The muse struck sooner than I expected… cool! Out of the possible titles for this post (Reiki & Bushido or Reiki & The Art of War or Reiki Samurai or Reiki Ninja) Reiki Samurai is the victor because it seems to encompass the essence of all the others.
What is a Reiki Samurai?
The Samurai Class were the military nobility of Japan during Japan’s extensive feudal period. In the West the Samurai can be likened to Cowboys and/or Knights, and like Cowboys and Knights, Samurai came in many shapes and sizes… although generally they followed a strict code of ethics known as Bushido. Also, as the code of Cowboys and Knights is very Christian in nature with elements of Christianity liberally sprinkled throughout, so too, Bushido is rather Buddhist in nature (and in Japanese the kanji are remarkably similar).
As discussed in my post on Reiki and the Dead, in Japanese Buddhism there is a tremendous amount of crossover with Japanese Shintoism, while in Bushido there is a tremendous amount of crossover with Japanese Buddhism (as well as Japanese Shintoism). For some idea what I’m talking about here, watch The Last Samurai which, while not historically accurate gives a good overall account of true Samurai philosophy in the early years.
Samurai were actually very spiritual and dedicated their lives to the spiritual nature of man. If you read Bushido: The Way of the Samurai you will get an adaption of the Hagakure (written by Tsunetomo Yamamoto)… which was like the original Samurai Bible. In it you can find answers (or perhaps suggestions) to many questions of how to live your life… the Samurai Way. Surprisingly, although written about 300 years ago, the Hagakure is quite full of common sense which applies just as readily today, for example:
Perhaps, like hot water in a kettle, your resolution may become cooler. There is a way to keep it hot. Our unique vows are:
- Never lag behind in the practice of Bushido.
- Always be loyal and devoted in the service to your Lord.
- Do your duty to your parents.
- Stir up your compassion for all sentient beings in order to devote yourself to the service of others.
These are the keys. Recite these four vows while praying to the gods and Buddha. Then you will not run backwards, but you will be able to double your power and energy. You will go ahead inch by inch like a measuring worm. Even the Buddha and the gods decided on vows before they initiated their pursuits.
The Reiki Samurai, applies these concepts to Reiki, that is, approaching Reiki with a decided dedication and determination so that nothing will stand in the way between you and your Reiki goals.
The Art of War for Reiki
Quite similar in many ways to the Hagakure, although considerably more popular, is the Art of War, by Sun Tzu. Many years ago I read a book (sorry… I forgot the title) which replaced the word war with business and developed a business strategy based on the militaristic principles of the Art of War. Similarly, the Art of War for Women, the Art of War for Talent, the Art of War for Librarians, the Art of War for PC and my personal favorite, The Art of War for the Antiwar Movement, among dozens if not hundreds of others adaptations, have applied the philosophy and its principles quite successfully (if not dramatically).
In the Art of War for Reiki, we are applying the philosophy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War, not in any militaristic sense, but in the sense that we are involved in waging a battle for spiritual freedom, and there is nothing that says we need to lay down and accept what the universe offers without an effort to get as much as we can out of our Spiritual Quest. Dan Millman’s book Peaceful Warrior demonstrates this quite clearly, and I rather enjoyed Nick Nolte’s portrayal of Soc in the movie.
Pacifism seems to be related with the Reiki of the West, as well as to other Buddhist pursuits, but this is not necessarily true of traditional Japanese Reiki… just look at the military leaders that were part of the Original Reiki Movement. Juzaburo Ushida, Kan’inchi Taketomi and Houichi Wanami were all Japanese Admirals who were attuned to Shinpiden by Dr. Usui and went on to become Presidents of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (which seems to carry many of their militaristic practices into the current society). Bushido was (and still is to some extent) woven into Japanese culture and society, to separate would not only be a mistake, but would also take a big chunk of Reiki out of the picture.
There is one branch of spiritualism which maintains that you have to prove to the universe that you really want enlightenment before it will be granted. That means that in a sense you have to fight for it. Whether fighting your own lack of motivation or stamina in spiritual pursuits or actually fighting the universe itself for acceptance into the higher realms of spirituality you are actually at war with yourself in order to break the old paradigms in acceptance of the new.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Dr. Usui lived his life with these tenets in mind. I actually believe all of the above to be the true meaning of The Fourth Reiki Principle: Work Hard and as I stated, “you should put an honest effort into everything you do, this involves physical work as well as spiritual work”. One shouldn’t expect enlightenment to be handed to them on a silver platter or bestowed on someone merely because they purchased a Reiki Master Certificate… you have to work for it… and work hard at that (although its not hard work, it does require dedication and persistence).
For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!
