The Reiki Cafe 

It has been some time since I've been here--many reasons good and not so good: Out having fun, being busy = good; computer break, loss of internet...actually, turned out good, since it gave me extra time to focus on other things in spare moments.

But I've been thinking about some things regarding reiki I found online.

I read about in japanese having two words that get rtranslated the same in English and are also versions of healing work there: Rei and Sei. After inquiry, I discover more appropriate translation--instead of both being "spirit": Rei would be more appropriately "divine" and "sei" would be appropriately "spirit". That is with understanding of esoteric knowledge of occult planes...of human mine as psycholigists call it.

Which leads me to the conclusion that the historical translations of reiki writings where tranlated as "god" should be "divine". IE.: "To experience the god is so 'empowering'...everyone should experience god." [I forgot the site and letter, sorry, one of you knows it I'm sure.] It should say, "...experience the divine..."; this would be much more accurate to an energy that is common in many reiki practices, and from which those describe the energy coming from.

Furthermore, I wonder if "Egyptian ReiKi" "SeiChim" is not some form of tranliteration of the Japanese "SeiKi"--meaning spiritual healing.

So in conclusion, I'm thinking reiki = divine healing and seike = spiritual healing and SeiChim is spiritual healing. Haven't looked into seichim in depth, but the descriptions seem to be pointing that way.

Then again, most people don't know the diff between the spirit and the divine--even when they use it.

{Hrmph, without understanding all language is just babblee, isn't it?}

swarm said on

>I read about in japanese having two words that get rtranslated the same in English and are also versions of healing work there: Rei and Sei. After inquiry, I discover more appropriate translation--instead of both being "spirit": Rei would be more appropriately "divine" and "sei" would be appropriately "spirit".

Hi Swarm,

actually, the 'Sei' used in connection with several Japanese healing arts eg: Seiki Jutsu and Seiki Teate (there are several different Japanese words pronounced as 'sei' yet written using different kanji and having different meanings) - is NOT the 'sei' meaning 'spirit'

The 'sei' in Seiki Jutsu and Seiki Teate means 'vital'

also, as to the 'Rei' as used in Reiki (as with 'sei', there are several different Japoanese words pronounced as 'rei' each written with their own kanji and having different meanings)
- while in one usage this particular 'rei' CAN refer to the divine, it primarily implies 'spirit' or 'soul'.

'Reiki' refers to the dynamic quality of Rei - the effect of Spirit/Soul

A term more readily used to speak of the divine is 'shin'

as in 'shinki' - a term used in several Japanese disciplines in connection with the healing power of the divine

- just as Reiki speaks of the dynamic quality of Rei, so Shinki refers to the dynamic aspect of Shin

reiki ni rei
(bow to spirit)

James

Aha! That would be more to construct. the discussions I had with a japanese was guessing the translation. but shin would seem much more sutable to "divine" from shinto.

I think it was your site that I'd first read of sei and rei.

I can see how even the japanese are confused on the difference of sei and rei, so are americans on spirit and soul.

I spoke with the japanese person considering the planes: Celsetial, divine, spirit, human, beast, demon, elemental. Knowing something about that, then asking if they knew of similar and could explain different use of sei and rei. They said same as your? site, sei and rei are both used as spirit--probably because spirit is aften in reference to the animating principle.

Ahh, concepts and linguistics. Thanks for the disambiguation.

swarm said on

>Aha! That would be more to construct. the discussions I had with a Japanese was guessing the translation. but shin would seem much more sutable to "divine" from shinto.

Yes, the 'shin' in 'Shinto' and 'Shinki' are one and the same

Confusingly there are many other japanese words pronounced 'shin' - for example, one meaning body, one meaning truth, one meaning sleep, one meaning trust, one meaning friendliness, one meaning a pencil lead, one meaning apathy, one meaning prophesy .... oh, and one meaning heart, spirit, mind, inner strength, vitality [essentially the same meaning as the 'ki' in Reiki]

>I think it was your site that I'd first read of sei and rei.

>I spoke with the japanese person... They said ... sei and rei are both used as spirit

again, there is indeed a Japanese word 'sei' - meaning spirit, though it is written with different kanji than the 'sei' in Seiki (and you've probably guessed by now, there are many different Japanese words pronounced 'sei' - with different meanings - height, logical, a saint or holyman, true, restraint, etc,etc)

reiki ni rei

James

From my point of view, reiki is reiki, there aren't any difference actually.