The Reiki Cafe 

Quote from Master Duan Xiliang, from a Qiqong workshop I attended 3-4 years ago in Portland, Maine. That's all he said, no more explanation, just returned to teaching the movements.

Master Duan was then 96 years old, and fit as a fiddle. When a person in such good shape, teaching such powerful techniques, responds to a question about negative energy this way, I tend to give it some thought.

We as humans are very talented at scaring ourselves. If things in the moment are peaceful, we can make up a hundred different terrifying visions on the spot. I do it every day, and so do you.

However, the more I've thought about it, and practiced and practiced healing work on self and others, the more I come to see how Master Duan speaks truth. And I see how, ultimately, true peace requires going naked into the world.

Creating spiritual armor, incantations, invocations, power objects, even purifications and the Reiki symbols themselves -- when used in fear, attract the thing we fear most.

More to come...

Blessings, Peace,
Aronaya

Here is something I learned with dream animals. I will not mention specific animals, out of respect for their mystery teaching.

When an animal who has teeth, claws, horns or other predatory tools appears in my dreaming, in the first dream, I run in fear, am often caught and seized, then wake up, thankfully, before it gets really painful. In the second dream, I am ready, and fight the animal until I vanquish it. Then, I wake feeling remorseful, and resolve to make peace with the animal at the next opportunity. Sometimes months later, it happens, and I am ready, to embrace the predator without fear. I have shared warmth and grace with some interesting beings this way.

This is not hard to do. All it takes is your peaceful intent, no matter how fearful you might feel about the next dream. Just voice your intent for peace, and trust the dreaming.

If I stopped with the first dream, then I imagine it would feel like negative energy, and it might even repeat, as many of them have, until I "got it".

After all, they are just chewing on my ego, their teeth are a gift to clear my sight.

Blessings,
Aronaya

There is no "behind the lines" today. We are all forced to decide, what is our intent when someone tries to hurt us? Self-defense? Pre-emptive attack? Passive victimhood? Satyagraha (Gandhi)?

Our enemies, the ones who have hurt us and the ones who wish to hurt us, hold up a mirror to us. There are many ways of facing or not facing the enemy. Denial simply delays.

The most powerful responses all move firmly toward peace. Obiwan retracting his light-saber and letting Darth Vader cut him down. An Aikido master gently guiding the attacker to the ground. Gandhians deliberately and consciously standing in front of the guns, offering their bodies for peace. All these approaches have in common, the REFUSAL to VALIDATE the attacker's bad intent.

In the world of thought and energy, that Reiki practitioners inhabit and work in, this is the only reliable defense -- no defense. When, in the sight of the entire Universe, you take off all your armor, all your coverings, and walk out onto the field, to stand as a naked soul, you affirm that Love is the only real force in existence.

Is this easy, from our trembling vantage point? No, not at all. But we train for it, diligently, every time we gently put our hands on ourselves or another, with healing intent.

Rituals, invocations, incantations, special objects -- all these are useful only if they clarify and increase our confidence in going naked. We are naked, after all, in the sight of the Universe, and the greatest gift our enemies give us, is to overwhelm our defenses so that we SEE this truth.

Blessings, Peace,
Aronaya

aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-))

- with all due respect to the Masters of the world......

- even the wise do not know all ends - thus an unqualified 'answer' does not a priori indicate wisdom on the matter (as if somehow it is left to the student to figure out the obvious)

- not sure what is meant by 'ill energy' but among humans there most certainly exists ill intentions

- you said: "Creating spiritual armor, incantations, invocations, power objects, even purifications and the Reiki symbols themselves -- when used in fear, attract the thing we fear most"

- so, are you suggesting that compassionate action used in fear attracts what???? our worst fears? Sounds like boggart-speak!

>:-}}

- besides, I find it difficult to imagine compassionate action arising out of fear (but perhaps that is just me)

- advanced age is sometimes nothing more than an indication of having lived a long time

>:-}}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- lo these many years as I set out on my first journey to establish a relationship with a Power animal, I was advised that for an initial Power Animal any that I encountered that had teeth bared should be passed by

- in dreams, of course, animals may well be projections of our own 'baser' instincts and desires (though some animals we encounter in dreams may well beentities in their own right)

- knowing the difference was, to C.G. Jung it seems, essential (and I happen to heartily agree)

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Sorry, firekeeper, I'm a little confused -- are you equating "spiritual armor...Reiki symbols" with compassionate action? I thought those things were all just tools. You have emphasized on many occasions the importance of mindfulness and intent, rather than rely on "Reiki does no harm", for example.

Don't know what a boggart is -- can you explain? In any case, yes. Like attracts like, fear attracts fear.

When the Qiqong master said "ill" energy, he was responding to a question about negative energy, so we understood him to mean "negative" energy. It was one of the few times he spoke in English, bypassing his interpreter.

Ill intentions among humans -- what seems like an ill intention to me, may be my enemy following a principle, regretful or not of its effect on me. I take it personally, my enemy meant it impersonally. Was it an ill intention toward me? Maybe, maybe not, one thing's certain -- in the encounter, my focus on the other's ill intention is a distraction from clarity. Only through realizing our Oneness can I effectively disarm the other, while s/he is distracted by imagining my hateful intent. The enemy is blinded by the illusion of hate, while I see clearly and cannot be defeated even if my body is killed.

I am not convinced that, wars and torture and genocide notwithstanding, that ill intent truly exists. Equally plausible that humans are reacting to their perception of the other's ill intent, in escalating spirals of violence.

And yes, that is my point, compassionate action cannot arise from fear, by definition.

I am working out violence that was done to me, long ago. If I stop at what I perceive as the ill intent of my attacker, then that is where my healing stops, and I will never know peace. The glimpses I have seen, all come when I let go of fighting.

Thank you for engaging, you honor me!

Blessings,
Aronaya

I never heard that advice about bared teeth, always they got the jump on me, so it was not a question of passing by. Some rather large teeth, too! That was dreaming in REM sleep, not what I understand as journeying.

I assume you meant "knowing the difference" between "entities in their own right" and "baser instincts and desires". They do seem to present differently in dreams, from what I can tell.

Went to a wolf talk a couple years ago, and the presenter explained that wolves bare teeth at first meeting, and expect you to do so in return. If the human doesn't bare teeth, the wolf will nibble on the human's lips to get him to do so, I think so he can see what the human has. Sort of an etiquette, not like showing fangs and snarling.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Powerful stuff, Aronaya....thank you for giving me words to ponder for quite the while.

aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- you said, in part: "Sorry, firekeeper, I'm a little confused -- are you equating "spiritual armor...Reiki symbols" with compassionate action? I thought those things were all just tools. You have emphasized on many occasions the importance of mindfulness and intent, rather than rely on "Reiki does no harm", for example."

- now I am at a bit of a loss as to what you seem to be trying very hard to say

- "Rely on Reiki does no harm?" - those who take this stance are, if I grasp their position, attribute 'intention' to the energy itself and hence need no tools - also they do not seem to feel that their own intentions or those of recipients have any effects on Reiki practices - and as such eschew their responsibilities for their contributions to the energy work they do

- and, it is precisely intention (in all its myriad guises) that allow for 'spiritual armor' or psychological armor, or all sorts of other armor

- Ok, so 'ill' energy referred to 'negative' energy - however, the question about Master's giving responses such as the example you provide and the observation that such 'answers' in no way imply wisdom has gone beggin thus far

>:-}}

- likes attract is axiomatic in certain realms - in other realms we know they repel >:-}}

- my question was, essentially: how can compassionate action, which is an intention not a tool, per se, attraact negativity? Unless one also grants that opposites attract. It seems my pose here has also gone begging.

>:-}}

- I too enjoy our engagements

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- meeting an animal on shamanic journey that one develops a relationship with (Power Animal) is an essential first step to any later shamanic work - if I meet a wolf with bared teeth I will pass it by as I am not a wolf - If I meet a wolf with teeth not bared I may attempt to engage it - tho this does not guarantee we will have a relationship)

- one of the differences to which I was referring is that between what wolves actually do in the wild and what it means to them and what humans project onto these behaviors (and that of other animals as well) and how we interpret them in our own terms (but we are not wolves, afterall, are we)

>:-}}

- such projections of our interpretations onto animals either when we are awake or asleep is anthropomorphism in one form or another (Illusion, really)

>:-}}

- now, encountering creatures while astral journeying can be a rather different matter than the animmal projectins that show up in dreams

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Good point. Anthropomorphism abounds; listening to and seeing the true nature of animals or anything around us, is a constant challenge. As soon as we use words, the words draw a veil around the experience.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Let's try and pick it apart, first with your responses/questions:

1. I agree that relying on "Reiki does no harm", and using that mantra to exempt oneself from mindfulness of intentions, can lead to unintended outcomes. The more responsible approach is to always check in with intention.

2. However, intending to create "armor" does attract attacks against that armor. Simple example -- I am defensive (armor) about a physical defect. Unconsciously, I draw attention to that defect, so that when out in public, people glance at it, making me more defensive. Imaging the armor accumulating hatchets and arrows, getting heavier and heavier with the weight of weapons stuck in it.

3. I gave Master Duan's answer credence, to the degree I would give anyone credence who, by evidence of his vitality, had learned a thing or two about energy during a long life. I don't think I used the word "wisdom" (can't check my other post while I'm writing this), but perhaps implied it through my pedantic tone (chuckle).

4. I don't believe I said, and certainly didn't mean to say, that compassionate action attracts negativity. Can you explain how you interpreted that from my post? I think I was trying to say the opposite, but it's a little beside the point anyway.

The best restatement of my point, that comes to mind, is the story of the early Buddhist Patriarchs in China. When one asked his prospective teacher, "please cure my troubled mind", and the teacher said, "show me your troubled mind, and I will cure it." Not being able to show any thing identifiable as a troubled mind, the penitent was instantly enlightened.

Those were simpler times, perhaps, less noise, but I feel the same applies to "ill intentions". Show me where they truly exist. We cannot, we can only show behaviors -- words and actions -- and assume the existence of bad intent. It is a shadow, an illusion only. "Nothing personal, collateral damage unfortunate but the price to pay for pursuing our real objective, which is peaceful." Even the nihilists believe they are enabling creation through destruction.

So, the "best" response to the illusion of bad intent? Go naked, speak the truth, and abide in reality. We are all training for this, even as we wrestle with our "demons".

Blessings,
Aronaya

Thanks! I defer the credit to Gandhi, King, Walesa et al. Oh yes, that guy who said to "love thine enemies", too -- three little words, where I had to use whole paragraphs to get the idea out.

Blessings,
Aronaya

aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- one view is that it is processes such as anthropomorphism that account for the various views across different cultures and traditions - for example - owls being seen as evil in some milieus while quite wise and benevolent in others

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Otoharo!

Very attute, Aronaya.

finality

araonaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- you said: "Creating spiritual armor, incantations, invocations, power objects, even purifications and the Reiki symbols themselves -- when used in fear, attract the thing we fear most."

- as far as I am concerned, doing Reiki is one way to act compassionately (even if one uses the symbols to aid mindfulness)

>:-}}

- so, I will re-phrase the question: how do you see someone acting compassionately out of fear??? Fear is about us, afterall.

- also, how do you see Reiki symbols being spiritual armor??

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

aronaya said on

>When the Qiqong master said "ill" energy, he was responding to a question about negative energy, so we understood him to mean "negative" energy. It was one of the few times he spoke in English, bypassing his interpreter.

How good is his English? And what was the phrasing of the question to which he was responding?

Bruce

Dear Aronaya,
Thanks for your postings. It' always good to get feedback. In response to fear attracting what we fear, I suppose if fear means frustration, ego, arrogance and resentments then it would seem to be better to work on releasing fear first before we start working on ourselves or others by calming and center ourselves and sitting quietly while we observe and let go of resentments through top of our head to God, Creator while forgiving ourself and others and then bringing in and allowing God energy to come in. Or another word for God. Universal life energy seems too vague for me.
Peace,
Prosperity

I meant anxiety rather than arrogance. Also animals with teeth can never really hurt us so yes best not to run from anything in dreams as the braver we are in dreams the braver we are in real life and all in dream are ususally aspects of ourselves which you probably already know since you recognize to work on not running. Good idea!!

FK, you asked in an earlier post "how can compassionate action, which is an intention not a tool, per se, attraact [sic] negativity?"

And in this last post, you re-phrase:

"how do you see someone acting compassionately out of fear?"

Actually, I don't. I don't see compassionate action coming out of fear, nor do I see it attracting negativity.

My point is the opposite, that fear attracts negativity.

One way to be fearful, is to become agitated about negative energy being directed your way. Using tools such as "armor, incantations, etc.", as a fearful response to imagined negative energy, validates and gives form to the imagined negativity, such that it then becomes real. Perception becomes reality.

Yes, I will agree, that doing Reiki -- mindfully -- is one excellent path of compassionate action, with or without symbol use. You yourself, though, have said on many occasions, that the mantra of "Reiki does no harm", does not relieve us from the obligation to always be practicing our mindfulness. If we are being mindful, I believe we are quieting fear, and opening a greater space for compassionate action. If we are not being mindful, then things can turn on us -- I suspect we have all experienced that from time to time.

Perhaps some examples are in order; we are talking in abstractions (always a pleasant pastime here at the Cafe!), and the question of the definition of compassionate action is not my main point. I'll take shot at it next post.

Blessings,
Aronaya

That was the most English he had spoken the whole workshop. It was notable that he considered it important enough to speak without an interpreter. He was very emphatic.

The question was something like, how do you defend yourself against negative energy?

He just answered with the single sentence, then started teaching the next movement.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Some examples:

1. You detect aggressive intent when none was intended. Ruins your day. The other person was just obsessing about troubles at home; it was nothing personal.

2. People start talking about one person's negative energy, the same way we talked about "cooties" on the playground, and it becomes a means of social isolation. Worst case -- witchcraft trials, when young women suffering from rye-ergot-induced hallucinations had to distract the community from suspecting them of going over to the devil, so they found useful scapegoats among the healers. This can be a great way for the healing community to cannibalize itself. Examples abound; the combination of New Age and conspiracy theory is especially volatile.

3. In the energetic world, a sensitive person feels a force strongly, that really is an outward projection of inner struggle. Another sensitive, unconsciously empathizing with the first person's unconscious struggle, acts out in ways that make it seem like they are the source of the first persons's perceived "negative energy". Which reinforces the first person's perception, which makes the illusory negativity appear to be stronger.

4. In the politico-military world, internal insecurity (say, the unsustainability of the military-industrial complex), gets projected outward against scapegoats or true enemies, fabricating enemies where none existed, and enlarging small enemies into dire immediate threats to our existence. So we bomb them back into the Stone Age, and their orphaned sons and daughters become true enemies, multiplied by orders of magnitude.

Blessings,
Aronaya

On the other hand, positive examples of refusing to validate another's ill intention.

1. Starhawk's book, "The Fifth Sacred Thing", wherein an enlightened society chooses to confront a violent invader with non-violence, saying "there is a place for you at our table, if you will join us". Invading soldiers break down after killing children who say this to them, and the invasion collapses. Sounds harsh, and takes incredible training and bravery, but this has worked in history. (Though a debating friend calls it "passive-aggressive bull****").

2. Smiling genuinely at someone who wanted to fight, while surrounded by a circle of his friends. The strength to smile and calmly decline to fight, came only from assuming that the would-be fighter had a spark of good will inside. This confrontation faded when another in the circle said, "come on, man, he's cool", and they left me alone. What would have been my facial expression if I had assumed pure ill will, and what would have been the outcome?

3. All the nonviolent resistance movements which have succeeded by assuming a spark of good will among the oppressors.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Thanks, finality!

Blessings,
Aronaya

I have found fear to be the most difficult illusion to release -- maybe that's why I've said so much about it!

I basically have wanted to confront the notion of negative energy that is popular in some circles. We need to ask more of ourselves as healers.

The most powerful healing is to see past the apparent defects, and see the wholeness, and incredibly moving beauty.

We have invitations all around us, to believe in negative energy, ill intentions, and the like. We owe it to ourselves to think it through a little deeper than that.

Thank you for reading along!

Blessings,
Aronaya