Reiki conflicts with MY beliefs as a Christian.Maybe yours 2

[Campong T]

Hello...
Its been about a year since I learned reiki. I have practiced it on and off during that time. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs but I feel that explain why I feel its a conflict with me being a Christian. In this posting I will write in why I do not think the healing directly comes from God. I will also explain why reiki is different then the healing done in the Bible, which many people use to tell others what Reiki is like. I used to be one of those people. For my background information I am 2nd degree Usui reiki, and I do various holistic health services. I am no longer doing reiki but I plan on now doing faith healing (Praying to God and asking for healing and touching people). I plan on doing this for free. It IS different then reiki. Similar... but different and I will explain why.

The idea reiki started out this Japanese man went to fast and meditate for like 20 days. During that 20 days he had an enlightenment. He recieved these symbols and stuff like that. He ran this reiki clinic and not many of his students recieved all the attunements. Theres alittle more to it but thats basically it. The story to me is kinda irrelavent since no one really knows what really happened. Usui had some ideas about him that were not true such as he was a doctor. He was not a doctor or had a (PH.D equivilent) in anything. Records would show if he did or not. Some people call "healers" doctors so thats where it may of came from. He also was not a Christian minister or teacher. Had he been either he would of been buried in a Christian cemetary, not a Buddist cemetary.

This is my thought process to help you understand how I think. I believe that the Bible is the book about our God and it tells us how we should live our life. Yeah... i've heard alot of stories how the Bible was changed and altered. However, I believe what it says. I believe that God loves us and if he knew we tried following his word to the best of our ability, with what we knew, he would be happy. Besides, Jesus died for us because we wouldn't be able to be perfect anyway.

Even to take things to extreme, lets say the Bible is completely fake. Would you want to live your life believing in somthing that seems like a really good way to live and seems to make sense, or would you take somones idea who heard the Bible was fake who heard it from this person who heard it from this person and so on. In school, we did a test where you told somone a story and they told somone... our class was small. Only like 30 kids in the whole school. By the end the story was completely changed. You were able to tell the story right after you heard it so it shoudn't of been changed. Assuming the world is only a few thousand years old, which I believe, if the story of what God really is like was just handed down from person to person it would be changed alot more then a simple story was in school. Also, no one likes admiting they are living a wrong life. I sure don't! I tell people lots of things are wrong, but at least I admit to it. I also admit that telling somone somthing is wrong when you do it yourself is being a hypocrite. I admit to that also. Somtimes I even try to find ways to justify what I do, which is wrong. Most people don't admit what they do is wrong and justify it. Somtimes even lie about it. Blah... i'm getting off track... LOL

Anyway, back to the original subject and I will try not going off on anymore tangents. I believe that Jesus healed people. Other people also healed people using his name. His name and his name only. No attunements were needed, no symbols. Only faith. I'm not saying that reiki is necessarily bad... but why take a chance on it. Besides... lets just say I was a doctor and wanted to choose either healing from God like Jesus did or reiki. Below is my comparison. I refer to faith healing also as Jesus healing somtimes. It just means having faith that God does the work.

Reiki: Costs money to be able to "heal". Many people don't do it for free but do it for a business. You need symbols. The symbols are used for different things, however, the energy comes from "God" and directs itself anyway. So saying that one symbol works better on somthing then another symbol doesn't make sense since tthe energy does whatever it wants to. Also, you need to go through an attunement. This can be done hands on or from a distance. The biggest thing i've heard of reiki doing is removing a tumor. It was just on a friend and they didn't test it, reiki may or may not have directly done it but no other treatments were used. Another time was somone had a parakyzed foot, after reiki, it was only slightly paralyzed.

Jesus type healing: Jesus didn't charge anyone for healing. You don't need symbols because the power comes from God and doesn't need the symbol BS. He directs healing (energy) where it needs to go and how long. You don't need attunements. It can be done hands on or from a distance. Faith has done many things, raised the dead, healed complete serious illnesses, made blind people see, lame people walk.

Jesus's healing is clearly superior to reiki.

Also... this is the basic process for reiki and Jesus healing

Reiki: Make symbols on your hands, in the air, on the person. Place hands over the chakras for about 3 minutes each. To do distance you make symbols on the picture or piece of paper and hold it.

Jesus healing: Ask God for healing and touch the person (From what I know)

Jesus healing is far more simple.

I hope more people understand this like I do. If not, thats ok to. Everyone has their own opinion. What I read in other posts and was told before that symbols are just used to help you maintain concentration. Your not sending energy anyway! In reiki its taught it comes from God. Attunements are the biggest thing that helped me change... God didn't need to attune anyone. Just please keep an open mind and think about it. Yeah... you would lose some money if you have alot of reiki clients... but if its wrong to do, you shouldn't do it. I've used reiki for many good things. I've seen some amazing stuff. However, the reasons I stated above is mostly why I am not doing it anymore.

 

[katie s]

You know, it's not like I don't understand what you're trying to say, and I admit I have no training in or interest in Reiki but... I'm distracted by something....

Personally I'm trying to figure out why you've opened Another thread on this topic when you Already opened one here on the very same subject:

Christianity and Reiki:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2155

 

[Donnie]

It is a different topic. This one was posted to try making things more clear for people.

 

[M P]

I don't quite get your post.

You don't need to know (or use if you do know) the symbols to do reiki. You weren't taught any symbols in reiki I were you? I wasn't.

You don't have to charge to do reiki. You don't have to pay to teach reiki. Yes, many people do charge for both. They have to pay their bills, too. Do you think money is incompatible with spirituality? Does your church pay your pastor a salary?

You don't have to use chakras, pictures, papers, etc. You CAN do reiki by asking God for healing and touching the person. Or not touching them ;-) When I do reiki, I tend to work mostly off the body. But that's just me.

The attunements are just that... like tuning a radio that's been on one station to listen to another. Or, the way I like to think about it, clearing gunk out of pipes that were already there. Like a Primary Religious Experience that brings you closer to God for the rest of your life. It doesn't mean that it wasn't always there for you whenever you wanted it--but it only shows up when you finally ask for it. One way people ask for it is by taking a reiki class.

I honestly don't see that there has to be any difference between reiki and what you're calling "Jesus healing". The fact that other people DO do reiki differently seems pretty irrelevant to me. That's them. I'm sure other people pray differently than you, too. Does this really say much about prayer and its usefulness in your life the way you do it?

You've said you feel reiki conflicts with your Christianity... you've also said that "if it's wrong, don't do it"... I still don't understand what the conflict is, nor what could be wrong about it.

 

[Isaac]

What I don't understand about your post is why you feel the need to justify why you do or do not do Reiki or whatever energy work you do. Could it be that your conscience is bothering you in some way because of what you have done with Reiki?

This is my thought process to help you understand how I think.

Why would it be so important to you to let me know how you think about Reiki and why you think like you do?

The symbols are used for different things, however, the energy comes from "God" and directs itself anyway.

Jesus type healing: Jesus didn't charge anyone for healing. You don't need symbols because the power comes from God and doesn't need the symbol BS. He directs healing (energy) where it needs to go and how long.

Jesus's healing is clearly superior to reiki.

Also... this is the basic process for reiki and Jesus healing

Reiki: Make symbols on your hands, in the air, on the person. Place hands over the chakras for about 3 minutes each. To do distance you make symbols on the picture or piece of paper and hold it.

Jesus healing: Ask God for healing and touch the person (From what I know)

Jesus healing is far more simple.

So if both of the healings come from God, what's the problem? If your way is simpler, so be it. That doesn't mean that I don't ask God for assistance when I do use Reiki, because often times, I do. With success I might add. But if my intention is to heal something that God sees fit to not heal that person of with Reiki or other kinds of healing or energy, I am not in line with his purpose and whatever energy work I do will not work.

I guess what it all comes down to is that I get the feeling like you are trying your hardest to make some Christian conversions here based on your feelings of why Reiki is wrong. Don't get me wrong, I am a Christian and was raised a Christian and have a very firm belief in God, The Bible and in God's Son, Jesus. However, this is not the place to talk about your Christian beliefs.

 

[Pompal 09.]

This is my question.
No one forced you to learn Reiki nor is anyone forcing you to practice it. If you have conflict with it why did you in the first place learn it and second why are you still doing it?

 

[naughty212]

I'm not really sure what goal the OP has with this post... as previously mentioned... it has been brought up by the OP before...

Firstly... Dr. Usui was a Christian missionary... Where he was buried is really neither here nor there as to how he lived his life...

I see you totally missed the point of the lessons learned by Dr. Usui in the slums of Kyoto. Dr. Usui went to the slums to improve people’s lives, he offered his services totally free. Yes people improved, got jobs, got off the streets. All was well right? Wrong… when he left, people went back to the way they were before. They didn’t “work” to improve their lives, so it had no value, it was too much “effort”. So they went back to where they were before. They did not truly desire to change their lives. There is a saying… You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. Have you ever tried to help a person, have them improve for awhile, and then when you leave them on their own, they go back to the way they were before. Its just that.

Not everyone recieved every attunment... which is why you are only level 2 right... not everyone wants/needs all the levels of attunements. Its a personal choice. Not everyone wants to go to seminary school either... but they still go to church, does that make them less Christian?

For my way of thinking... I am not Jesus, so there is no way I can perform Jesus healing. If you are talking about faith healing... that is a slightly different concept in my eyes. If you are Christian, and believe everything comes from G-d, then how can Reiki be less of a form of healing?

As far as the symbols go, sometimes we all need something to channel our thoughts and energy to. That is why people light candles or dedicate a special time/place for prayer. They symbols are a way for us to concentrate on the intent for the Reiki. Its no different really than concentrating on a particular muscle group, or in a prayer asking for money to pay for a new ac unit, rather than just money in general. Its a tool for focus.

Reiki does not need the symbols, just the same as you don't need to pray in a church or light candles for rememberance.

I can honestly say that I don't understand what your problem with Reiki is, you've used it, had some amazing results (in your own words...) yet you now choose to turn your back on it? I respect your choice, as it is your karma, but I also have the right to think you are wrong, and making a wrong choice.

God didn't need to attune anyone.

And you know this how? How do you know that Jesus wasn't doing Reiki? And Jesus did have his disciples after all.

Reiki: Costs money to be able to "heal".

This is not true, there are plenty of free Reiki circles that ANYONE can attend. I have given I don't how many free attuments & treatments.

In today's society most people don't value what they are given for nothing... if you fall in the trap that healing should be free then open up all kind of trauma for yourself. Nature abhors a vacuum, by expecting healings to be free, you open that part of your life to be filled with whatever comes along to fill it, and you may not like what fills it.

Does this mean that massage therapists should practice for free, doctors, dentists, ER, firemen? The list goes on...

Even if you go to a church a donation plate is still passed around, because they need your money to operate. So in essance, you are not worshipping for free.

You give what you can when you can. When you can't, you don't. Most true Reiki practitioners will always work this way.

If someone is in genuine need, and sincerely wants the work, but cannot afford to pay, I will not charge them. If they just want to sit back and "be healed" without accepting any of the responsibility on themselves, I won't do it.

It truly sounds like your main issue is with the symbols of level 2. Does this mean that they are too overwhelming for you? Too lazy to practice them?

My advice for you: If you want people to respect your opinion then you need to not mock the symbols and other reiki practitioners. Or any other religion for that matter.

 

[tash]

I'm obviously new to the boards, and haven't spent whole boat loads of time posting.

I am however a Reiki Master and Teacher.

Reading the OP, I seriously don't think this person has a problem with Reiki on its own as a healing method. He has ethical issues with charging for doing the work and using the symbols.

Well, my friend, stop charging for all the work you do, be it energy work, massage work, collecting the interest in your bank accounts, what-have-you.

But before I get too far into this post I must say one thing in response to this from your post:

You don't need symbols because the power comes from God and doesn't need the symbol BS.

The symbols are not "BS" and if you expect any Reiki practitioner, or any other normal human being for that matter, to respect your little opinions, then I would appreciate a little more respect from you towards other people's life choices. How would you feel if I called Christianity the opiate of the masses?

Anyway.

There are stories that are passed down with the Reiki training that teach us about the history of Reiki. Stories sort of like in your bible.

One story states that Usui spent nigh on a year in the slums of Kyoto working on beggars, sex workers, and all the poor he could lay his hands on.

All for free.

He didn't ask for payment of any kind from a one of them. Nothing. He was thrilled to see their progress. He watched some of his "clients" become upstanding members of society, and he was satisfied with his work. But within a matter of months, those new citizens were back in the slums. He had ceased his work with them when they moved out of the slums, and they fell back into their old habits, their old lifestyles.

Now, AKaeckmeister, can you tell me the moral of this story?

In case you missed it, it roughly translates that people DO NOT value what they do not have to pay for. And you place way too much emphasis on the value of money. Geez! I've had people pay me for my work with a loaf of home baked bread. I could have bought something similar in the store for a whopping $2.50 (cha-ching!). But it was the value they placed on the creation of the bread that made it worth my time.

Point 1:
You are getting too caught up in the money part of it. Sugar, got news for you: Reiki practitioners need to put a roof over their heads and food on their tables as much as any one else.

Point 2:
What is your grief with the Reiki symbols? As soooooo many other people have pointed out on this thread:

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE SYMBOLS TO MAKE REIKI WORK.

IMHO you sound like a freshly attuned Reiki 2 who is balking at learning and memorizing the symbols. Your rant makes you sound lazy with a flair for the melodramatic. You call the symbols "BS". You have no respect for the work, so I doubt you'd make a better "jesus healer" than you do a Reiki practitioner.

I hope someone prays for enlightenment for you. I'd do it, but I doubt you'd accept/respect the gift from me.

 

[The Baron]

On a slightly different note... there is a Reiki forum on the internet.

http://www.reiki-4-all.com/index.php?

Its a great resource for more information.

 

[Clare]

I guess I would just like to say, I am not a reiki master at all, just an MT, I am also pagan so, say what you like about that. But, IMO, I don't think it really matters to whom you think the energy is coming from or where. It is there and that is the bottom line. Whether you want to think that it is god or other. I like the reference of the book, "The mists of Avalon" Anyone read that one, best book ever might I add. Anyway, at the end when avalon is fallen, a priestess of Avalon walks into the church and finds her statue of the Goddess dressed as the virgin mary. Not for nothing but I kind of found that interesting. And for a little more info, not to step on toes (Iwas brought up catholic) If you were to take about 60% of the bible and compare it to older writings of the egyptians, Mayans, Aztecs, and so on you will find that the stories from the bible are nothing more than a nice twist on older ones! Do the research. Don't justify.

 

[Blonde Vegetarian]

Reiki has no more religion in it than baseball...unless that's your reality. And EVERY religion has plenty of symbols and alters.

 

[loriel]

Ah The Mists of Avalon...one of my faves...it has been so long since I read it I can no longer remember the details, but I do remember being thrilled by the reading of it.

So Massagemom it looks like we have one similarity! Well two--I am also only a MT...not a master of too much...I am a pretty staunch Christian, but I feel there is room in my boat for all God's children...and not to be preached to, but to be lived with, loved and have fun with.

I think maybe the initial poster is in a search mode. We spend our lives honing and refining the codes we live by. And sometimes we blunder about...

I remember during Massage School the class started kicking Christianity. I said Hold on kids...I respect your Altars...(and I do)...so give mine a little slack...

Sometimes I think that Mainstream Religion has hurt so many people. It makes me sad.

OK...whining time is over for me...thanks for allowing it.

 

[mr. macfriendly]

Sometimes I think that Mainstream Religion has hurt so many people. It makes me sad.

It sure appears so. A friend of mine is a pastor, and meets a lot of people who have been "so hurt by church" as he put it that they aren't in a place to be able to accept an invitation to his. He was telling me how much he wished they could come and see how different it can be (his is a very progressive church).

I have to say, I'm in that boat. I was raised by Southern Baptists. Go figure.

 

[Timinator .]

Talenyn thank you for the link to Reiki 4 all. It is a great site!! Just what I was needing.

You are the greatest!!

 

[Hot Revolver]

Very articulate, well thought out responses to a troll.
I'd like to think he appreciates it, but somehow I doubt it.

 

[highballer906]

Well, I appreciated the thread

 

[Sweet P]

So that's what a troll looks and sounds like. Hmmm.

I agree I enjoyed the thread. Oh well.

 

[Stephen Jess]

I agree as well, it was informative, and clear. As someone already doing Reiki and very pleased with it, I was glad to see it's essence expressed so well.

And furthermore, it's a valuable caution for everyone to do all the research you can about healing modalities. You must also know yourself and your own spiritual beliefs as well, to be able to discern what may or may not conflict with those beliefs.

Jill

 

[Rosanna]

I Think I got lost witht the whole troll bit???

 

[PickleFace]

Well, I don't consider the OP to be a troll really...

Here's more about trolls...

http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=444