Most people, most of the time, are doing the right thing. Having faith is not as hard as we think.

photo credit: mitikusa

It is really not as hard as you think.

But, you need to find your center, and that is not so easy.

photo credit: derfel_ie

As a human being our ultimate nature is contentment, peace, clarity and wisdom. But, our relative nature is desire and doubt.

So, if you truly want to be without fear, if you truly want to have confidence and certainty, then you need to be able to see past the relative and find the timeless nature that lies within.

photo credit: newformula

But, how do we go past our relative mind. How do we find the peace and confidence within? Just one way. With genuine, sincere compassion.

By letting our hardships work on us. By allowing ourselves to become maliable, and soft. The moe flexible our mind becomes, the more easily it will let go in Reiki healing and in meditation. And we can see what the space beyond the thoughts looks like. What our heart looks like, rather than just looking at its contents.

If we can do that, we might just see that our heart is the heart of the world.

photo credit: tata_aka_T

I am sorry to put up such a biased post. I do not want to appear to ever say Buddhism is best.
But, I am so upset and distressed about what has been happening in Tibet in the last few days, I did not know what else to do.
From the Kagyu Monlam Book

Aspiration for the Well-Being of Tibet by Jamgön Lodrö Thaye

Undeceiving sources of refuge, three jewels and three roots;
Especially Avalokita, protector of the Land of Snow;
Noble lady Tara; Guru Padmakara:
I pray to you. Consider your pledges and promises.
Grant your blessings that my aspirations be fulfilled.

Through the incorrect thoughts and actions of beings in degenerate times
And turmoil of the outer and inner elements,
There are new human and animal diseases.
We are struck by planets, naga, gyalpos, and evil bhutas;
Blight, frost, hail, and poor harvests; war and fightings;
Uneven rainfall, blizzards, destruction by voles and rats,
Earthquakes, fire, danger from the four elements;
And, in particular, invasions that threaten the dharma.

May all such things that menace this Land of Snow
Be quickly pacified and eradicated.
May all beings, human and non-human,
Naturally generate precious bodhicitta
And be free from malevolent thoughts and actions.
May they love one another.
May all of Tibet be filled with joy, well-being, and wealth.
May the buddhadharma spread, flourish, and long remain.

Through the power of the truth of the three roots, buddhas, and bodhisattvas;
The power of all the roots of virtue in samsara and nirvana;
And the power of our pure benevolence,
May what we have prayed and wished for be accomplished.

The lord guru Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo said to me, “Because of the great uncertainty of the present time, I pray six times each day for the well-being of Tibet. It is important that you do as well.” In accordance with that command, I wrote this to remind me to do so.

This was written by Jamgön Lodrö Thaye in Tsadra Rinchen Drak in the morning of an auspicious conjunction during the waxing phase of the month Gyal. Yathasiddhiratsu.

As we have gone along, my wife and I have fallen in love with some things that have either really helped our healing or really helped people we have come into contact with. If you have a recommendation that you think other Reiki Blogger readers would benefit from please send it through.

If you have not been following what has been happening over at Paulo’s blog, I recommend heading over there and checking it out. He is slowly but surely putting up all his great books, for free reading. Awesome!

What should I do when I am giving some one Reiki? What should I be thinking?

This kind of question is not something that troubles every type of Reiki person. Some people are blessed with very strong natural faith and devotion. An inner certainty about themselves and what they are doing.

I am not one of those people.

People have emphasized to me that you can be “told” things that are helpful for your clients when you give Reiki. And, to be perfectly honest, being “told” that was perhaps one of the most unhelpful things, ever.

Right up there with synchronicity. (It just made me paranoid and waaaay too serious)

You can pick up some really useful stuff for people during Reiki sessions (it is, in fact, a large part of Reiki 2 training), and the basis for Usui’s intuitive based hand position style. But, I think, often, people get very unstable when you start talking like that.

People are desperate for meaning. We are all really hoping that there is some greater meaning to our lives, a higher purpose. And, when people start saying things like they were “told” to tell them something during a treatment, we can place overly sentimental emphasis on that information.

Anyway. The problem, for me at least, is not so much whether schronicity is true or exists, but that people could never tell me “how” to do it. So following are some useful tips on “how” to do it.

1. Allowing.

Understanding the difference between forcing and allowing. If you force yourself to concentrate on an apple, you go out to get the image of the apple with your eye consciousness. Which is very different, although only subtly, from allowing the apple image to come to you. But, do not mistake it for dull passivity.

2. Brightness.

When we are passive we can be bright or dull, mentally. And, usually it is connected to our emotional state. If we are light and happy, we are bright and alert.

3. Not Distracted.

Concentration is the key. But, it is not a forced concentration. It is a concentration that allows your consciousness to be un-distracted. Like an internal commitment to not get distracted (read: overly interested) in what is happening internally with your thoughts and emotions, and externally with your client’s behaviour and reactions.

4. Hovering Awareness.

You want to allow you consciousness to be bright, alert and undistracted. Just hovering, and slightly curious. Without being overly interested (distracted) by what happens. Much the same as sitting meditation.

Last Word
There are a number of ways you can raise with a client things that you have noticed intuitively during a treatment. Personally, I recommend trying your level best to do it in a very earthy and “normal” way. And, try not to be too attached to what you feel or notice. That way, your client has the space to either take responsibility themselves (which really is the only way change and healing will come to fruition), or politely disagree with your perception (very healthy).

I would encourage you to be brave and speak from your heart, honestly and openly, because it might just be very helpful.

Sometimes, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

pfffffffft.

Sometimes, we should just be damn proud for ourselves that we SURVIVED.

People really struggle to define Reiki.

One thing is that, frustratingly, the more important journey is toward a better question, not a better answer.

In Buddhist training a lot of time is spent clarifying the “view”. Where the “view” is the way things are. Monks will spend 20 years debating and studying the “view”. With the purpose of changing their questions. Changing the way they think about reality.

This is really opposite to the way we normally approach things. Normally, at least in my house, we come at things from the answer side. We argue that the answer is not adequate. Rather than that the question is faulty.

Personally, I do not think it matters what is Reiki. Just that it is, and that it works. (But, I still love to ponder it!)

For what it is worth, especially for the people just starting out on their Reiki journey, I will offer up my back of the weeties packet definition of Reiki.

Reiki is.

Ha! Just kidding.

My best one sentence definition of Reiki is to say it is a force of reality. That flows from a spiritual origin and is accessible by empowerment. Or long term training in compassionate kindness (I guarantee you Mother Teresa would have given Reiki just as well and just as pure as William Rand). And, is a lot like unconditional love.