Mikao Usui, the founder of Usui Reiki Ryoho, taught his students five principles, precepts, guidelines to support their journey to spiritual enlightenment.  He called these guidelines “The secret of inviting happiness through many blessings. The spiritual medicine for all illness.”  Usui instructed his students to fold their hands together, take the precepts to heart, and recite these guidelines morning and evening to improve mind and body.

The Japanese language uses kanji, or picture symbols of “words” to convey concepts.  The same symbol can have different meanings determined by each context.  There are many translations of the original precepts.  The precepts above contain the most commonly used key words.

The kanji of Reiki shown above is the “long hand” version of the concept “Reiki”, and was painted as a gift for me by calligrapher and Usui Reiki Master Fokke Brink.  One translation of the picture symbols is available in “A Guide to Your Practice of Reiki Energy Healing”

Reiki