Reiki Symbols and Secrecy

[chandrika s]

:smt006 Hi evryone,

"Copyright" business is a very recent one. Yoga, Vedas, Reiki,Runes, Pranayama, astrology etc etc etc are ancient. Is it right to copyright these? is it not like copyrighting air, space and fire.

[Gem]

A few years back there was a court case about several energy healing therapies and their copyrite, makes interesting reading lol!

The reiki symbols are not secret because of copyright but they are secret because many see them as sacred. And as such should only be made known to reiki students and masters

[ReikiMaster108]

reiki symbols only works if u pass properly reiki initiation otherwise are uselles

[Reiki Master]

There are no copy rights to any of the Reiki Symbols.  How can there be?  No one designed an pattended it.

The only reason why the Reiki Symbols are secret is that it can cause disorientation and confusion to the uninitated person.  Therefore when performing Reik Healing in person you should cover the person's eye with a very light cloth or tissue paper will suffice.

[Gem]

There are no copy rights to any of the Reiki Symbols.  How can there be?  No one designed an pattended it.

The only reason why the Reiki Symbols are secret is that it can cause disorientation and confusion to the uninitated person.  Therefore when performing Reik Healing in person you should cover the person's eye with a very light cloth or tissue paper will suffice.

Hi and welcome to Mystic Board

I have never seen the symbols cause any problem, to the unattuned they are just drawings and nothing more, they have no power, they do hold fascination though.

[Rohiniranjan]

[quote="chandrika s"] Hi evryone,

"Copyright" business is a very recent one. Yoga, Vedas, Reiki,Runes, Pranayama, astrology etc etc etc are ancient. Is it right to copyright these? is it not like copyrighting air, space and fire.[/quote]


speaking of copyrighting or rather "trademarking" and "Branding", as was the petition and courtcase initiated by the Grand daughter of Mme. [[H. Takata]] back in the 90s I think -- portions of hinduism have been branded in recent years by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi's organization. Thus you have Maharshi Meditation, Maharshi Ayurveda and Maharshi Jyotish and perhaps many similar ones.

The *proponents* claim that this branding is not a copyright but like the Woolmark mark of purity and quality control...

The Maharshi landed in North America when the flower children movement was on the rise and thus he perhaps felt the need to limit the variability in the teachings so that people get what they deserve.

I think ...

[Solwynn]

When my mother went to Japan for several weeks to visit friends many year ago, she saw children wearing some of the Reiki symbols around their necks as good luck charms, out in the open. I read somewhere that the Reiki symbols come from one of the streams of Buddhism and Usui gave them to students who couldn't focus with chants or breathing. Unfortunately I can not remember the title of the book, but here is a http://learnreiki.tripod.com/grassrootsreiki/  to a site that also contains some of the same information.

It is my opinion (and only my opinion, you don't have to see it the same way) that the whole secrecy issue is to appeal to the Western mind which is largely socialized with concepts of "revealed" religion. The Eastern worldview sees something that works, and wants to share it with everyone. The Western mind sees the same thing and wants to hide it until someone proves themselves "worthy".

I gave up hiding the symbols from my students when I realized that they'd been on the internet and in books since the mid 90s. The symbol only "works" if you make it work, it is your intent to be open and ability to channel the ki that makes something happen. If it helps you in your focus then it is useful but if you don't know what it is, or can't relate it to what you are doing, then it is just another squiggle.

~Solwynn

[Rohiniranjan]

[quote="Solwynn"]When my mother went to Japan for several weeks to visit friends many year ago, she saw children wearing some of the Reiki symbols around their necks as good luck charms, out in the open. I read somewhere that the Reiki symbols come from one of the streams of Buddhism and Usui gave them to students who couldn't focus with chants or breathing. Unfortunately I can not remember the title of the book, but here is a [url=http://http://learnreiki.tripod.com/grassrootsreiki/]link[/url] to a site that also contains some of the same information.

It is my opinion (and only my opinion, you don't have to see it the same way) that the whole secrecy issue is to appeal to the Western mind which is largely socialized with concepts of "revealed" religion. The Eastern worldview sees something that works, and wants to share it with everyone. The Western mind sees the same thing and wants to hide it until someone proves themselves "worthy".

I gave up hiding the symbols from my students when I realized that they'd been on the internet and in books since the mid 90s. The symbol only "works" if you make it work, it is your intent to be open and ability to channel the ki that makes something happen. If it helps you in your focus then it is useful but if you don't know what it is, or can't relate it to what you are doing, then it is just another squiggle.

~Solwynn[/quote]

Dear Solwynn,

Agreeing with you in essence, I must point out that at least in the realm of astrology/jyotish -- the sharing in India has not been all that universal or transparent. A lot of protectionism, territoriality, secrecy and hoarding information often to the detriment of the information (insects that destroy old books and ancient leaves on which the wisdom was transcribed!). Then again, the only India I have seen/experienced had been one that had for hundreds of years been under western influence, so maybe you could be right about east going back centuries :-}

That said, in the specific area of Reiki, I think what started out as sacred got misrepresented as secret. Stuff happens...!

Kind regards,

[Solwynn]

Dear Solwynn,

Agreeing with you in essence, I must point out that at least in the realm of astrology/jyotish -- the sharing in India has not been all that universal or transparent. A lot of protectionism, territoriality, secrecy and hoarding information often to the detriment of the information (insects that destroy old books and ancient leaves on which the wisdom was transcribed!). Then again, the only India I have seen/experienced had been one that had for hundreds of years been under western influence, so maybe you could be right about east going back centuries :-}

That said, in the specific area of Reiki, I think what started out as sacred got misrepresented as secret. Stuff happens...!

Kind regards,

I understand, and I was generalizing. This is one of those discussions that people could carry on for a month of Sundays. I was having this conversation last week with a friend who is a nun in the Zen tradition and yes there is a lot of territoriality everywhere. It just seems that there is a big difference in how Reiki is disseminated in North America vs Japan, and there seems to be more "myth building"?! on this side of the pond. I'm not sure how else to phrase it. Sometimes its difficult to sift through it all to separate what is information and what is embellishment.

~Solwynn

[Rohiniranjan]

[quote="Solwynn"]I understand, and I was generalizing. This is one of those discussions that people could carry on for a month of Sundays. I was having this conversation last week with a friend who is a nun in the Zen tradition and yes there is a lot of territoriality everywhere. It just seems that there is a big difference in how Reiki is disseminated in North America vs Japan, and there seems to be more "myth building"?! on this side of the pond. I'm not sure how else to phrase it. Sometimes its difficult to sift through it all to separate what is information and what is embellishment.

~Solwynn[/quote]

Dear Solwynn,

Thanks for sharing. I think there is only INFORMATION and KNOWLEDGE.

Information can be understated (properietary, sacred, parampara/tradition as it is commonly guarded as in India, perhaps elsewhere too) oir embellished as you stated --

and there is knowledge.

The difference between the two, information and knowledge to me is rather simple!

Information: I am hungry and pass by this French Pastry shop which has its front door open and the fragrance is just killing me and making my soul WANT to go in there (actually just my stomach!).

KNOWLEDGE: The bakery experience is behind me. I succumbed, I went in, probably made a fool of myself, ate all the pastry and more than I could have. I want to work there and improve certain things and flavours...

[Gem]

So you don't think that the 'secrecy' has anything to do with the $10,000 Takata used to charge for each level?

[PHeleno]

Hello all:

I share the opinion that Reiki Symbols are note essential to reiki practice. But as Usui had students who needed the symbols to focus, we, in the present, have a western society that, by the characteristics of living, makes sometimes very difficult the process of focus. So I think that, in the early stages in level 2, symbols are clearly very important to help people improve their focus in the practice. In advanced stages, it's normal that a person feels no need of the symbols, although I must say that I personally like to drawn them in the air...makes me feel very good.

Namaste

Paulo

[juan_manuell]

So you don't think that the 'secrecy' has anything to do with the $10,000 Takata used to charge for each level?

I my little opinion i think that always "secrecy" in any healing modality has to do with money. I know the symbols of reiki before my Master give it to me. And i try to use it, and i not feel nothig. When i go to a Reiki master to teach me. When he attune me to second level, and i use it i feel the difference.
I just keep it hidden when i give reiki to someone that i know he or she could feel rare about it. Then i draw it mentally.

Love

[JewelOfTheSouth]

So you don't think that the 'secrecy' has anything to do with the $10,000 Takata used to charge for each level?

Two years after her death, some of Mrs. Takata's masters met as a memorial to Mrs. Takata and to share information. They formed the Reiki Alliance at that time, an under the leadership of Mrs. Takata's granddaughter, Mrs. Phyllis Furumoto. The Alliance claims to represent "Traditional" Reiki. Its practices represent the Hayashi-Takata lineage (Not the Usui techniques). Mrs. Furumoto went from forming the Alliance to calling herself "Grandmaster" of Reiki and later claimed the "Spiritual" Lineage holder. The Alliance maintains a requirement that the master level should cost Ten Thousand US Dollars. An attempt was made by the Alliance in 1997 to trademark the name "Reiki" and Usui Shiki Ryoho, which failed in most countries.

Meanwhile, Barbara Weber Ray also claimed the title of "Grandmaster" and claimed to have the "original Reiki." Eventually, she changed the name of the process she taught to "Radiance Technique"

The title of Grandmaster has been reserved in traditional Usui Reiki for the pioneers who are responsible for bringing Reiki into the world. It is a title of honor and respect for those whose efforts made Reiki available to so many. These include Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, and Hawayo Takata.
Unlike traditional martial arts, which bestows the title Grandmaster to a Master who has elevated another Master - at which point HIS Master becomes a Great-Grandmaster, traditional Usui Reiki as taught and practiced in the West and throughout the world does not have that tradition.

The school in Japan (Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai) has no Grandmaster - it is a western title, not a title used in Japanese Reiki. The head of the school is called the Chairperson.

The general perception in Usui Reiki is that the reason that Mrs. Takata didn't name a successor was because she realized that Reiki should not belong to anyone.


You can find this information on Reiki.com

Gentle Hugs,

Julie

[nitinsaxena77]

hi, i completely agree with GEM.