Usui Sensei taught five simple principles to support Reiki healing. He believed in the power of reciting these principles daily so much that he had them engraved on his tombstone. He believed these principles help to open our energy system so that the Spiritually Guided Life Force Energy flows easily and abundantly. Reciting these principals like mantras over and over also has a detoxifying effect for body, emotions, mind and spirit. But, it is like anything, the more we practice with them, the more benefit they have and the faster our spiritual path will move forward. Although, fast is not always what we are going for when working on our spiritual path, it is up to you to find what works for your journey.
Reiki being of Divine origin, is always changing before we do. Therefore, it makes sense that as we evolve as humans, our phrases, words and actions evolve as well. That’s the goal, right?!! So, it again makes sense that the wording of these ancient principals would evolve as well. That is why we have 7 different versions for you to choose from. Pick what resonates with you and make it your mantra. See how it effects you when you do it daily.
Blessings,
Rain Shadow Reiki Master Healers
The first version is thought to be what Usui Sensei originally used.
The Original Reiki Ideals
FIRST VERSION OF SEVEN
The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine of all diseases:
Just for today,
Do not anger,
Do not worry, and
Be filled with gratitude,
Devote yourself to your work, and
Be kind to people.
Every morning and evening join your hands in prayer. Pray these words to your heart and chant these words with your mouth. Usui Reiki treatment for the improvement of body and mind, the founder, Mikao Usui
SECOND VERSION
Direct translation from “Reiki: The Legacy of Dr. Usui” by Frank Arjava Petter found written in Usui Sensei’s own hand.
Just Today
1. Don’t get angry
2. Don’t worry
3. Show appreciation
4. Work hard (on yourself) added by Petter
5. Be kind to others
You may wish to meditate on these five principles every morning for ten minutes. Write them on a card. Hold the card in your hand and let the Reiki energy flow. You will find that these principles easily become a part of your thinking and unconscious awareness and vastly improve how you experience your day. You may do this as part of your Gassho meditation.
THIRD VERSION
This is a more modern version of Usui Sensei’s five principles that my teacher, Catherine Morris taught me that I like to use. It has a positive flow for my mind that I like.
Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings.
Just for today I will trust all is well.
Just for today I will feel love and compassion.
Just for today I will do my work honestly.
Just for today I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing, including myself.
.
FOURTH VERSION
In Japanese
Kyo dake wa, (For today only)
Okoru na, (Do not get angry)
Shinpai suna, (Do not worry)
Kansha shite, (Be grateful)
Gyo hage me, (Work hard)
Hito ni shinsetsu ni. (Be kind to others)
FIFTH VERSION
I have added this version because I like the extra comments Michael has added here as to why the five principles work with the laws of our Universe.
From http://www.austinallnatural.com
The Reiki story, part two
Reiki’s five principles
by Michael Abedin
Near the middle of the nineteenth century, about the time that Japan was opening up to the West, a man named Mikao Usui (Mee-cow U-sue-ee) climbed to the top of Mount Koriyama to meditate on his twenty-seven year search for a system of hands-on healing – the system that became known as Reiki. (read “Mikao Usui and the Reiki Story”, October 2009, atwww.AustinAllNatural.com.)
The Samurai era was coming to a close, but the Samurai tradition of honor and discipline was still strong. Usui established a set of five principles for Reiki that are still relevant.
- Just for today, I will not worry. Law of Attraction 101 – what you think about will invariably come to you, in one form or another.
- Just for today, I will do my work honestly. Law of Karma 101 – what you do comes back to you, in one form or another.
- Just for today, I shall accept my blessings. Turn down a gift, and both the giver and receiver are short-changed. The universe appreciates gratitude – if you don’t receive gratefully, it gets tired of giving you opportunities.
- Just for today, I shall be at peace. Living Your Truth 101 – living someone else’s truth, or being unhappy about your own, is the sure-fire formula for disharmony.
- Just for today, honor your parents, teachers, and elders. As much as possible, without sacrificing your truth and without creating harm, give everyone the opportunity to live their own truth – regardless of their status in your life. Everyone is your teacher, even if they’re just mirroring your stuff , and should be honored.
“Just for today” is a principle within each principle, in a way – call it Living in the Moment 101. The mind is a problem-solving machine that scurries desperately through the past and future, looking for something to worry about. Get it to live just for today, and the other principles start to fall into place.
The SIXTH Version
Here is a new version I found on the IARP website. I like this one, it focuses on allowing us to use our own words and releasing rather than denying our emotions. I don’t believe any emotions are negative, I believe they are here to be heard and healed and we cannot do that if we are saying we don’t have them. Give this new version a try. I’ve included the link for the full explanation of HOW to work with this new version and the process of the author.
The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine of all diseases:
Just For Today
- I release angry thoughts and feelings
- I release thoughts of worry
- I am grateful for my many blessings
- I practice expanding my consciousness
- I am gentle with all beings including myself
SEVENTH VERSION
It has five principles at it heart
JUST FOR TODAY:
- To rise above anger
- To let go of worry
- To express gratitude
- To honour all life
- To live and work with integrity and compassion
Thank you for including #5. I, also, like how the universal laws are explained in context with each principle. Gives one a beginning point for meditation when sometimes we need a prompt.
Patricia
Thanks Alpine Lady, always a pleasure to have you visit and comment. I so appreciate your opinion. I was happy to find this version of the principles. It felt like a lovely find. Blessings to you, Joss
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post!
It is the little changes which will make the largest changes.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks inurl:Reiki for reading and enjoying. So grateful when other Reiki Practitioners read and enjoy my blog. Pray you come back and enjoy another one.
Thanks for sharing these principle. They are very simple principle but hard to follow. I will follow these principle and try to improve my life and others. Please keep sharing information like this.
Thank you ‘Reiki healing and classes’ for reading and commenting. The goal is to meditate on these principles daily, thus, over time making them a part of your consciousness in a very fluid and natural way. Yes, it takes time, yes it can be hard, but oh so worthwhile. Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiki, meditated on these principles with the Gassho meditation daily. I used to put my babies in the stroller and chant them to myself as I’d push them around the neighborhood. You can also write them on a 3 x 5 card and place them in places where you will see them regularly, at your desk, in the bathroom, places where you sit and can recite them a few times every day. You may start with one at a time if that feels better to you. I did this. I started with the top two for me and concentrated on just those until I felt they had become a part of me, pushing out the old beliefs and replacing with these new more positive ones. You have nothing to lose but your old limiting beliefs. It’s very worth it. Blessings to you, Josslyn
Hi Josslyn,
Thank you for a very special post for an individual to be a good person in their path of life. It’s a good principles in attaining all the blessings from Gòd. Once again, Thank You very much … May our Lord Almighty Bless and Keep You Always
Sincerely,
Roger G. Feria … feriarg@yahoo.ca
God Bless you Roger
I have Saved this post so I can come back to it and read more thoroughly. Thanks Josslyn.
Awesome! Thank you Pam, grateful you have found it speaks to you. These five principles help us day by day, step by step, be the person we chose to be. Blessings to you in my life every day, grateful, Josslyn
Thanks for helping me learn more about Reiki. I didn’t know that here were different versions of the five principles, but most of them involved to not get angry. It sounds important to keep in mind so you can have a calm attitude as you go throughout your day.
Thank you Taylor for reading and commenting.
Reiki is always changing because we as humans and what we need is constantly changing.
So, people have written many different versions of the 5 principles, I believe to resonate with who they are in that moment and speak to them as well as others.
If a process doesn’t change it becomes obsolete and one of the things about Reiki that I love, is that it changes before us, anticipating what we will need. Because it is Divine and intelligent energy, it can do that. It’s perfect and beautiful always, as are we.
Thank you Taylor, so grateful you shared with me and my readers, Blessings, Josslyn
When I learned Reiki,more than 20 years ago, I had problems with 3 of these principles:
Be filled with gratitude,
Devote yourself to your work
Do not worry (still need to me mindful about this one)
20 years later it has become second nature and Reiki has saved my life and many more around me.
Thank you Van, Reiki has ‘saved’ my life over and over again. I depend upon it multiple times a day, it’s ingrained in my life, thoughts and actions. I have very human moments, because I am human and having all the human experiences. So the five principles are a work in progress for me as are for most people. Thank you for letting us know how they have evolved in your life. I love hearing people’s Reiki stories. Grateful, Josslyn