Reiki’s founder, Mikao Usui, called this practice the secret method of generating happiness and the miraculous medicine that cures all that ails us. The instructions are simple. We are to contemplate the words of the Precepts, or gokai in Japanese, twice a day, in our heart center, or kokoro, and then say them out loud. Now, in between, we’re going to take a moment to contemplate our lives and see if we’ve gotten off track during the day, if we are going in the wrong direction in our lives, if we have a bad attitude and there’s something we need to correct. These precepts are a pathway to becoming whole and centered. We can’t do that if we’ve decided in our life somewhere to go in a wrong direction that’s causing us pain and suffering. We will always be fighting against that choice.
Let’s do it together, and when the time comes to speak the words I’ll put them up on the screen so you can say them out loud with me. The first step of the Reiki precepts practice is to bring our hands together at the heart. Now I happen to be sitting comfortably in a chair. You could be standing up. You could be almost anywhere when you do this practice. The traditional way is kneeling on the floor. Feel free to do that if you want to, but I won’t be joining you.
So close your eyes, and in your mind silently contemplate the words that Usui has given us for the Precepts. You can use the English translated version that is most common, or you can use the direct translation of the Japanese. For this practice will use the most direct translation of the Japanese:
Just for today
don’t be angry
don’t worry
be grateful
work diligently
be kind to people
Take a moment now with me to contemplate your own life. Have you been angry? Have you been cruel towards anyone? Have you been in your head worrying about the past or the future? Or worrying what other people will think of you? Have you been grateful, or have you been ungrateful in your life? Are you taking anyone or anything in your life for granted? Taking advantage of anyone’s generosity or kindness without thinking about making an equal exchange with them or repaying them in some way? Many of us are looking for what we can get out of the world and sometimes we don’t think about what we can give back to the people who are kind to us, to the people who help us.
Have you been working hard? Literally in Japanese it says “do your work your best.” “Diligently” makes it sound like you really have to work hard, but it’s just asking “Are you doing a good job, or are you slacking?” We all know when we’re slacking. We all know when we’re just getting by, and that happens sometimes, but it’s important to know what we’re doing so we can start to adjust our thinking and behavior, with no judgement, no shame, just adjust.
Finally, are we being kind to people? Are we being compassionate towards others? Are we being judgmental towards others? Are we being cruel to someone? Even if they did something wrong, are we being cruel to them? The world and other people are often very wrong or unjust, but how do we respond to that? So take a moment now to contemplate your life, and if there’s some place today where you’ve been off track, where you could have done something differently, make a commitment now to do it better tomorrow. If you hurt someone, make a commitment to apologize, or to find a way to give them something good even if it’s good thoughts, even if it’s loving prayers, find a way to give them back something.
And when you have finished contemplating your life, and I don’t recommend you contemplated for more than a minute or so, say the words out loud with me:
Just for today
don’t be angry
don’t worry
be grateful
work diligently
be kind to people
Now allow yourself to breathe in and out naturally, three times, slow, natural breathing at your own rhythm, taking a moment to just be present with the energy that is in your core. You can open your eyes and lower your hands. The practice of the Precepts is finished. Thank you for joining me in this practice of the Reiki Precepts. I hope you can make it a part of your daily life and daily Reiki practice.
Student Resources
> Guided Reiki Precepts Practice