The Reiki Cafe 

Dear Ones,
I'm a bit confused about what Usui and Takata really taught and what is real and what is not. (I rhyme!) Is the story true about Usui finally charging people as they only appreciate Reiki if there is a fair exchange of energy? Some people do free Reiki or offer it as part of another class as I previously mentioned about an ESL teacher who was offering Reiki as part of her class. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated.
thanks,
peace,
Prosperity

Otoharo!

Prosperity, my experience has shown me that there is no free reiki. The receiver pulls in the reiki and a part of that process was the fee paid initailly. Period.

finaltiy

Dear Prosperity,

So easy to get confused around the issue of "payment".

I do not know for sure about Usui Sensei. It is true that Hayashi Sensei charged people attending his clinic - he had a number of the Japanese "upper crust" as clients, and they could certainly afford to pay. The stories coming out of Japan in more recent times suggest that Usui Sensei charged those who could afford it, and offered assistance free to those who could not (in terms of treatments, such as his humanitarian work after the earthquake in Tokyo).

My teacher said if we had to pay for the attunements/access to reiki, no one could ever afford it as that is a priceless gift! However, when you think about it, if courses are to be run, venues hired, photocopying done, a website and phone maintained etc, these things do cost money. Also, reiki is not "instant", and a practitioner and/or teacher should receive something for the many hours invested. This doesn't always have to be money (though in the west, that's the common "unit of exchange").

I give treatments for free and for fee, based on need, the capacity to pay, and for some people, the simple desire they have not to feel beholden to me (and most of us don't want to feel as though we owe a favour - it can lead to resentment).

I currently accept a fortnightly session with a practitioner friend as an exchange for when I provided her with a home when she was in need. This way, she feels as though she is reciprocating my original generousity, and I very much appreciate the gesture and treatment sessions. It also negated any need for a financial arrangement, which suits both of us.

So, my feeling is there is no clear cut "rule", just that if you (or anyone), wishes to receive training and/or treatments in reiki, then the person providing you with the service will need financial (or other) support to establish the appropriate environment, equipment etc.

I would be interested to know where your thoughts and heart take you on this subject.

Kind regards,

Suzibeth

As far as who taught what, I'll defer to the historians and scholars who are doing great work in unearthing details of the early years of Reiki.

In my own experience, people take on ownership of the self-healing principle much more readily if they have to give in order to receive.

Lots of judgment and flexibility needed in implementing the policy of exchange, but a must-do if you're going to practice on others much at all. If you always give it away, you'll reach a point of exhaustion and resentment.

Exchange enables balance.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Dear Suzibeth,
Makes sense to me to charge and I know I have money issues as it's hard to turn down someone due to lack of money and sometimes to accept or ask for it. Dr Usui did alot of freebies and then changed his mind after the ones he worked on for free were still stuck. Madame Takata, due to the teachings of Dr. Usui through Hayashi may have been instructed to charge plus I believe she was a single mom. I]ve only read a little here and there of her books. I appreciate your response.
thank you,
peace,
Prosperity

Dear Finality,
What if there was not fee paid originally. I do agree with you that there is no free Reiki as it sounds good.
peace,
Prosperity

prosperity said on

>Dear Ones,
> I'm a bit confused about what Usui and Takata really taught and what is real and what is not. (I rhyme!) Is the story true about Usui finally charging people as they only appreciate Reiki if there is a fair exchange of energy?

Hi Prosperity

here's something from my website....

Many people seem to think that Takata-sensei was responsible for introducing the concept of the need to charge for treatment/training
(a very modern term for the concept being the "Energy Exchange")

However in a 1928 Reiki Article by the playwright and journalist Shou Matsui states:
"I was introduced to Mr. Hayashi by a mutual acquaintance and I paid a large sum of money to learn this treatment method..."
Matsui was speaking of Shoden level - and if he had to pay what he [a quite affluent individual] considered " a large sum of money", it makes you wonder what Hayashi-sensei's fees for Okoden - never mind Shinpiden, might have been like.
Hayashi-sensei would certainly also have expected some form of payment for providing treatment.
And in Usui-sensei's day it was probably much the same. Students would have had to pay fees to attend Usui-sensei's Dojo, and no doubt payment for treatment would also be expected - this was common practice during the time whether one was learning an artistic, therapeutic, or martial discipline.
Certainly, other healers and therapists in the Meiji and Taisho eras required payment from clients (even those who practiced healing as members of the various 'New Religions' (and Traditional Religions for that matter) would expect 'donations' from those they had helped.
Usui-sensei is said to have provided emergency treatment for a great many people after the Kanto Earthquake, however, in Takata-sensei's version of the Reiki Story, Usui-sensei is also said to have realised that people don't always appreciate - and therefore do not reap the full benefits of - 'something-for-nothing'.

Actually, while the phrasing is modern, the original thinking behind the concept of the 'energy exchange' is much older.
In essence it speaks to the belief that in giving free treatments , the giver is seen to actually be making the receiver 'beholden' to them on some level.
It is all tied up with giri, okaeshi, and kansha.
Giri - in this usage, meaning obligation or indebtedness - is a big deal in Japanese culture. To be indebted to someone can in some circumstances carry with it a certain degree of shame - it can also simply weigh heavily on the mind, and as such be the cause of much stress (which can impact on the effectiveness of the treatment - possibly even counteract the therapeutic effects of a treatment).
Tied in with giri is okaeshi: meaning 'a gift in return'.
When someone gives one a gift (and this doesn't have to be a material or monetary gift - it can be advice, aid, assistance - treatment, etc) one can free oneself of obligation (and the psychological burden it can bring) by means of okaeshi - giving a gift in return.
[Often, if one wants something from a particular person, one will actually give the gift before asking for the thing.]

Okaeshi is the true origin of the 'energy exchange' (which technically doesn't have to be money - it can be a token item, payment in kind, performance of a service - something given to or done for the Reiki practitioner/Teacher - or for that matter something given to or done for a third party (with the Reiki practitioner/Teacher's approval) in line with the concept of 'Pay it forward'
By means of okaeshi / 'energy exchange' one can free oneself psychologically (also ethically/spiritually/karmically) of indebtedness to the practitioner, thus enabling one to fully accept the healing on all levels.

Okaeshi / 'energy exchange' is also a worldly means of expressing true kansha - gratitude: appreciation (and with it, true respect) for what one has received.
"Just for today, be Grateful" - Takata sensei held this as the most important of the principles.
When we truly appreciate / respect the treatment/training received, this also opens us (psychologically, spiritually, etc) to receive the full benefits of the 'gift'.

Kansha - Gratitude is also the acknowledgement of ones indebtedness to another (giri), and on yet another level (to a certain extent, one of 'self-interest') the generation and expression of true heart-felt gratitude is also perceived as a means whereby one can free oneself from the burden of indebtedness - i.e. gratitude itself becomes another level of okaeshi.

[And from a purely therapeutic point of view, the generation of the emotion of gratitude is also widely accepted as being highly conducive to the healing processes.]

reiki ni rei

James

James,

/*\ Namaste ;-}}

- thanks!

- educational as always

>:-}}

- I would offer that it is possible to tell when something is given freely and when the recipient is expected to feel some sort of indebtedness

- and, of course, therein lies some of the human dynamic of guilt

- yet, as one accumualtes Karma for that which one gives freely, one is in fact receiving in return (an exchange of sorts) even it is not from the recipient, per se

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Otoharo!

From my perspective, what Usui learned with his first exp[erience of reiki is that reiki can not be given. I has to be taken. I am learning more and more today on this matter. I regularly recieve reiki, weekly. for many years this has been in place. All this healing has been healing the ego me, and mes. All our lifetimes are presently in our auras. Each of these was an ego life. Therefore it takes a long time to heal all these ego lives.

i have learned how I draw reiki to me, I pull it, gulp it in. Unless this happens reiki stays put.

My focus now is healing other than ego.

How do I recieve reiki so well? First I choose. Then I contract for the reiki and have chosen to pay with money. Bargaining is acceptable. But I must do something to open myself to reiki. Even when I get reiki healing during a phone conversation, there is the need to open to the healing beyond ego in all my lifetimes by the Holy. I chose again to send a check and got it in the mail right away to set the healing in motion.

Can you imagine how I anticipate healing all these lifetimes at one swell swoop? That is my intent. By-passing ego's interference.

finaltiy