REIJU:
The
Spiritual Gift
Copyright
© 2002 James Deacon
It
is said that Mikao Usui gave each student 'Reiju' (i.e. an empowerment / energy-blessing) on a regular basis.
When recieved regularly over time, Reiju is generally perceived to have
a deep, accumulative effect, (often
greatly enhancing the experience / perception of Reiki initially
awakened in the student during the initiations received at each of the
'standard' levels within the Takata Lineage).
The term 'reiju' is commonly written: 霊授
- the 授 character implying:
to give / grant / confer / impart
etc.
However, the term Reiju is a 'two-sided concept'. 霊授
is one half of the concept.
The other, complementary
half of the concept is written is 霊受
(also pronounced 'Reiju') - with the 受
character implying:
to accept / undergo / get /
receive etc
Thus, Reiju implies: 'to confer/receive
Spirit [or a Spiritual Gift]'.
The concept is all about 'Giving and
Receiving' - the sharing of a Spiritual Experience
Apparently, students would attend training meetings on a regular
basis, and at the end of every meeting, during a meditation session,
would receive reiju to further deepen and strengthen their
connection, and develop the quality of their experience of the
phenomenon that is Reiki.
The
following is probably the most popular of several versions of
the recently 'rediscovered' reiju empowerment process.
[Of course, this is merely a description of the physical 'form'
of the process - the inner aspect: the energetic/spiritual
component of sharing reiju with a student, cannot be learnt from
a written description.]
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
Some
people, it seems, mistakenly believe that the knowledge
of how to perform the reiju procedure (or, for that matter,
the western Reiki initiation/attunement procedure) must
be kept secret
-
that if the procedures become common knowledge, then anyone
(even non-Reiki people), by learning how to perform them,
will gain the 'power' to awaken the Reiki ability in others.
But
this is not the case.
"One
cannot give what one does not have."
The
reiju and initiation/attunement procedures are methods for
sharing the Gift that is the Reiki ability.
If
you haven't 'received' the Reiki ability yourself, you cannot
'pass' it to another - cannot awaken the ability in another
- no matter how much you, as a Japanese friend of mine puts
it: "wave your hands about, visualize shirushi,
chant jumon, or 'intend' it to happen."
|
The Reiju Process:
Note: Initially
recipient should sit upright yet relaxed on a chair, with their
hands in their lap, feet flat on the ground .
Be
mindful of your intent to share reiju. Generate true compassion
in your heart, and 'connect' to the Reiki Source.
[Some
sources suggest connecting to Reiki by chanting the DKM Kotodama
]
Standing
in front of the recipient, perform gassho and bow once.
Touch the
recipient lightly on the shoulder to indicate that you are about
to begin the sharing of the reiju experience and that they
should place their hands in the gassho mudra (prayer position).
Raising your arms high up above you, look skyward, and deeply
feel the Reiki in your hands.
Bring
your hands down so as to rest horizontally above the recipient's
crown, index fingers touching one-another at the second joints,
while the other fingers remain relaxed.
In one smooth continuous action, move your hands down in front
of the recipient, with mindful intent, visualizing a line of energy
(- a line of light) entering via the crown, and flowing down through
the centre of the body to the base of the spine, opening and clearing
each and every energy centre as it does so.
[Some sources suggest visualizing the energy flowing down to the
seika tanden (abdominal area) rather than the base of the
spine.]
Your hands should now be at the level of recipient's knees.
Separating your hands, move them out around the sides of the knees
and on down the sides of the legs, coming to rest palms down,
close to - yet not touching - the floor.
[Some sources suggest that with mindful intent, you should ground
the Reiki by visualizing it flowing into the earth, touching the
floor as you do so.]
Slowly and smoothly arc your hands back up to a position above
the recipient's head once more, standing straight in front of
them.
Bring
your hands gently down so as to rest horizontally about 3 - 5
inches above the recipient's crown (i.e. touching their aura),
palms facing down, this time with thumbs touching.
[Some sources suggest one hand should be placed on top of the
other]
Allow Reiki to flow into the recipient's crown for about 10 -
15 seconds or more as you intuit.
When you are ready, mindful of the outline of the aura, move your
hands out and down to either side of the recipient's head (at
about the level of the temples) - palms facing each other.
Again, allow Reiki to flow into the recipient's head for about
10 - 15 seconds or more as you intuit.
Next, move your hands in front of the recipient's face, forming
a triangle with your index fingers and thumbs. The other fingers
are very slightly splayed, palms are facing towards the recipient.
The centre of the triangle frames the recipient's third eye.
Again, allow Reiki to flow into the recipient's brow for about
10 - 15 seconds or more as you intuit.
Move
to the side of the recipient, place one hand in front and one
behind the recipient - palms facing each other - at the level
of their throat.
[Some sources suggest, at the level of their mouth]
Once more, allow Reiki to flow into the recipient's throat for
about 10 - 15 seconds or more as you intuit.
Move
your hands down behind and in front of the recipient's heart/thymus
region.
Again, allow Reiki to flow into the recipient's heart/thymus for
about 10 - 15 seconds or more as you intuit.
Bringing
your fingertips together, smoothly move your hands down and
around the recipient's hands (without touching them ), which are
in the gassho mudra (prayer position).
Allow Reiki to flow into the recipient's hands for about 10 -
15 seconds or more as you intuit.
Smoothly
separate your hands and move them downwards, close to the floor.
[Some sources suggest that with mindful intent, you should ground
the Reiki by visualizing it flowing into the earth, touching the
floor as you do so.]
Now bring your hands together, palms facing upward, the tips of
the little fingers making contact so as to form a scoop.
In one smooth continuous action, swiftly move your hands up in
front of the recipient (as if scooping the energy and returning
it to the source) - with
mindful intent, visualizing the line of energy (light) running
from the base of the spine up through the centre of the body,
through the crown, to the sky - firmly establishing the recipient's
conection with Reiki.
[Some sources suggest visualizing the energy flowing up from the
seika tanden (abdominal area) rather than the base of the
spine.]
As you complete the movement, part your hands - open your arms.
Perform gassho and bow.
[You
might like to compare the reiju process with this 'short
form' version of a Reiki treatment]
Alternative
Reiju versions can be found here and
here