As a Reiki professional, I am a member of both professional associations in Australia, Australian Reiki Connection, (ARC) and Reiki Australia. This is where I get some of my best professional development. Recently, ARC presented a live interview with Sensei Hyakuten Inamoto for ARC members. Sensei is a Japanese Buddhist monk and an international Reiki teacher from Kyoto, Japan.
He studied Reiki with Sensei Chiyoko Yamaguchi, a student of Sensei Chujiro Hayashi. Hayashi Sensei was a student of Mikao Usui Sensei , the founder of Reiki Ryoho, (if you are not familiar with these names it is a VERY impressive lineage).
I listened to the interview again on the weekend and wanted to share a few topics that he touched on that interested me.
1. Use of the word Reiki – It is often incorrectly used to mean treatment or healing. However, the word Reiki is made up of two Japanese words Rei which means universal and Ki which means energy – together we have universal energy .
When we are talking about the art of healing the word we need is Ryoho. In the words of Sensei Hyakuten Inamoto, Reiki Ryoho is defined as the Art of Spiritual Awakening.
I have always known that the core of Reiki is spiritual, and one of the most beautiful results of my Reiki practice is the spirituality it has brought to my life.
For me, this is the most important part of Reiki and something I try to ensure that my students understand.
2. Ryoho is simple, except that it is not.
You just place your hands, surrender and smile!
Sensei Hyakuten Inamoto
Putting your hands on, Sensei reminds us, is easy. Small children can do it. Dogs and cats can be trained to do it. But, the next step – the step that is not simple? Surrender. We all have an ego, and at times it gets in the way of our ability to surrender. As Reiki practitioners, we need to go on practicing surrender and we need to explain to the person receiving Reiki Ryoho that it is coming from the universe, and not from the practitioner.
Inamoto Sensei reminds us that we are here just to place our hands and surrender. When we manage this, the experience of channeling Reiki is incredible.
Reiki knows where it is needed for the highest good of the person receiving it. Our job is to be the best possible Reiki channel that we can be.
3. Reiki alone is all that is needed to heal. Crystals are not Reiki nor Reiki Ryoho, neither are essential oils, psychic ability, or anything else that you might add to a Reiki treatment. Reiki is pure energy and all that is needed to heal.
You can find more information on the work and wisdom of Inamoto Sensei
