Hands on Healing by Frans and Bronwen Stiene Todays article focuses on a single question: What is hands on healing, as practiced within the traditional Japanese system of Reiki? Throughout the article, we will be quoting Yanagi Sōetsu (1889 - 1961), a Japanese philosopher who, in the late 1920s, founded the folk craft movement (Jp. Mingei) in Japan. We believe that he cogently expresses a philosophy that underlies many traditional Japanese practices — such as tea ceremony, flower arranging , martial arts, and meditation — and is deeply embedded in everyday Japanese life. In turn, becoming familiar with this underlying philosophy will help us gain a clearer idea of critical influences on Mikao Usui (1865 – 1926) and his teachings. No Mind Let us begin our exploration with the following quote. First put aside the desire to judge immediately: acquire the habit of just looking. Second, do not treat the object as an object for the intellect. Third, just be ready to receive, passively without interposing yourself. If you can void your mind of all intellectualization, like a clear mirror that simply reflects, all the better. This nonconceptualization — the Zen state of mushin (no mind) — may seem to represent a negative attitude, but from it springs the true ability to contact things directly and positively. Yanagi Sōetsu is saying that, from a traditional Japanese perspective, our mind needs to be like a mirror reflecting the entire universe, without conceptualization, without judgment. It is only in that state of mushin or no mind that we can connect with and know the world. He illustrates this perspective with the following story. Once there were three people who took a walk in the country. They happened to see a man standing on a hill. One of them said, I guess he is standing on a hill to search for lost cattle. No, the second said, I think he is trying to find a friend who has wandered off somewhere. Whereas the third said, No, he is simply enjoying the summer breeze. As there was no definite conclusion, they went up the hill and asked him. Are you searching for strayed cattle? No, he replied. Are you looking for a friend? No, again. Are you enjoying the cool breeze? I am just standing was the answer. Each of the three observers saw the man based on what they judged to be important — cattle, friend, and summer breeze. By imposing their perspective on their seeing, they could not just see a man who was just standing. How might this apply to hands on healing? Lets apply Sōetsus story to this question: Three people see a practitioner performing a hands on healing session. The first person says that the practitioner is giving Reiki to the client. The second person says, no, she is looking for byosen so that she knows which symbol to use. The third one states that she is taking away negative energy from the client. As each had a different idea about what the practitioner was doing, they decided to ask her. Are you giving Reiki to your client? No, she replied. Are you looking for byosen so you know which symbol to use? No, she replied again. Then you must be taking out negative energy? No, I just Be with my client. Click on the link to read the whole article: ihreiki/blog/article/hands_on_healing/
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:51:49 +0000
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