Symbols and Beyond
In the Western style of Reiki, the Reiki symbols are seen to be very important. They are seen as an integral part of the system; indeed for many people the symbols are Reiki, the symbols are the energy.
However new information coming from Japan, and
the experiences of some Reiki Practitioners, suggest that they might not be as necessary as was once thought.
Firstly, it is interesting to note that the 'attunement' methods used by Mikao Usui's Reiki Association in Japan (the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai) do not involve the use of symbols: the Gakkai's students are connected to Reiki, but the Reiki symbols are not used in this process.
Secondly, Hiroshi Doi - a member of the 'Gakkai who has brought their basic teachings to the Western world - says that Mikao Usui introduced the symbols into his Reiki technique for the benefit of his students. The story was that some students could just
not accept that they could 'do this thing', and by giving them something concrete to use, they learned to focus and control the energy more easily.
Hiroshi Doi also says that the current 'Gakkai students do not use the Reiki symbols, though they are shown them out of historical interest.
Mikao Usui no doubt chose the symbols very carefully, to represent different aspects of the energy, but the energy and the connection to the energy came first it seems.
So perhaps the message we should be getting from the above is that we may choose to use the symbols if we want to or feel the need to use them, but they are not necessarily an essential part of the system, and if we feel that we can move beyond them, that is ok and that is still Reiki.
REIKI FEDERATION
THE EUROPEAN REIKI FEDERATION