Mikao Usui, the original founder of Reiki, developed the Five Principles of Reiki. He believed that if you followed them that they were “the secret method of inviting good fortune. The marvellous medicine for all sickness“. He suggested that every morning and every night to place the palms together in prayer position and say these five principles out loud and to your heart.
The Five Reiki Principles
These five precepts can actually be found on Mikao Usui’s memorial stone in the grounds of the Saihoji Temple in Tokyo. They are:
- Do not anger
- Do not worry
- Be grateful
- Work with diligence
- Be kind to others
They appear so simple, yet they can prove to be worthwhile daily challenges.
Reiki traditionally was taught orally, with very little being written down. It is only relatively recently that we see students being given written notes and material. Therefore, sometimes you will get variations on these principles, as I did from my Reiki teacher. A Reiki Master is meant to be guided in their teaching, and maybe along the way, these changes occurred from a teacher on my training lineage adapting them to reflect the student(s) at the time being taught.
Do Not Anger
We often can become angry to outside events. This anger can become stored in our bodies creating an energy block or potentially, over time, sickness. We could choose to release the anger in a negative way. When I am healing someone, I often see balls of red rage in and around a client’s body. The brighter the red colour appears, the more recent the anger. H(ate) actually contains the word ate. No-one wants to be eaten up by anger. If people knew the potential consequences to their energy and health of this negative emotion, they may choose more frequently to let go and be more detached from conflicting circumstances.
Do Not Worry
Most of the time we are looking backward in the rear view mirror or forward to the future. The past we cannot change. We can learn from it and heal it, so it does not impinge on our today and therefore our tomorrows. Many people want to visit psychic people, like myself, to find out about the future. We can actually change our futures by changing ourselves today. Certain events may still happen, but they may not be such huge obstacles. People may still enter our lives, but with our changed behaviour they may have less influence and impact.
We forget about the now. Eckhart Tolle in his book, the Power of Now, says we have three options: to remove ourselves from the situation, change it or accept totally it. Each morning when we wake, we have a new page, a new start. We are like energy magnets radiating out to our universe. It is down to us what energy we emit each day.
Be Grateful
The mind automatically likes to switch to the negative in a situation. Our role is to think of the positive, for when we do, we are helping to uplift our energy. Otherwise, the mind likes to expand upon that initial negative thought. Even in the darkest of times we often learn so much. We might find a new friend, a new partner, a new career or personal quality we never knew we had.
I set up my business, Culcheth Healing after the breakdown of the relationship with my daughter’s father. It was meant to be temporary to fit around her school, which my daughter had only just started. I wanted to provide some form of consistency for her and then find a “proper job” back in the corporate world. I had very little money, no client base and no reputation in my new field. I actually had discovered my healing talent and more spiritual gifts in my darker days. As my daughter has grown, so has my business. The brightness of summer, follows the darkness and bleakness of winter. Nature takes advantage of any crack – look at the weeds in the paths, chimney pots and gutters on your next walk.
I got taught by my Reiki teacher to be grateful for every living thing for this principle. We forget we are part of an intricate network of energy. The pain of one, ripples outwards and so also does a smile and kindness.
Diligence 
This principle is found in many religions. The Buddha said “strive on with diligence”. In Christianity, it is counted as one of the seven virtues. In Islam “That man can have nothing but what he strives for”, and in Hinduism in the Gita “who so performeth – diligent, content – the work allotted him, whatever it be, lays fold of perfectness”. Hindus celebrate Diwali, a festival of lights, where Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped, who symbolises being organised, diligent and honest.
I was taught that this principle was honesty rather than diligence. We all have different variations of honesty. If you find a penny and take it for good fortune – is that stealing? If someone asks how they look, when the outfit is not flattering, do you reply with a complete, frank opinion and hurt that individual who may be radiating joy. If a child is stealing food as they are hungry, would you call that dishonest and berate them. What about answering all those questions about Father Christmas to that excited, inquisitive child? We are all unique souls on different paths facing different daily experiences.
Be Kind to Others
Rather than be kind to others, I instead was taught to honour your parents, teachers and elders. Having one great parent appears to be very common and having two you were very blessed. I often find that clients that did not have any fabulous parents, typically had a grandparent, relative, foster carer or friend’s parent that offered the love and support that was lacking. I find that those clients who had more difficult childhoods, most likely have amazing spiritual gifts that they often closed off. These extra talents were there to help them. Many people just rely on their gut instinct; whereas they may have an extra life guidance system which includes for instance, helpful dreams, premonitions, visits from the spirit world or Angels.
We most likely all have had a difficult teacher or experienced a grumpy and maybe bitter older person. This is a reflection of the life they have had and how it has changed them. We do not know what people have gone through. My Mum used to force herself to go for daily walks after losing my Dad. She used to say hello to a lady nearby, who just carried on walking by as if she was invisible. My Mum, still rather emotionally delicate, took this behaviour to heart and it upset her. Then she found out the person had hearing difficulties and was also a widow. They have now become best friends. Thank goodness she did not judge too quickly and resort to rudeness through anger.
My Dad when he passed still carried the pain of losing his Mum. He has since met his Mum in the spirit world, yet it was still showing energetically on him. Over there, he has been given healing, which can be surprising to learn. However, to raise his energetic vibration they need help to release the pain he did not resolve whilst on earth.
The expression to travel lightly comes to mind. Lighten your worries, lighten you temperament and remember you can only watch one tv, sleep in one bed, drive one car, all which you cannot take with you. It is the love of ourselves, others and the world that makes us shine.
