“Watch your thoughts, for they
become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits.
Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your
destiny.” Anonymous
THE 5 REIKI PRINCIPLES
Just for today, I shall trust... Just for today,
I shall do my work honestly... Just for today, I shall accept my many blessings... Just for today, I shall be at
peace... Just for today, I will respect the rights of all life forms.
Reiki Therapy - The 5 Principals:
1) Just For Today, I Shall Trust
- This principle teaches us to let go of worries and to think positively
2) Just for Today, I Shall Do My Work Honestly
- This principle teaches us not only to be honest with ourselves, but with others, and to live by what you tell
others they should live by
3) Just For Today, I Shall Accept My Many Blessings
- We must be able to receive in order for the Universe go give to us
4) Just For Today, I Shall Be At Peace
- When we radiate peace and love, peace and love is returned to us
5) Just For Today, I Shall Respect the Rights of All Life Forms - We must honor ALL life and allow everyone to life
his/her own truth.
Another
version
(There are many "schools" of Reiki but the basic principles Reiki
practitioners try to abide by are pretty much universal.)
Reiki Therapy - The 5 Principals:
1)Just
for today, I will not worry
2)Just for today, I will not be angry
3)Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings
4)Just for today, I will do my work honestly
5)Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing
Reiki Therapy - What is it? How does
it heal?

The Significance of the Gakai or
Principles
Many people believe that the Gakai - the Five Principles or Precepts - are an important key to the
system that is Usui Reiki Ryoho.
Perhaps it is that they are not just 'important' but rather 'VITAL' -
that they are the very CORE of Usui-sensei's system - that the Precepts themselves are:
"The secret method of inviting blessings, the spiritual
medicine of many illnesses" spoken of in the introductory statement which comes directly before the Precepts
themselves.
The Precepts themselves are 'keys' or strategies to apply to
life.
In fact, at least two of the Precepts clearly fall in the
cartegory of straight-forward, direct 'preventative medicine'.
Different versions of the Principles?
As you will be
seen below, there are numerous slightly different paraphrased translations of
each of the five principles.
In a couple of renditions of
the principles, no's 3 and 4 are merged together (and in one case, principles 1 and 2 are also combined into a single
principle yet whatever the version, these
differently-worded translations still essentially all deal of the same five
concepts:
anger, worry, gratitude, work, kindness
"Honour your parents..."
Some people have commented why one version of the principles has
'Honour your parents, teachers and elders' where the majority of others have the 'gratitude'
principle
On several occasions Takata-sensei expressed the principles in
slightly different wording - in an attempt to clarify the core sentiment for the students present at the time
- and this is partly why different people use slightly variant wordings.
It was common for Takata sensei to state the 'gratitude' principle as
"We will count our blessings" or "... be grateful for our many blessings" and to qualify this by explaining
gratitude included honouring our fathers and mothers, teachers and neighbours - and even our
food.
To Takata sensei, the greatest of the five was Gratitude.
"Mornings and
evenings..."
"Mornings and evenings sit in
the gassho position and repeat these words out loud or in your heart"
And as a result, many people seem to consider the
Gakai as being something to only use in this way - seeing them simply as
a set of 'positive-thinking' affirmations - or alternatively, as some form of, as it were, 'magic
incantation'.
Yes, we may practice Gakai sansho (repeating the five principles three times) both on rising and on going to bed - and
this can help to
imprint them on our subconscious - but I feel too much emphasis is placed on chanting them, and possibly not enough
on living by them.
Stronger feeling when recited in English or Japanese?
Some people claim to get a stronger feeling whilst reciting one paraphrased
English (or other language) version of the principles; yet others, while reciting the 'formal' Japanese
version; but in my opinion, the real power of the Gakai only truly manifests in the instances of
their application in
the midst of daily life.
Examples of some of the slightly different paraphrased translations of
each of the five principles.
Just for
today [i.e. focus in the
here-and-now]:
Principle 1 has been variously stated as:
Do not anger
Don't get angry
Thou shall not anger
I will not be angry
I will let go of anger
Principle 2 has been variously stated as:
Do not worry
Don't be anxious
Thou shall not worry
I will not worry
I will let go of worry
Principle 3 has been variously stated as:
Be grateful
Show appreciation
Thou shall be grateful for the many blessings
I will give thanks for my many blessings
I will count my many blessings
Express your thanks
Show gratitude to every living thing
Honor your parents, teachers and elders
Principle 4 has been variously stated as:
Work hard
Study diligently
Devote yourself to your work
Earn thy livelihood with honest labor
I will do my work honestly
Be diligent in your business
Principle 5 has been variously stated as:
Be kind to people
Be kind to others
Be kind to thy neighbors
I will be kind to every living thing
I will be kind to every living creature
Show compassion to every living thing
* * * * *

"Just for today ...
Do not rise to anger
Do not succumb to worry
Express Gratitude for all your blessings
Apply yourself diligently
Manifest compassion to all beings"
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