Tuna roll or California roll ?

"What is the difference between Jikiden Reiki and other style of Reiki ?"

This is one of the very common question I encounter, and I heard it once again last night and decided to write about it today.


Put simply, Jikiden Reiki doesn't have any non-Japanese concepts. Chakra healing, crystal healing, angel healing, aura healing, New Age teaching, materialistic gain: "how to get job with Reiki, how to be wealthy with Reiki", etc,  are non-Japanese concept and are not the part of Jikiden Reiki teaching, because Jikiden Reiki didn't take a journey through the world. 


I remember the conversation with some of other Reiki teachers, and we related
with the Sushi and the Dance. 


Using the example with Sushi.

There are sushi rolls wrapped with sea weeds, 

like tuna rolls. This is the common sushi rolls

that you see in Japan.

Then, there are sushi rolls with wrapped with rice, 

like California rolls.

I had never seen it in Japan and it had amazed me when 

I saw this roll for the fist time in Canada 15 years ago.

When my host family took me to a sushi place and I remember that I said,

"How did they make this? It's inside out ! " 

The first avocado that I ate in my life was 

in Chilliwack, in one of the sushi rolls.

I just had a Japanese high school student lived with me for a while and 

she was amazed to see the Western style sushi rolls.

She is taking a photo of the assorted sushi.

Those rolls are created to suit to the Western taste,

based on Japanese sushi recipe.

Wikipedia : History of California Roll

It is creative, delicious, popular menu.

Then there are crazy creative rolls, like with mango sauce 

with fish roe and poppy seeds on top, 

that don't even taste like sushi, but taste good !

All of the above are known as Sushi, none of them are better than others.

It is a personal choice.

Although I don't feel right to call the creative sushi as a traditional sushi.

Also, just like the Ballet.

Romantic Ballet started in Italian Renaissance, moved into France.

Then Classical Ballet soared in Russia.

Some people didn't like the strict style Ballets.

They created the Modern and Contemporary Ballet, 

and other creative and unique style of Ballet.

If you want to take the classic ballet lesson and went to the dance studio that promotes,

"Classic Ballet class", and ended up learning hip hop, you would be confused and think,

"Is the Hip Hop part of the Classic Ballet ?"

So, Jikiden Reiki is like the tuna rolls, or Romantic Ballet. There are no other cultural influence, nothing has been added or amended. The teaching contents are quite a bit different compare with other style of Reiki, strict in certain way to preserve

the traditional teaching.  It doesn't suit to some people, but it suits me.

Teaching is deeply related to Japanese culture, and deeply spiritual without 

being religious and it is a life time skill. Simple but deep. 

I often hear this comment, 

"I do Usui Reiki, it is a Japanese traditional Reiki." but in fact, there are SO MANY

style of Usui Reiki, and most of them took their journeys through the worlds, which

took place of the California Roll effect.

I also often hear this comment,
"I'm a Reiki Master and I learned to communicate with loved one in a spirit world." 
I feel this would be the Creative Roll effect. 

If you want to learn Reiki, the most important thing is that you choose the Reiki teacher and style that you feel connected.

**********************************

Mari Okazaki
Jikiden Reiki Practitioner / Teacher
Website : www.jikidenreikiwithmari.com
                  www.mariokazaki.com

"Reiki is a compassion in action." by Chiyoko Yamaguchi

Teacher who walks his talk

This is a little thank you note to my Reiki teacher, Yamaguchi sensei.

With Yamaguchi sensei in my Reiki Room in Chilliwack, BC, Canada

 I learned Jikiden Reiki with Yamaguchi sensei in 2006 for the first time. 


Jikiden Reiki was my first connection with him, but I have been learning so much more than just Reiki, but about "life" since I met him.  As I don't have parents to ask any advice, he became to be one of my important mentor for my life.



I feel honour to spend more time with him, and have more opportunity to know about him as a person, not only as my Reiki teacher, since I have started to be his translator in 2008, and organize the annual Jikiden Reiki Vancouver
seminar to invite people from all over in North America. 


I can say with my heart, he is such a casual person who has a great sense of humour but serious at the same time, down to earth and very spiritual, gentle but strict, very very caring, honest but easy going. 


I love the way he is because has no egoistic nor arrogant attitude which often happens in a teaching community. He is a person who deeply care about other people with respect and he has a deep honesty to unseen spirit world. 


Also, of course, he has deep dedication and integrity to Reiki. 

Anyways, this is what happened to my oldest son. 

His nose was starting to stuffed up, so his ears couldn't pop

when we were coming down from the ski hill.

By the time when we arrived to the town to have a dinner, my son's ear 

was hurting so bad, and he was feeling sick.

Yamaguchi sensei happened to sit beside him, and gently talked to him,

"Is your ear hurting?"

As he talked, his hand was already looking for a spot to place his hand 

on my son's head.

Yamaguchi sensei gives Reiki for my son's ear ache.

I already ordered his favourite beer. Usually, when beer comes to the table,

Yamaguchi sensei starts enjoying his drink, but it wasn't the case this time.

As my son sat upright, Yamaguchi sensei continues to
place his hand on my son's head.

Yamaguchi sensei continues to place his hand on my son's head, 

and eventually my son start to feel a bit better and was able to enjoy 

the last few bites of Sushi and some miso soup. 

Yamaguchi sensei is definitely a teacher who walks his talk.

I am so grateful to learn with him....

山口先生、ありがとうございます！

Yamaguchi sensei, Arigato gozaimasu

Is Jikiden Reiki exclusive or thorough ?

Sometime, I see a comment about the Jikiden Reiki like this,,, 


"Jikiden Reiki can be exclusive, because everyone has to learn from Shoden (Level 1) class even the Reiki Masters with 20 years of experience if they want to learn with
Jikiden Reiki." 


It is true that experienced Reiki practitioners can't just jump in to take the Shihankaku course (teacher course) without learning Jikiden Reiki Shoden & Okuden (Level 1 & 2) courses. 
 
But I don't see it as "exclusive", but it is rather "thorough", if I may put in a better word.


There is a Japanese culture called "Iemoto" (ee-eh-moh-toh) system. "Iemoto" means the head of a school, top authority, top leader or a grand master. Teachers teach the way they were taught by Iemoto, and the students practice only the way they were taught.  This established custom is deeply absorbed into Japanese people, so we see the similar way of teaching not only in the traditional art (Sado-tea ceremony, Kado-flower arrangement, Shodo-calligraphy, traditional music etc), but also in modern music, and even in sports training.



Iemoto system is varied between the each teaching, so it is hard to say what is the regulation as Iemoto system. But there are some similarities in each school.


1. Keep the teaching the way you were taught.
2. Iemoto as a top authority and operate the teaching.
3. Iemoto has the authority to issue certificates.
4. Iemoto's life is unseparatable from his private life.
5. Without the long dedicated practice, one can not be a teacher.
6. There is only one Iemoto in each school.



I see the Iemoto system in Japanese Reiki teaching as well. As much as I know, only traditional Reiki school exist in Japan are Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and Jikiden Reiki Institute. "Traditional" doesn't necessary mean better than other, but it is simply kept the same way in the original teaching.  Those Reiki schools described above don't call the founder as a "Iemoto", but I can see it is natural to adopt the Iemoto system in those Reiki schools, because Usui Reiki Ryoho is an old Japanese healing art. 


When Mr.Usui was teaching Reiki, he was the only one who could issue certificates in Usui Reiki Ryoho(Ryoho means treatment technique).


I see the same way in Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. There is always one president and I am sure the president is the only one who can issue the certificates in Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai where they are teaching Usui Reiki Ryoho.


When Mr.Hayashi was teaching, it was the same way as well.  Mr.Hayashi was the only one who could issued the certificates in Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai where he was teaching Usui Reiki Ryoho. 


It is natural for Jikiden Reiki Institute to operate this Reiki school with the Iemoto style, because of its pure Japanese background. 
Tadao Yamaguchi (The founder of Jikiden Reiki Institute) has been teaching Reiki as the same way that his mother, Chiyoko Yamaguchi, had been teaching, he is the only top leader and operating Jikiden Reiki Institute, he has the authority to issue the certificates, and his life can not be separated from his life. Teachers must have a long dedicated practice hours to be able to take the teacher class.  Its naturally falls into Iemoto style. 
Yamaguchi family didn't have any connection with different cultures, so there was simply no opportunity to change its teaching style. Thus Reiki in Yamaguchi's family has been kept as original as it could be. 

This is one of the reason that I feel at home with Jikiden Reiki, simply because I am a Japanese.

Although, as a Japanese who lives in Canada, I can see Iemoto system can be too strict and inflexible to fit in this western culture. Iemoto system is great for keeping the traditional style and holding the regulation, but on the other side, it might prevent from being creative and improving.  I can see the benefits and predicaments in both cultures. 


I see the importance in the Western culture to be creative and continue to experiment something new to get the best out of the individuals. I see the importance in the Japanese culture to keep the way it was taught when it comes to the traditional teaching, creativities are allowed only within the teaching. 



Whether Reiki is creatively evolved or kept traditional, both are a healing modality to help oneself and each other, and that is much needed skills in this world...



That's all that matters, doesn't it? 

Reiki Myth, "Was Hayashi-sensei a medical doctor?"

It has been so long since I had written in this blog!  
2013 became a busy year for me, and I had to drop some of my tasks. Writing a blog was one of the task that I had to leave for a while.

Certainly, clicking "like" and "share", and write a short comment of the day on the Facebook is easy for me to continue ! 


However, I would like to bring myself back to write more about Reiki, my true passion.


I continue to read and learn about the history of Reiki but I sometime see articles that written by people who don't have any access to research Japanese history, and often
the information is misleading.



As I live in Canada, I still don't have full access to the Japanese library,
material and historian, but I still do my best to go on researching whatever
I want to know about Reiki.


Recently, I was asked by one of the Jikiden Reiki friend and her question was
"I saw a comment and it says Hayashi was not a medical doctor.What is your thought?" 

I was taught that Hayashi-sensei was a medical doctor, so I had no doubt. Thus,
I have never look into the evidence. 
I also know that my teacher, Tadao Yamaguchi, will not write nor teach any information 
that doesn't have support material (evidence), so I knew Yamaguchi-sensei will 
have an answer, so I talked to him on the phone.


Here is the answer from Tadao Yamaguchi. 

Hayashi-sensei joined Naval School in 1899 (he was 20 years old), 
and graduated in 1902. 

Back then in Naval school, there were many different departments (or faculties) 
includes Soldiers Department (infantry, artillery, cavalry, etc), and Sanitation Department (army/naval surgeon, pharmacist, dentist, hygienist etc ) to name a few.


After the graduation, Hayashi-sensei experienced the Russo-Japanese War as 
a Naval Officer, also was on a Naval duty as a Chief of Navel Operations for Ominato Port Guard District on 1918. By the time he learned Reiki from Mikao Usui in 1925, he was retired from the Navy, and was starting to operate a Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai at Shinano-machi, Tokyo as a medical doctor and offered Reiki treatments instead of medicine. 


Yamaguchi-sensei believes that Hayashi-sensei obtained the training as a naval surgeon during the time he was attending the Navel School from 1899 to 1902, however, despite the on going research, no one has found the evidence that Hayashi-sensei graduated from Naval Medical School. Thus, if oral tradition is a good enough evidence for the world, I still believe that Hayashi-sensei was a Gun-i (Naval surgeon) as I know Yamaguchi's family all know he was a Gun-i. But if the world needs a written evidence to prove if Hayashi-sensei was a Gun-i, so far, we haven't been able to find an evidence.  However, there is a written official material that shows Hayahi-sensei was a medical doctor.

Here are few reasons that we can say Hayashi-sensei was a medical doctor.

1. Tadao Yamaguchi has a copy of the tax payer list that he found at the Tokyo Imperial Library. This official paper shows that the income tax return was filed by Hayashi Chujiro as a medical doctor, and the address in the file was for Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai, Shinano-Machi, Tokyo. (This fact was shared by Yamaguchi-sensei)

2.Hayashi-sensei was using a humans anatomy chart that was used by medical professionals during the Reiki classes. (This opinion was shared by Mr. Masaki Nishina, well known Reiki Master, and also Jikiden Reiki Dai Shihan)

3.Hayashi-sensei used a scalpel surgical knife when he took his life. This type of knife is only available for medical surgeons. (This opinion is my own perspective.)


There is another fact about the Medical training in Japan. 


In Meiji era (1868~1912), there were many evolutions and upheavals in medical industry in Japan and the types of medical school and trainings during this period were varied and not standardized. Between 1906 and 1916, people who had a medical training in a past were able to obtain the medical license by taking National Examination for the License of Medical Doctor. Once people passed the exam, they were entitled to open a practice as a medical doctor. That means, until Meiji era, people were not necessary went to a University and trained for 6 years to be able to become a medical doctor.

This is my guess that Hayashi-sensei was able to take this examination based on his training at the Naval School and as a high rank officier in the Navy. He passed the examination and obtained the title as a medical doctor. Thus, he was operating the Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai and offering Reiki treatments and paying income tax as a medical doctor. 


I also found a section in a book and the author talks about Hayashi Sensei.

"日本と霊気、そしてレイキ” (Nihon to Reiki, soshite Reiki - Japan and Reiki (in kanji), and Reiki (in katakana) ) by Masaki Nishina.
Mr.Masaki Nishina is a well known Reiki Master in Japan, and he is also a Dai Shihan (Grand Teacher) of Jikiden Reiki. He has published 3 books related to Reiki, and he continues to spend an eternal effort for researching about the history of Reiki. 
What I like about his book is that he doesn't write anything without support materials. 
If he writes about something that he is not sure, he clearly mentions that this is just his guess, and he doesn't pretend he knows everything.

Here is a small excerpt from his book, 
"There are many people who is doubting that Hayashi sensei wasn't a Naval Doctor, because no one has found evidence. To tell what I know, there is a person who went on researching about this matter and he visited a Japanese parliament library and checked the list of tax payers. This official record shows that Hayashi-sensei was paying income tax as a medical doctor and the address was the Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai in Shinano-machi, Tokyo. "  

In my opinion, there is no way that Japanese public office would allow a person to file an income tax as a medical doctor while he wasn't officially a medical doctor. 

I am convinced that Hayashi-sensei WAS a medical doctor. 


What is your thought ?

Jikiden Reiki class in Japanese !

It has been already 5 years, since I have started to teach Jikiden Reiki, my vocation.

I am Japanese, and my first language is Japanese, but most of my Reiki classes

are in English. Because I live in a small town far away from Vancouver, and population

of Japanese itself is small.

But this weekend class was in Japanese! It has been two years since I taught

Jikiden Reiki class in Japanese last time! 

In the 5 years, this class was only the 4th time for me to offer in Japanese.  

I did not realize how much I was excited, nervous and joyful, to be able to share my vocation in my own language until I started the past weekend !

"Nervousness"

Reiki started from Japan, I am from Japan, my first language is Japanese, and 

all the participants are Japanese, so I thought the class would be easier than

the ones in English.  However, I was more nervous than the English class! 

Probably, I am already used to teach the Reiki class in English.  

I noticed that I could not come up with a suitable Japanese word.

"What do I say this word in Japanese?" 

In addition, I am used to type on the computer and the computer picks

the characters for me, so I realized that I am forgetting to write Japanese!

I couldn't write the ordinary characters like "治療" on the whiteboard...

Also, I wasn't reading well, especially, the old style Japanese.

"Joy"

Reiki was born in Japan. 

Before the WW2, there were over 1 million Reiki practitioners and many of them 

had a signboard like "REIKI HOUSE" upfront for their own livelihood. 

Just like a massage therapist have the sign board out. 

However, after Japan lost the WW2, the alternative therapies received strict regulations and they disappeared very quickly, include Reiki treatments.

While Reiki was disappearing in Japan, it has been kept spreading to the West. Many

Reiki practitioners and teachers have been active in North America, Europe and many other countries. 

Despite the fact that Reiki started in Japan, many Japanese people do not know reiki, 

and do not take it seriously, or less people accept it. I am not sure why. Maybe they misunderstand reiki and the modern weird religious group. 

That is why I was filled with JOY this time for the fact there were 5 Japanese

ladies came to learn Jikiden Reiki !!! 

Anothe JOY is, the food!  Masako always caters lunch and desserts for our Reiki class!

My Reiki class in Chilliwack can not be completed without her food.

We had a request for a Vegan food from one of the participant. 

Here is the Masako's creation.

Sushi ball with smoke salmon and pea.

Delicious !!!

It was like a new years special menu !

Originally, Japanese diet was fish-vegetarian. Eating the meat and 

drinking milk were introduced to Japan from the western culture. Especially drinking 

milk was introduced by the American soldiers after WW2. They taught us to drink milk, so then Japanese people will be taller, like American.  That is why there are many Japanese people whocan not digest milk, because genetically, Japanese body are not used to 

digest milk.

In the conversation over the weekend, I learned that Macrobiotics diet are originally 

from Japan. It started from Japan as "Genmai Saishoku(brown rice vegetarian)" and 

went out to the Western culture, and named as Macrobiotics. 

I learned a new thing again!

"Excitement"

Excitement, as usual. 

Reiki is such a simple and easy to learn technique. Complete beginner can start doing reiki

right after the first class. 

There was a lady who had a belly ache during the first day, and her pain was

starting to unbearable towards the end of the class.

When it was the time to do a group practice at the end of the class, 

she humblyasked

"...Can I be the receiver of the practice? My belly ache is becoming unbearable..."

Well, well, she is in a right place!　

"Even though this is a practice time, it should make you feel better after good 25minutes

treatment from those two ladies."

But, those two ladies just learned reiki and they have another day to learn. 

All of them are a bit doubtful, "Really, would it work even we are the beginners...?"

25minutes passed...

"How are you doing? It has been 25minutes now."

"Ummm, really? I just don't understand. I feel no pain now. My pain was almost 

unbearable just 25 minutes ago, but I don't feel any pain.  How did that work? 

How did you do that? " 

The two new practitioners were as surprised as her. 

"Oh really! It really worked!" I, who taught them how,  was as surprised as them. 

This is the moment of my excitement !!!

Reiki is such a simple, and everyone can do it, also effective treatment technique. 

I just want many people to know about it, and use it, then the world will be

such a gentle place, I think. 

No matter how old the child is, if a mother or someone can lie down with them and 

place her hand on a child's belly, head, back when a child gets sick or injured. .

How wonderful for them to feel the warmth of their mother's hand and fall asleep. 

How much better than taking Tylenol and lie down by themselves...

It does not have to be mother's hands.  It's the human's touch. 

Human's touch touches heart.