Cobblers...

One night, a new neighbour (who had only moved in a few days earlier) called at my home, carrying a brown paper bag.

He apologised for calling so late, but said he had a problem and hoped I might be able to help.

He explained that he had an important job interview lined up for the following morning and naturally wanted to look his best. However, as most of their possessions were still in packing cases, he had only managed to locate one pair of 'formal' shoes, and these had somehow been damaged in transit - both heels had become partially detached and the sole of the left shoe was split.
And as the local shoe-repair shop was closed for the night he didn't know what else to do.

Thinking he wanted to borrow a pair of my shoes, I was about to ask what size he wore, when he produced the damaged shoes from the bag he was carrying.

In response to my puzzled expression, he explained that his wife had been talking to one of the other neighbours, Mrs Connors, and that she had told her that I did something called "Reiki".

"Yes, that's correct, but…" I started to say.

"So do you think you can do anything with these?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, shoe repair isn't really…"

"But Mrs Connors," he began, in somewhat confused tones, "she said…"
And he went on to relate how - his wife not having heard of Reiki before - Mrs Connors had very briefly explained to her what it was all about.

"Ah!" I said, "now I understand! "

I think you'll probably find that what Mrs Connors actually told your wife was that:

"Reiki works on souls, and heals…"

On chasing after repeat Reiki-attunements...

ZEN AND THE ART OF REIKI : A parable

Usui Sensei is having a meal with a new Deshi (student)

DESHI: Sensei, can you please pass me the bowl of Tofu

SENSEI: You've got the bowl of Tofu in your hand

DESHI: Sensei, can you please pass me the bowl of Tofu

SENSEI (with Infinite Patience & Compassion):
You've got the bowl of Tofu in your hand.

DESHI: Sensei, can you please pass me the bowl of Tofu

SENSEI: How can I give you what you've already got?

DESHI: (uncertain of himself) But Sensei, I can't FEEL the bowl of Tofu

SENSEI: Relax, still your mind, trust in the Tofu - eat...

(Bad) Reiki-Joke Healing ™

So, a Reiki Master goes into a bar, and across the crowded room he sees one of his students: Raymond, talking to the bartender (and drinking a TOTALLY non-alcoholic drink of course!). Raymond acknowledges his teacher's presence, and gestures to the empty barstool next to his.
As he walks up to them, the Reiki Master can hear Raymond saying to the Bartender:
"... so I told him, if he kept on eating like that, he was likely to choke ..."
Sitting down beside his student, the Reiki Master - eager to pick up the thread of the conversation - says:
"Choke - who Ray?"

The TRUE origins of Reiki, Honest!

Isn't it always the way - just when you thought you were beginning to get a grip on what you've been assured is the TRUE history of Reiki - some one or some thing comes along and does a whole 'revisionist thing' on you - "no, no it wasn't like that originally, it was like this....

Well, latest news just in from RRRR (our Roving 'Revisionist' Reiki Reporter):

The TRUE Origins of Reiki....

Was it invented in Atlantis?
No
- Tibet?
No
- Peru?
No
- Coney Island maybe?
No
- Japan
Now that Really Is ridiculous!

When was it developed?
Let me guess:
- 6,000 years ago?
No
- 3561 years ago?
No
- Early part of the 20th Century?
Don't be silly!

Reiki was actually invented in the Future - that's right, it hasn't been invented yet - in a couple of millenia from now some seven earlobed alien from the planet Chann-El will invent it and, using the real HSZSN symbol (which looks surprisingly like this: $$$ ), send the whole system back in time

- maybe......??!!?

The Forgotten Master Symbol...

We are all aware that the Reiki 'Master Symbol' is in fact not a symbol per se, but rather, it is simply the words 'Dai Ku Myo' - written in perfectly ordinary Japanese kanji.

Many people have no doubt questioned why, instead of an actual 'mystical' glyph of some sorts, (to represent as what is arguably Reiki's most important symbolic focus) what we have is simply the equivalent of the English words 'Big Bright Light' written in Japanese.

Well the reason (so I have been reliably informed) is this:

Hawayo Takata received her Master initiation in 1938.

When she taught Reiki, she insisted that her students memorise the symbols - just as she had had to do all those years before - no-one was allowed to make or keep copies of the symbols. It was all down to memory.

Now while Takata-Sensei had been using the first three symbols on a regular basis ever since the 1930's, when it came to initiating her first Reiki Master (Virginia Samdahl) in 1976, she simply couldn't remember how to draw the actual original Master symbol (- well, afterall, she had had no cause to use/draw the symbol in 38 years -) but she did remember its name, so she decided that, as the power was as much in the words as in the image, the three now-famous kanji characters: Dai Ku Myo, would have to suffice!

Reiki Secrets:

The best way to keep a secret is to let people THINK there are no secrets....
Alternatively, you can hide the 'big' secrets even deeper by telling people 'little' secrets - making sure of course that you imbue them with undue significance and importance:

Master talking to his 'Number 1 Student':
"Oh, now you must swear an oath that you won't tell anyone what I am about to share with you - this is something that I (and all the masters in my lineage before me) have chosen to reveal to only the most advanced students.
It is imperative that you keep it to yourself as it would shake the very fabric of the Reiki Universe if it got out into the general Reiki Community - remember the old occultist's adage:
"to Will, to Dare, to Know - and to Keep Silent"
- a Secret is a thing of Power, and this is a very powerful secret - especially so, when you meditate deeply on the implications of what I am about to tell you"
(Master looks around furtively to check nobody's listening - leans in close and whispers:)
"Takata-Sensei translated the name of the first symbol: 'Chokurei'
as 'put the power here' - but a 'Chokurei' is also an 'Imperial Edict' - an Order or Decree by the Emperor - and in Japan the Emperor is held to be Divine.....(long pause, accompanied by a superior, knowing look) - do you begin to understand the awesome significance of this? Makes you think, doesn't it, eh?"
(While the student - awestruck that the Master has seen fit to reveal this deep secret to him - wanders off to contemplate the implications of this revelation, the Master laughs softly as he thinks to himself )
"Well, that'll keep him distracted for a while - I'll have to watch him though - can't help thinking he was getting too close to finding out the truth....
It would never do - having someone discover that there never was a Mikao Usui and that Mrs Takata invented the whole Reiki scam as an early form of 'New Age Pyramid Selling Scheme'......
Lets see, 22 Masters at $10,000 per Master, even today thats a lot of money.... "

Secrets - what Secrets?