Following suggestions from the thread in Christianity, I've started a new thread on this.
I'm currently writing an academic essay on healing for my degree course and I have to say it's prompting more questions than answers. Please feel free to pop in with more questions, comments, answers, pointers to other faiths and philosophies.
When we ask for healing, what are we asking for?
How far could our expectations of what will happen be reflected in the result?
When we give healing, what do we think is happening?
Hi Chris, just wondered how the essay is going and hope that it is all going well for you....:hug:
Hi Flit
thanks for asking! I've nearly finished the essay (which is just as well cos I've got to hand it in tomorrow). I took advice on where I should put the philosophical questions, and my tutor suggested an appendix, and that's the part I'm going to finish off today.
If anyone would like to see my essay then PM me and I'll see what I can do!
Thank you all for your contributions. Please don't think that the need has passed just cos my essay's been written: it's very much an ongoing debate. Feel free to join in!
One of the things I'd like to explore is the similarities and differences between attunement-based and non-attunement based therapies,
IMHO based over many years is that all spiritual healing therapies require attunement.
One of the things I'd like to explore is the similarities and differences between attunement-based and non-attunement based therapies,
IMHO based over many years is that all spiritual healing therapies require attunement.
My spiritual healing teacher tells me that the difference between Reiki and spiritual healing is that Reiki needs an attunement to the energy which is once and for all, and spiritual healing needs an attunement to the client. Is that your understanding?
My understanding is that spiritual healing is where the practitioner brings themselves into a state of being 'in tune' with the energy (whether that's the energy of the universe, the energy of the client or both I'm not sure), such that they are effectively self-attuning, albeit on a temporary basis, whereas with Reiki it is seen that the attunement is a permanent 'once attuned, always attuned' thing which connects us with the universe of energy. Of course Usui did work with Reiju Empowerments which could be seen a bit more like a spiritual healing thing as it was taught that the students should receive regular Reiju to assist them with the Reiki practice, and the Reiki is likened to a spiritual/Buddhist blessing.
All Love and Reiki Hugs
My spiritual healing teacher tells me that the difference between Reiki and spiritual healing is that Reiki needs an attunement to the energy which is once and for all, and spiritual healing needs an attunement to the client. Is that your understanding?
In both spiritual Healing and reiki there is an attunement to the spirit guided energy.
In both spiritual Healing and reiki there is an attunement to the spirit guided energy.
My Reiki attunement is to the universe of energy. No spirit guides in my belief system. 😉
All Love and Reiki Hugs
My Reiki attunement is to the universe of energy. No spirit guides in my belief system. 😉
All Love and Reiki Hugs
Is not Reiki Spirit guided energy?:confused:
Or at least it used to be when I was attuned in the 1970's.:hippy:
Is not Reiki Spirit guided energy?:confused:
Or at least it used to be when I was attuned in the 1970's.:hippy:
Depends on your translation of Rei and Ki.
As we know, there is no direct translation of Japanese Kanji to any singular word in English. The kanji are pictographic representations of what is meant, so the interpretation can not only vary on an individual kanji basis, but also when placed in context of other kanji.
Rei (in old kanji) can be broken down into 3 sections (top middle and bottom according to "The Spirit of Reiki" by Lubeck, Arjava Petter and Lee Rand). The top part represents Rain, the middle part represents 3 open mouths and the bottom part represents a shamen/sorcerer. When put together this could be interpreted as "the shame aligns the 3 parts of himself (body, mind and soul) with the desire for mutual goal (rain)"
Literally translated it can mean "spirit that is not defined qualitatively", although in terms of actual meaning it is translated as "the secret meaning" or "the hidden force" i.e. in short "unknown" or "unseen"/"ghostly".
Ki (the same as Chinese Chi) is represented by rice inside a pot with steam (clouds) coming off it. Rice, being the staple diet in Eastern coutries represents the source of energy, whilst the boiling pot with steam rising represents the transformation of the source of energy into all surrounding space (i.e. the universe). Hence Ki is, by it's very nature, Universal Energy.
Often, western mistranslation of Rei and Ki, puts Rei = Universal and Ki as Energy. This happened, it is believed, because if Reiki had been more closely translated for westerners then they may have been scared off by the "unseen"/"ghostly" connurtation and so Rei was left untranslated and then Chinese whispers caused the "Universal" of Ki to be moved over as the translation of Rei.
So, a more true tranlation of Reiki is Unseen Universal Energy. Obviously, because of people's beliefs they do make a connection between the unseen and spiritual beliefs and treat spirits (spirit guides?) as an unseen force behind the energy.
It's entirely up to ourselves how we want to understand the translation, but for anyone to make a statement that Reiki does unequivocally mean "Spiritual Energy" is, in my humble opinion, wrong. (and that's not a dig at yourself Healistic, I assure you :hug: ). I believe that understanding the kanji and the meaning behind the representation is more important than having a difinitive translation. 😉
All Love and Reiki Hugs