1/5/2018 Anya van Til
According to the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), which made a research on existing learning methodologies, there are 5 universal aspects of development, which we go through in the process of learning something. These are: • Intention • Attention • Repetition • Instruction • Reflection The IONS claims that if you manage to cover all these aspects, development really happens. When I read this I though HEY! This is what the System of Reiki is built upon as well. Think of the 5 elments of the Reiki system: precepts, meditation, mantras and symbols, reiju and a treatment. Let’ s look at how the traditional system of Reiki with its five elements supports your personal development. |
The first element of the System is the Reiki precepts:
Do not bare anger
Do not worry,
Be true to yourself and your being/be honest/be grateful
Show compassion to yourself and others
The precepts are an intellectual description of what Reiki is, a state of mind, which we intend to develop and embody in life.
An intention.
Practicing the System of Reiki begins with setting an intention to become the precepts: to not anger and worry, to be true to ourselves and to show compassion.
If this intention is set consciously or held in our mind every moment of our life we are talking about continuous attention. But we all know how difficult it is to stay focused and observe the precepts constantly.
Thus the next elements of the system of Reiki – meditation, symbols and mantras help us enhance awareness and mindfulness in our practice, help us train being in the moment, without getting distracted.
“Repetitio est mater studiorum” the Latin proverd says – “Repetition is the mother of learning”
Through daily repetition of meditation/mantra/symbols practice we make sure that we stay aware of our intention – the intention to embody the precepts. The glimpses into the nature of mind (the state of mind of the precepts) we get while meditating, become more and more stable and expand into everyday life.
To assure repetition happening the right way, we need instruction.
In Reiki instruction is represented by reiju. It includes an involvement of a teacher/instructor/facilitator who has walked the path and can lift us up to the clarity of her experience and insight into the state of mind of the precepts.
The last but by far not the least aspect of learning is reflection.
Reflection brings us to the Reiki treatments. It is in the treatment that we can reflect on the embodiment of the precepts. Are we getting angered or worried about stuff while a treatment? Do we still have fears? What stops us from being true to ourselves and showing compassion?
An immediate reflection on a treatment session will help us further reflect on our personal development and our life.
Therefore we practice the System of Reiki with the intention to embody and live the precepts. We begin with practicing sustained observation of the precepts through training it with meditation/mantra/symbols. To assure that the practice goes perfect we regularly engage with a teacher. And finally we consistently reflect on what we can improve.
It is interesting to analyse the universal aspects of learning in the System of Reiki as it teaches us that all the System’s elements are directly connected to each other. They constitute one complete circle of development. Leaving one element out, would disable the power of the others.
So let’s keep this in mind while practicing the System of Reiki and helping others on their way to self-development.