Month: December 2009

I ask that you take a moment to Gasshô and recite the precepts:

{mp3}precepts{/mp3}

Symbol 3 and the jumon (mantra) ‘Hon Sha Ze Shô Nen’ (HZN)

Western characteristic: Sending energy across a distance
Japanese characteristic: Connection

The energy involved with this mantra and symbol:

A state of mind involving unity is created with this mantra and kanji. It is about creating a sense of Oneness for all things. Therefore, it is not only about sending distance healing but about becoming ONE with the recipient to allow healing to take place. The practitioner is reminded that this connection already exists. Oneness comes repeatedly to the fore with any research completed about Mikao Usui’s teachings. It is an undeniably Japanese perspective that has strong roots in Buddhism and martial arts – the two main aspects of Mikao Usui’s life.

Using the mantra in conjunction with the symbol:

Draw the kanji and then chant the mantra three times or chant the mantra three times, while the kanji is drawn.

Origin of the mantra and symbol:

This ‘symbol’ is made up of five separate kanji permitting it to be read as a sentence in either Japanese or Chinese. Clearly, this could not be an Atlantian, Tibetan or Egyptian symbol, as kanji is not in the make-up of these languages (where these languages are known). The kanji of symbol 3 is the written form of the mantra HZN.

Translation of the mantra:

Translating the kanji is unique. Each singular kanji can be translated to have many varied meanings. Depending on the translator, there are different versions of HZN. Here are some examples:

• My original nature is a correct thought.
• I am correct consciousness.
• Right consciousness is the origin of everything.

By returning to one’s Original Nature, a state of correct consciousness is achieved and it is in this state that Oneness is attained. Our true nature is Oneness with all things.

Some uses of the mantra and symbol:

• Symbol 3 and HZN transcend time and space, therefore it enables you to ‘send’ Reiki to yourself and others in the past, present or the future.
  • To send healing to the past, gasshô to centre and set the intent. Draw symbol 3 and chant HZN. Visualise the event/time/person you wish to send healing to. You can also include the other symbols for healing… symbol 3 bridges the gap in the space-time continuum.
  • To send healing to the future, gasshô to centre and set the intent. Draw symbol 3 and chant HZN. Visualise the event/time/person you wish to send healing to. You can also include the other symbols for healing… symbol 3 bridges the gap in the space-time continuum. [Why send Reiki to the future? Here are a few examples: Your client/you have a dentist appointment and you want Reiki to flow to you when you are at the dentist. Your client/you have exmas coming up or perhaps a job interview, you want to be relaxed and confident and want Reiki to flow to/through you at that time. Your client/you are going to run a marathon and you know that you’ll need healing afterwards. Be creative… Reiki can be used for ANYTHING except to damage or hurt.]
• Symbol 3 and HZN can be used for karmic healing.
• Sending distant healing by Reiki II and/or III practitioners to people and places can achieve powerful results.
• Use symbol 3 and HZN if you cannot touch the person/animal/plant/object you wish to treat with Reiki.
• Use symbol 3 and HZN if you need to treat yourself in areas that you cannot reach, when in public or any other place where a hands-on-treatment might be impractical.
• To slow down time, gasshô to set the intent then draw symbol 3 and chant HZN and draw another symbol 3 and chant HZN. Time does not actually slow down, but your perception of time will slow down and things will seem to happen slower. (i.e. You are late for an appointment and need to get there fast).
• To speed up time, gasshô to set the intent. Then, draw symbol 3 and chant HZN and draw another symbol 3 and chant HZN. Time does not actually speed up, but your perception of time will speed up and things will seem to happen faster. (i.e. You are sitting in a boring meeting and want it to be over sooner).
• If you struggle to meditate, you can draw symbol 3 and chant HZN with the intent to create a quieter space for you to meditate in and also to help you keep focus.

Rules for writing kanji

To write kanji you have to be aware of a few rules. There are exceptions within and among different standards. The following are only guidelines:

1. Write from top to bottom, and left to right.
   As a general rule, strokes are written from top to bottom and left to right. For example, among the first characters usually learned is the number one, which is written with a single horizontal line: 一. This character has one stroke which is written from left to right.
   The character for “two” has two strokes: 二. In this case, both are written from left to right, but the top stroke is written first. The character for “three” has three strokes: 三. Each stroke is written from left to right, starting with the uppermost stroke:
2. Horizontal before vertical.
   When horizontal and vertical strokes cross, horizontal strokes are usually written before vertical strokes: the character for “ten,” 十, has two strokes. The horizontal stroke 一 is written first, followed by the vertical stroke → 十.
   In the Japanese standard, a vertical stroke may precede many intersecting horizontal strokes if the vertical stroke does not pass through the lowest horizontal stroke.
3. Character-spanning strokes last.
   Vertical strokes that pass through many other strokes are written after the strokes through which they pass, as in 聿 and 弗.
   Horizontal strokes that pass through many other strokes are written last, as in 毋 and 舟.
4. Diagonals right-to-left before diagonals left-to-right.
   Right-to-left diagonals (丿) are written before left-to-right diagonals (乀): 文.
   Note that this is for symmetric diagonals; for asymmetric diagonals, as in 戈, the left-to-right may precede the right-to-left, based on other rules.
5. Center before outside in vertically symmetrical characters.
   In vertically symmetrical characters, the center components are written before components on the left or right. Components on the left are written before components on the right, as in 兜 and 承.
6. Enclosures before contents.
   Outside enclosing components are written before inside components; bottom strokes in the enclosure are written last if present, as in 日 and 口. Enclosures may also have no bottom stroke, as in 同 and 月.
7. Left vertical before enclosing.
   Left vertical strokes are written before enclosing strokes. In the following two examples, the leftmost vertical stroke (|) is written first, followed by the uppermost and rightmost lines (┐) (which are written as one stroke): 日 and 口.
8. Bottom enclosures last.
   Bottom enclosing components are usually written last: 道, 建, 凶.
9. Dots and minor strokes last.
   Minor strokes are usually written last, as the small “dot” in the following: 玉, 求, 朮.

Variations on Symbol 3

Here are a few variations of Symbol 3 that you can find on the internet and even in some books:

Which one is the correct one and why are there so many different versions of this symbol?

Mrs. Takata did not hand out notes and her students where not allowed to take notes in class. Only after Mrs. Takata passed away did her 22 Reiki Masters get together to compare notes. Mrs. Takata’s students had no kanji background and to them this ‘symbol’ just looked like a bunch of strokes that they had to remember. Masters got confused with stroke order and added strokes and forgot strokes. They where probably not taught the rules of writing kanji and therefore it is very easy forget a stroke or to accidentally add strokes. On top of this many Reiki Masters teach their students to draw the symbol EXACTLY the way they are taught else the symbol will not work. This is not true. All Reiki symbols work with intent… it doesn’t matter if you continue to draw the symbol 3 the way you where taught or if you draw it the way I’m showing you now. It all boils down to intent.

Just like the Western writing system there are different fonts and ways to write kanji. Below are a few variations of Symbol 3 using different fonts. I’m using the five characters to form the full version of symbol 3. All these characters can be found any Japanese or Chinese dictionary. The pronounciation is different in Chinese. In Japanese the characters are pronounced HON (本) SHA (者) ZE (是) SHÔ (正) NEN (念) in Mandarin the characters are pronounced BEN (本) ZHE (者) SHI (是) ZHEG (正) NIAN (念).

The full form of Symbol 3 looks very complicated, but if you know your rules for writing kanji then it makes things a whole lot easier. Here’s how to write the full form:

PS. No two people write the same way, you will write this symbol in YOUR handwriting.

Symbol 3 — short form

These days people use the short form of Symbol 3. Even in Japan it is common for Reiki practitioners to use this symbol instead of the full form. So, where does the short form come from? Fusion… If you look at the full form you will see a lot of repetition. In the short form all the repetition where removed to make it quicker and easier to write. Here’s what happened:

The lower part of HON and the upper part of SHA looks the same and merged together to form a new shape:

The lower part of SHA and the upper part of ZE share the same element and merged together to form a new shape:

The lower part of ZE and the entire character for SHÔ looks similar and SHÔ completely merged with ZE (in effect disappearing):

The lower part of ZE and SHÔ looks similar to the upper part of NEN and merged to form a new shape:

Here’s how to write the short form:

This exercise creates a trusting and open relationship with others. Reiki is about opening up your heart and living life in a compassionate, loving way. Here is a technique to open the heart up to each other.

1. Stand opposite your partner.
2. Make and maintain eye contact throughout the whole exercise.
3. Place your palms flat against theirs (right against left).
4. Your right hand gently clasps their left wrist (your partner doing the same).
5. When you feel the link is made at eye-to-eye level and you begin to feel your partner’s energy place their left hand on your heart chakra (your partner doing the same).
6. Stay like this until you feel you have opened enough and exchanged enough energy. This could be as little as 30 seconds or as long as 20 minutes.
7. Now move your hands so that you and your partner are palm to palm again.
8. Slowly bring all four hands together to form a diamond shape between index fingers and thumbs, your hands still palm to palm.
9. Bring this up to eye level and maintain your eye-to-eye contact through the diamond’s centre. Stay like this for a moment, maintaining eye contact.
10. Raise your arms up as far as you can reach above, still maintaining eye-to-eye and palm-to-palm contact.
11. Let go of your partner and fan your arms slowly out horizontally and then embrace each other.

***NOTE***

This is not psychic surgery as you may have seen on television or read about in books! We will not be dragging lumps of gore out of the body.

Real changes may occur inside the body with Reiki treatments of this and any kind, and sometimes there can be a slight after effect, as stagnant energies and blockages are released from the subject’s aura. Although the changes made within the aura will reflect in the subject’s life and behaviour, subjects must be willing to commit to changes in their lives in order for complete healing to be achieved. Otherwise, repetition of past behaviour and conditioning may undo any progress made.

It is important to remember to be gentle during this type of treatment. You will be surprised how often the subject can feel exactly what you are doing within their aura.

You may adapt parts of this procedure to better suit your own techniques and practice.

***NOTE***

Negative, unbalanced and even foreign energies may lodge itself in or around the physical organs, chakras and aura. This is usually composed out of negative thinking patterns and feelings, or taking certain drugs. It blocks the flow of life force energy and causes disease. The energy forms into clumps with a particular shape/size. It can be removed by using the following Reiki technique.

This technique can be used to facilitate the healing of any issue including physical health problems, career and money problems, emotional difficulties, relationship issues, addictions, mental problems, etc.

Psychic surgery can be used in conjunction with a regular hands-on Reiki session. Start the session with psychic surgery and then continue with Reiki.

Ask the client to describe the issue they would like to address and heal.

1. Ask them to close their eyes and meditate on the issue. Then ask them if this problem is in a part of the body, and which part would it be. This is often easy as the client will feel tension or pain in this area of the body whenever they think about the issue. If there is any difficulty in choosing an area, just ask the client to take a guess with the idea. There is no wrong answer.
2. Ask them to imagine they are looking into the area they have chosen and ask them if this problem had a shape and what it looks like. This is associated with the negative energy that is causing the problem. If a person has a physical problem, it is important for them to see the shape as negative energy surrounding the physical organs or area of the body that has the problems rather than simply using the shape of the organs themselves.
3. Do the same thing with colour, texture, weight and sound so that they have a clear image of the blockage. Remember that any answer is OK and that they don’t have to get all of them.
4. Ask them to focus on the shape and meditate on letting go of it. Also ask them to acknowledge and be willing to learn any lesson or receive any information related to the healing process.

The process

1. The client can be standing, sitting or lying down.
2. Stand behind the subject or at the foot end of the therapy bed.
3. Gasshô to centre and set the intent.
4. Perform Byôsen Reikan Hô and scan the body for any byosen.
5. Make a sweep across the area that requires the healing, in order to clear away any ‘debris’ that may have collected. With both hands coned by bringing all the fingertips together, draw a square (or circle, or slice) in the area to open the aura, and then with your dominant hand draw Symbol 4 (This symbol is only revealed in the Master level. If you do not know this symbol yet only work with Symbols 2 and 1) and visualise it travelling into the opening you created.
6. See the area you are working on protected by light.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with Symbol 2 and Symbol 1.
8. Bring your client’s attention to the area where you are working and to breathe light into the area while you work.
9. Now gently make a cutting motion with your dominant hand to sever the problem area from the healthy part, (I prefer to gently cradle the ‘diseased area’ with my non dominant hand, to support it while I am severing it from the healthy areas), and either visualise your fingers drawing out the problem, or physically lift the dis-ease out, and consign it to the violet flame or psychic dustbin. If you work with crystals, place Malachite* on the area during this stage of the process. (Black stones can be used to draw out negative energy. Quartz Crystal can also be used to draw out negative energy.)
10. Scan the area with your hands, and if you feel it is required, repeat step 8 again.
11. Draw the Symbol 2 again to start the healing process. If you work with crystals, remove the malachite now, and place Aventurine or Rose Quartz on the area to cleanse and soothe.)
12. Beam Reiki to the area for 3 or more minutes.
13. Now move your hands across the area smoothing the aura back (finish by removing any crystals, if working with crystals).
14. If at all possible give the subject a full Reiki treatment afterwards, but if this is not possible then visualise and pull a golden gossamer veil over the subject, and ask your guides to continue the healing process. You may like to use Symbol 3 for this continued healing request.

Other vibrational healing may also be used in conjunction with this form of treatment — healing herbs, crystals, colour therapy, etc.

* NOTE: Be very careful when working with Malachite. Should the stone work too fast and deep add Rose Quartz to the area to make it easier for your client to process the information.

OPTIONAL: Throughout this process you can visualise your finders as extended beams of light. Start by pulling on your physical fingers and imagine you are pulling them out into the air about 15-20 cm. As you are pulling your fingers out, breathe in through partly closed lips so you can hear the air flowing. Do this three times with each finger. Then pat the ends of your extended fingers and imaging you can actually feel them. Draw Symbol 1 on the ends of the fingers. Do this with both hands. Move your hands around imagining you can feel the extended fingers and the power they contain.