Very few Reiki instructors teach the Reiki system as an enlightenment system, that also gives you the gift to heal yourself and the others. In the West, this system is taught by many teachers just as a healing system; moreover, it's taught as a business.  

The principles were given by Mikao Usui to be said every day. They used to be said before meditations and they were given to integrate them in your life. Sooner or later, they will start to help you when you will begin to worry, to anger or to forget about compassion. You will start to see, in time, why do you react like this and what is to be healed. Even it’s so simple to just say the principles in your mind, in time they will be there for you. You will see, first, your reaction; you will understand why you reacted in this way; then, you will be aware of your reaction in the moment you react. And then, you will be aware before reacting, accepting that the things, the people, the events don’t have to be like your mind wants it to.

There are many interpretations of the Reiki Principles, because it’s very hard to translate from Japanesse into English (and other languages, too) some words that integrate an entire different way of thinking. And every one of us can find new meanings of these principles.

 

A version of the translation is:

 

“Just for today, do not anger,

 Just for today, do not worry,

 Show your gratitude to the others,

 Work with you with appreciation,

 Be kind with all living things”

 

Another is:

 

“Only for today:

Do not get angry!

Do not worry!

Give thanks for your many blessings!

Work diligently!

Be kind to people!”

 

And they can be many others “starting from now....”, “at least for today” and so. Feel what suites you most. They look very simple, but they will be by your side when you will need them.

 

“Do not anger, do not worry”. The most interpretations of them say the same thing. The anger is a demand that we, the others, the things, the events shouldn’t be as they are, but as our minds want them to be. The anger is an attachment. Being aware of our constraints, we will find out that the things are as they have to be. We create ourselves this anger; our ego does this. Saying the principles every day, we will accept all those as they are and we will live without anger. We will see the constraints of our minds that make us angry and we will not react anymore as our ego wants us, but we will respond to the events. Stop in that moment and see the conditionings.

“Work diligently” is about working constantly on yourself. See the constraints, accept them, heal them.

 

If you started to say them every day for some time, you already see their effects. They make you to be aware of your reactions, they transform your mind, you become free of constraints more and more. In the beginning, you will react like you always did and then you will remember the principles. In time, the principles will make you being aware of your reaction in the moment you react. And later, the principles will be there before your ego could react.

 

This is how they work. Tell them constantly and practice. They will be there for you.