Extended
Systems and Reinitiating
There are a number of non traditional Reiki systems that incorporate
other techniques in their teaching. They are not be confused with
The Usui System of Reiki "tm" or Reiki Taught in the
Tradition of Usui. "tm". These extended systems have
become more prevalent in the past five years as more and more
Masters are initiated into the various forms of Reiki. The non
traditional Masters often add other knowledge to the basic system
and then "sell or market" it as "The Best Reiki,"
or "The Most Complete Reiki" or "The Most Powerful
Reiki.". Personally, I do not know why we need to make Usui
Reiki better. How do you improve on perfection?
It could be tempting to think that these new systems are better.
Certainly in this day and time when people often think that the
more complicated something is, the better it is, a person then
might have the tendency to respond to that type of marketing technique.
What I have experienced is that the Traditional System of Reiki
is simple and effective. The addition of anything else just complicates
it. As Reiki Master, Walter Lubeck says in his book, "Reiki
the Way of the Heart,"
"Some people have a mental attitude to collect initiations,
symbols, mantras and other "holy Stuff" in the belief
that this will help them get a grip on their life without any
greater efforts in their part. They think that this type of hoarding
behavior alone will help them to develop spiritually and to become
competent in a system of energy work. No one grows just by learning
technique or having initiations."
I must admit, curiosity and interest led me to study Terra Mai
Reiki which is an extended system that gives the student more
symbols and mantras. In fact, I was even initiated as a Master
of this system, but I do not teach it. I believe that I must first
integrate the elements of the system and use it before bringing
it to others. It is my personal discipline not to teach something
to my students that I do not fully embody.
I have also studied various other systems that include Therapeutic
Kinesiology, Touch for Health, the use of finger mudras and various
remedies. I have found that regardless of these other systems,
all that I really need are the three symbols as taught in the
Tradition of Usui, and a willingness to be an instrument for the
energy. There is nothing that cannot be done with these three
classical symbols when used in a wholehearted competent manner.
This is not to say that I will not continue to study and keep
an open mind to new things. But, I know that I do not need to
improve on the System as it is. I have been a witness to many
miracles over the past seventeen years. Reiki in it's simplicity
is effective.
Recently I have heard that there are Masters giving reinitiations.
I wondered why anyone would feel the need to be reinitiated to
the energy of Reiki. So, I asked several of my students what they
knew about this. I was told that when one student does not have
the experience in the original initiation one feels she / he should.
One questions the initiation. Even when one has been working with
the energy, the initiation experience could have been better.
Those "should" and "could" point to expectation.
Expectation is a product of the ego self. Let me expand on this
a bit. When you are initiated you are in a certain stage of your
development. This may include disharmony, or blocked energy. When
you have a demand that an experience be a certain way. That demand
gets in your way of having any other experience. If "It"
does not live up to your expectations then the experience becomes
invalid. After some time as you work with the energy the disharmony
has been clearing in you, because Reiki always works with you
even if you treat others, you decide that you need to be reinitiated.
Of course it will be different, you are different. But, in that
moment you have also given up your personal power. The experience
of initiation becomes more important than that of transferring
the energy. And, of course the Master who gave you the best experience
then becomes better in your mind. It is you who gives yourself
the experience, the Reiki Master is the witness to your initiation.
By taking personal responsibility for your own demands and reactions
you can and do give yourself what is needed in every moment. This
is especially true if a Master tells you that you must be reinitiated.
If you are not strong in your personal truth, or have issues of
trust that are not resolved then the Master will have planted
a seed of doubt in your very fertile mind. It is "you"
that allows the seed to grow.
Any Master who says you need to be reinitiated so that you energy
will be equal to his or hers is making a statement that is power
or ego- oriented. Who's energy is it...., theirs or Creator's?
What good is being accomplished by doing this and for whom? In
my opinion, Masters who recommend reinitiation have not truly
taken the time to fully integrate the Master energy, in which
it is not he or she who is the Master, but rather it is that person
being Mastered by Reiki. This process takes time.
When I was first initiated into Reiki, I had no appreciable experience.
There were no wows, angels or bright colors to validate my initiation.
I even could not feel the energy, but, I worked with it, and as
I became more harmonized the energy taught me.
The Grand Master of Reiki, Phyllis Lei Furumoto does not reinitiate
anyone. She says" It is not necessary. Once you are initiated
into Reiki you have Reiki, a further initiation does not make
it better, it only serves the ego." I agree with her.
If you contemplate reinitiation, ask yourself these questions:
1. What am I looking for in another initiation that I did not
give "myself" before?
2. How can I bring more harmony to myself?
The greatest task is that of taking responsibility for what we
have created in our lives.
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