The Title Of Reiki Master And The Precepts

The term Reiki Master was never used by the founder of the system of Reiki, Mikao Usui.


It was introduced when the translation of Japanese to English became necessary as the system moved out of Japan.


The question that we'd like to ask is this… is this the right title to call yourself when you are teaching, especially in our modern age?

There are many Reiki teachers today who feel uncomfortable calling themselves Reiki Master. This is because the title implies that the Reiki Master masters spiritual energy (Reiki). For this reason Shibumi International Reiki Association asks their Registered Practitioners and Teachers to refrain from using the title Reiki Master, instead calling themselves Reiki Teachers.

One of the first things you will learn when you study the system of Reiki are the precepts. As the foundation of the system, they are a good place to refer to when researching what the implications of calling yourself a Reiki Master might be.

The precepts are:
For today only
Do not anger
Do not worry
Be humble
Be honest in your work
Be compassionate to yourself and others.

These precepts are not only to be read, but lived by. What do these precepts say about the term Reiki Master?

"Be humble" one of the precepts reads. Wait a minute… is calling myself a Reiki Master in line with being humble? Doesn't humble mean; to not be proud or arrogant and to be modest?

"Be honest in your work" is another of the precepts. This precept is plainly asking for honesty in the practitioner's life as life is our work. This includes teaching or practicing the system of Reiki. Yet, claims of being a master of spiritual energy/Reiki is not in line with honesty. It is not possible for us to say that we have mastered spiritual energy. Life is a spiritual journey, there is always something more to learn.

So isn't it time that we start to change the title of Reiki Master to something more realistic, humble and honest. Shibumi feels that as we are teachers of the system then the term Reiki teacher fulfills these requirements. We need to walk our talk.

A good reference point for us might also be to look at modern spiritual teachers and learn from them. The Dalai Lama, for example, states that he is just a simple monk.

To practice is not to collect things and put them in your basket, but rather to find something in your sleeve.

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