It is said that when the same clients returned to him repeatedly, Mikao Usui realized that healing the physical body was not enough, that the mind must be healed as well. In response, he developed the
Gokai (Five Reiki Precepts/Ideals/Principles) as a means of healing the mind.
The
Gokai may have begun in this way, but they were also central to Usui Sensei's teaching. He instructed his students to chant the
Gokai morning and evening, to "speak the words with their mouths, to take them into their hearts, and to practice Reiki." He called this regimen the "secret art of inviting happiness; the miraculous spiritual medicine for all diseases."
Affirming the truth of the
Gokai is not enough; we must speak them aloud until they become a part of us; we must take them into our hearts and embody their essence. And we must practice Reiki on ourselves and on others. Failure to practice is like trying to learn to drive by reading the instruction manual but never getting behind the wheel of a car.
Like Reiki itself, the
Gokai are profoundly simple, and profound. These brief admonitions encompass all we need to know to live life on a deeply conscious level: give up worry, give up anger, practice gratitude, work diligently, and be kind to others. We need do this only one day at a time, being present to the moment and letting tomorrow take care of itself.
When Usui Sensei received Reiki on Mt. Kurama he achieved what the Japanese term "
an jin Ryu Mei," a state of no fear or awakening. We may never achieve
an jin Ryu Mei as Usui Sensei did; however, if we take our practice deep enough, Reiki and the
Gokai open a pathway for achieving higher consciousness.
Honoring Usui Sensei's instruction and adhering to it diligently allows us to cultivate the consciousness of Reiki, so that Reiki becomes not something we do, but who we are. In the process, we live richer lives and increase our healing powers exponentially.
If you would like to schedule a hands-on treatment, distant Reiki, or a Reiki mentoring session, contact me. 
