First and foremost, Reiki was designed as a path to spiritual enlightenment, however, it seems to have changed over the years to being just another healing modality (although a very potent one). I believe this to be because the healing aspect of Reiki is extremely easy to master while the spiritual aspects are quite difficult… especially without a teacher who actually walks the walk. If you learned from a teacher who is only interested in the healing aspects you will no doubt wholeheartedly believe that is all there is to it… in which case… you would be wrong. 🙂 For many people this is enough though… and there is nothing wrong with that… Reiki will eventually open your channels to the deeper aspects only when you are spiritually ready to receive them. This post may ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be made clear and is basically meant for those who really want to dig a little deeper.

What exactly is Spiritual Enlightenment? In a nutshell it is the complete realization and understanding that you are part of a bigger whole… that you are connected to the universe and everything in it just as if it were one big spider’s web. That’s really all there is to it and while the basic idea of enlightenment is so easy, it is so difficult to fully understand because of its fleeting and illogical nature. And of course, at heart, we are all logical and practical beings… just look at the state of the world (okay I won’t go there).

The Buddha defined enlightenment as not suffering because he believed that it is the failure to notice that we are part of the web that is actually the root of all suffering. It is very interesting to note the Buddha’s negative definition… Enlightenment is not suffering, he does not tell us what enlightenment is, but rather what it is not. This is extremely interesting and important because it removes enlightenment as a final goal and it removes the the ability to strive for something… that is to say that you cannot strive for something that is NOT, you can only be guided by it. Notice how Dr. Usui did the same thing with the Reiki principles… he tells us what NOT to do rather than what to do, i.e., don’t be angry, don’t worry, etc. Again, this removes them as goals and things to strive for. There are actually some Reiki practitioners who have tried to turn these negatives into positives in order to make them easier to achieve… this would be a mistake and would actually move the practitioner further and further away from enlightenment rather than towards it.

I have only scratched the surface here and I hope I haven’t ruffled too many feathers while doing so. Many wonderful books have been written on attaining spiritual enlightenment and there are many great courses available by such enlightened masters as Eckhart Tolle, Gangaji and Adyashanti. Also more dated works by some of India’s sages such as Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, J. Krishnamurti and Patanjali all contain the secrets to success. Each of these teachings is different so it is up to each of us individually to find one that resonates with us… they are not all the same for a reason… just as all Reiki masters are not the same… it is up to us to find the one that suits us individually. So please don’t settle for any old Reiki teacher just because it is convenient. Unfortunately, there are many Reiki charlatans out there… you’ll know when you’ve found one that is able to give you what you need… whether you’re seeking the healing aspects or the spiritual ones… find a teacher that’s right for you!!!

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!