good faith.
A
GOOD DRAWING MADE BY HAWAJO TAKATA
In conclusion: when symbols
are not much different from those presented herein or from Ms.
Takata’s are good, since small defects are “corrected”
within the practitioner in connecting to the correct symbol,
regardless of the imprecise representation.
When symbols are too different,
though, there is no guarantee as to what energy they tap into.
A well defined form taps into a well defined energy!
As far as Reiki Masters are
concerned, things get disquieting: a vast number of teachers
use a less than precise Dai Ko Myo master symbol, while many
teacher use a Tibetan master symbol (Dumo) which does not belong
to Usui’s tradition. Click here for more information about
this.
