Gokai Blessing Ceremony

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THE

GOKAI BLESSING

An 'alignment' ceremony, created by Deacon[This is not a 'traditional' Reiki technique]

Copyright © 2010 DeaconA PRINTABLE, PDF-FORMAT VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE CAN BE DOWNLOADED

HERE (Document No. 44 on list)  

The

Gokai - the Five Principles or Precepts - are, at very least, important keys to the system that is Usui Reiki Ryoho.In the

simple statements of the Gokai are to be found a distillation

Usui-sensei's teachings - the very essence of his Reiho - his

'Spiritual Method'Perhaps it is fair to say that they are not

just 'important' but rather 'VITAL' - that they are the very CORE of

Usui-sensei's system .Now,

although students are usually introduced to the Five Reiki Principles as part

of level one training and the Principles are discussed in far greater depth at

level two, it seems that a high percentage of students – possibly

due to the apparent simplicity of the concepts involved - do not

really 'get' the true importance of the Gokai within Usui Reiki Ryoho

at all. 

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                 

In

fact it is fair to say that a great many (level one) students seem

completely uninterested in them, instead, just fixating on wanting to

be able to 'channel the healing energy'. The irony of course is that the

Gokai form an indispensable part of the Usui healing system, being as

they are, essential 'keys' to the deeper realization of true healing, harmony and well-being.The simplistic terms in which the Five Principles are stated, belies their complex, multi-level significance:

as guideposts to spiritual development; as jumon:

mantric words of spiritual force, with meaning and influence beyond

the obvious; as a direct set of moral and ethical admonitions;

as strategies to apply to life to facilitate interpersonal

harmony; as a 'mnemonic device' - an aid to 'mindful

remembrance' and 'living in the moment';and-on a far more

immediate, practical/material level:as therapeutic guidelines

which are intended to be applied – by both practitioner and client

alike - as basic 'preventative medicine'.

It's no wonder that Usui-sensei himself described the Gokai1 as:

" Shôfuku

no hihô, Manbyo no rei yaku "

" The

secret method of inviting blessings, the spiritual medicine of many

illnessesâ€_________

And

so it was that I initially (2006) began developing the Gokai Blessing

ceremony in response to a perceived need for a means of helping

'align' students to the Gokai on a subtle level - a need for a means

to help them connect at a level beyond words.

I

had in mind a simple ceremony, a ritualised practice, something

teachers could integrate into their level one ( & two) training

courses in conjunction with meaningful indepth discussion about the Gokai and

their multi-level role in Usui Reiki Ryoho

However,

over time it became obvious that this ceremony, beyond its

initially-intended function, actually produced direct therapeutic

effects itself.

Beyond

helping the student connect on a psychological level with the

Principles, this “Gokai Blessing†turned out to be an effective

healing practice in its own right, something which could be utilised,

not just by Reiki Teachers, but also by level 2 practitioners ( –

at least ones who were comfortable and confident in working with SHK

and CKR, and who themselves had progressed some way with integrating

the Gokai into their own lives2 ) - a ceremony they could share

with both fellow practitioners and clients alike.

The

Gokai Blessing involves the use of two Reiki symbols: the CKR and SHK.

(Of the CKR, Takata-sensei said " It is very simple, but...remember that

it is very powerful. Because it is a very powerful symbol, we do not

use it many times " . Of SHK, she said:“When you make the Seiheki you are

talking to the subconscious

mind " ). In essence, the Blessing combines elements of a version

of the reiju process, with elements of a version of seiheki

chiryo ho (the habit treatment), and the practice known as Gokai sansho (reciting the Gokai three times).

And

I feel it is important to be ever mindful that this is a

Blessing.

It

must never be charged for, not even indirectly.

In

its use, there must be no barter, no reciprocal arrangements.It

is, and must always be, a pure, unconditional, gift.

To

treat it as anything less is to dishonour and disrespect both

yourself and the

recipient.

_________Instructions

for performing the Gokai Blessing ceremony

Note:

the recipient should be seated upright yet relaxed on a stool or

chair, with their hands in their lap, feet flat on the floor. An image

of the Gokai should be displayed, propped up on a stool or small

table directly in front of the recipient (literally only a few inches in front of their knees), and throughout the

ceremony they should lightly focus their attention on this image.

[There

are a couple of options as to how to begin the Gokai Blessing, choose

whichever you feel is right for you.]

Option

1:

Positioning

yourself so as to be facing the recipient, a few feet behind the image of the Gokai, bring your hands into

the gassho mudra (prayer position), palms together hands at

the level of the heart centre.

Invite

the recipient to do likewise.

Bow

to each other.

The

recipient should maintain gassho throughout the blessing

ceremony.

With

a calm, flowing motion, move in a

clockwise direction around the recipient (i.e. passing their right

side), to position yourself behind directly them.

Gently

place your hands on their shoulders (- as if you were going to give

them a shoulder massage).

Let

this be a pre-arranged signal to the recipient that you are about to

begin the sharing of the Gokai Blessing experience.

Option

2:

Position

yourself directly behind the recipient. Stand up straight, yet

relaxed.

Gently

place your hands on their shoulders (- as if you were going to give

them a shoulder massage).

Let

this be a pre-arranged signal to the recipient that you are about to

begin the sharing of the Gokai Blessing experience and that they

should place their hands in the gassho mudra: palms together,

hands at the level of the heart centre.

Whichever

opening option you choose, the ceremony continues:

For

a few brief moments, close your eyes, centre yourself - Simply 'be' - silently and restfully 'watching the breath': loosely focussing on

the natural rhythms of your own breathing. There is no interference

with the natural process - no seeking to consciously breathe - merely

to be aware that you are breathing effortlessly.

When

you are ready, gradually

match your breathing to the recipient's breathing rhythms.

Be

mindful of your intent to share the

Gokai Blessing. (perhaps

you might wish to make a silent statement of intent - something to

the effect of: " I offer the Gokai Blessing now " )

Generate

feelings of true compassion in your heart, and do whatever you do to

let the Reiki flow.

After

a few moments, take a step back and prepare to perform a calming

'aura sweep' to balance the recipient's energy and dilate their field

(i.e. to let their energy flow more evenly): Inhale smoothly

and deeply as you raise your open hands up slightly above the

level of the recipient's head, and in one firm, smooth,

slow, steady motion,

sweep your hands down behind the recipient's back at a distance of about 6 -

8 inches from their body, (bending from your knees as you need to)

your hands coming to rest at the level of the recipient's feet.

Taking

care not to 'ruffle' the recipient's energy field in the process, arc your

hands out to the sides as you return to an upright position and bring

your hands to rest up above the recipient's head once more.(It

is important to keep your hands out to the sides as you come up, so

as not to accidentally 'sweep the field' in an upward,

'invigorating', direction at this time)

Repeat

this aura-sweeping process twice more.After completing the

sweep for the third time, step forward again and draw the SHK symbol in the air above the

centre of the recipient's head. Draw it smoothly, clearly; see it as

pure bright shining light – feel its resonance.

Silently

intone the symbol's mantra.Let the Reiki flow.

Next,

draw the CKR symbol in the air above the centre of the recipient's

head. Draw it smoothly, clearly see it as pure bright shining light –

feel its resonance.

Silently

intone the symbol's mantra. Let the Reiki flow.Breathe.Clap your hands.

Clap your hands a second time.With

the tip of your index and middle fingers, write the word 'Gokai'

in Japanese kanji characters in the palm of each of your own hands.

 Much as you do when drawing a Reiki symbol, write the word smoothly and clearly, visualizing it as pure bright shining light –

feel its resonance in your palms.[Dedicate

some time beforehand to the practice of writing the two kanji characters which form

the word 'Gokai'.  With a little mindful practice you will soon

remember the twelve simple strokes which form the complete word.]

Perform

gassho and bow ( to the Light of Wisdom residing within the

Gokai)

With

a calm, flowing motion, move to position yourself at the recipient's

left side. Place your left hand gently on their forehead, and your

right on their occipital ridge (the point where neck and skull meet)

As

an aid to focus, you may wish to hold the image of the kanji-form of the word 'Gokai' in your mind's eye:

Recite

the Five principles out loud- slowly, clearly, mindfully:

“kyo

da-ke waoko-ru na3 shim-pai

su nakan-sha

shi tegyo (w)o

ha-ge-mehito

ni shin-setsu ni " But don't just say

the words – feel them - feel their resonance - feel

their meaning on as many

levels as you can. Perceive them as generating an aura of

light, bathing the recipient,

suffusing them, flowing into and throughout themAfter reciting the Gokai, stay in this position for a short while, and simply let the Reiki flow.

When you feel ready, gently reposition your hands so that your left hand is a few

inches in front of the recipient's throat, and your right is on the

back of the lower part of their neck. [The left hand should generally

be held in the aura rather than placed directly on the throat, as

many people find direct throat-contact a subconscious threat4]

As before, you may wish to hold the image of the kanji-form of the word 'Gokai' in your mind's eye as you recite the Gokai out loud a

second time, slowly, clearly, mindfully. Feel the words,

their power, their sentiment. Perceive them as generating an aura of

light.

And again, after reciting the Gokai, stay in this position for a short while, and simply let the Reiki flow.

When you feel ready, gently reposition your hands once

more:

The

recipient is still holding their hands in gassho at heart

centre level.

Place

your left hand against the edge

of the recipient's hands, at the base of their little fingers

(you might like to lightly clasp their hands in your palm) and place

your right on the recipient's back at the same level, between their shoulder-blades.

And

again, you may wish to hold the image of the kanji-form of the word 'Gokai' in your mind's eyeRecite

the Gokai out loud a third and final time, mindfully, with feeling. Again, be a ware of the aura of light.

Stay in this position for a short while, and simply let the Reiki flow.

When you are ready, with

a measured, flowing motion, move slowly in a clockwise direction around the

recipient, to position yourself behind them once more.  Be mindful to pass behind the image of the Gokai displayed in front of the recipient - do not interrupt their line of sight.

Standing

behind the recipient, raise your hands to a position approximately 6 -

8 inches to either side of their shoulders, your palms facing towards

each other. Let the Reiki flow.And as you do so, visualize the recipient as being immersed in an aura of

light –

an almost tangible field of mindful wisdom,

gratitude and

compassion generated

by the resonance of the words that constitute the Gokai - a living

vibration of the essential core

of Usui-sensei's teachings.As the Reiki flows, this aura of 'Gokai Light' intensifies and deepens, grows brighter, more and more vibrant.

Stay with the process for as long as you feel inclined to.

[At this point in the ceremony, a number of

people have independently reported 'seeing' the Japanese words of the Gokai

dancing, swirling and circling about the recipient, passing into,

and flowing out from, their body...]

When you are ready, perform

gassho and bow ( to the Light of Wisdom residing within the

Gokai)

Whereas

you began the ceremony with a 'calming' aura-sweep, nearing the end of the ceremony you now perform an

'energizing' aura-sweep.

This

time the sweep is in an upward direction.

Taking

care not to 'ruffle' the recipient's energy field in the process, arc your

hands out to the sides as, bending from your knees as you need to,

you reach down towards the floor. (As with the aura sweeps at the

start of the ritual, it is important here to keep your hands out to

the sides as, on this occasion, you move downwards, so as not to

accidentally 'sweep the field' in a downward direction at this time)

In

one smooth, firm, steady, continuous motion, sweep your hands upwards

behind the recipient's back, from the level of their feet up to a

point above their head

Repeat

this upward aura-sweeping process twice more. Breathe.Clap your hands. Clap your hands a second time.

Centre

yourself once more:For

a few brief moments, close your eyes - Simply 'be': - silently and restfully 'watching the breath': loosely focussing on

the natural rhythms of your own breathing. There is no interference

with the natural process - no seeking to consciously breathe - merely

to be aware that you are breathing effortlessly.When you are ready, perform

gassho and bow to the recipient.

Touch

the recipient lightly on the shoulder. Let

this be a pre-arranged signal to the recipient that the Gokai Blessing

ceremony is complete and that they are now invited to bow to the Light of Wisdom residing within the Gokai..

_________Variant

forms of the Gokai Blessing:

Symbol-free

Gokai Blessing:

For

level one practitioners who wish to utilize the Blessing (and also

for those level 2 or 3 practitioners who choose, for whatever reason,

not to work with the Reiki symbols) it is possible to practice a

'symbol-free' version of the Gokai Blessing5 (in much the same way

as level one practitioners can substitute Nentatsu ho for

Seiheki Chiryo ho). This version of the Blessing is

exactly the same as the main version detailed above with the

exception: after performing the initial three calming aura-sweeps,

the practitioner simply omits the drawing/intoning of the

symbols/mantras, and continues from: " Breathe. Clap your hands. " etc.

..

Distance

Gokai Blessing:

It

is possible to perform the Gokai Blessing for a client or fellow

practitioner who for genuine reasons cannot receive the

Blessing 'hand-to-hand' (i.e. in person), however it is important to

be mindful that the option to share the Blessing at a distance does

not encourage laziness in either the practitioner or the recipient.

Distance

Gokai Blessing - " the Empty Chair " :

Distance

Gokai Blessing: is essentially performed in much the same way as the

'in-person' Gokai Blessing, yet with two particular differences:

One

difference is that, after performing the initial three calming

aura-sweeps, an additional symbol is inserted into the procedure.

The practitioner first draws the HSZSN in the air above the

centre of the recipient's head, silently intones the symbol's

mantra, lets the Reiki flow - then continues as described above - drawing the SHK symbol,

intoning its mantra, then the CKR, etc, etc.

A

more obvious difference is of course the fact that the recipient is

not present.

However,

the practitioner should proceed as if recipient

is indeed present, and

seated upright yet relaxed on a stool or chair, with their hands in

their lap, feet flat on the ground, anticipating the ceremony that is

to come...Visualize the recipient sitting in front of

you.

(Whether

or not you choose to make use of a physical stool or chair is

up to you.)

[if

the recipient is someone you have never met, then you should arrange

in advance to get a photo of them – one with a clear image of their

face (something to request when you arrange a mutually agreeable time

to participate in the ceremony.) Note:

You do not use the photograph when performing the ceremony, only to

see what they look like so you can clearly visualize them]

Picture

the recipient as best you can in your mind's eye.

Call

their name three times as you concentrate on their image.

Feel

their presence.

Then

simply perform the ceremony, as described above..._________

Distance

Gokai Blessing - a couple of observations:1,  For

some, there will always be the temptation to merely visualize the entire Distance Gokai Blessing ceremony, but to do so is to discard an important dimension of

the process. The esoteric doctrine, known in Japanese as: san

(hi)mitsu (the three secrets/mysteries) reminds us of the

profound spiritual and energetic potentials

arising via the unification of the power of, as it is phrased: " thought &

word & deed " ( i.e. visualization, vocalization, and

physical action)

While

merely visualizing the ceremony may indeed bring one level of

efficacy – adding the complementing power of vocalization

and action to the ceremony will round out and enhance that

efficacy. So, rather than merely visualizing the Distance Gokai

Blessing ceremony, physically carry out the entire ceremony

- actually stand, perform gassho, bow, move, gesture, recite the

words, draw the symbols, etc - in three-dimensional space -

as if the recipient was indeed present.

2,  For

others, there will always be the temptation to [in what some might

consider a half-hearted

manner] merely 'wish' or 'intend' that the Blessing be automatically

'sent'.

Let

us call to mind the fourth Principle:

Simply

expressed as “Work hardâ€, on one level this Principle speaks to

the need to: " Be diligent in your

endeavours " to: " Put

your Heart and Soul into all that you do "

Whether

the Gokai Blessing ceremony is shared 'in-person' or at a distance,

we should give 100% of ourselves to the process, and manifest the same degree of Commitment, Dedication, and

Respect – for the recipient, for the Gokai, and for ourselves.

_________

Self

Gokai BlessingThis

can be performed in much the same way as the Distance Gokai Blessing,

in this instance, you visualize yourself sitting in the empty

chair as you physically go through the motions of performing the

ceremony. [You can perhaps dispense with the part about calling the

recipient's name three times.]_________

Please:

Do

not attempt to perform the Gokai Blessing for any individual who has

not given their verbal (or written) permission.

To

do so would be to dishonour and disrespect both yourself

and the recipient.

______NOTES:

1, - rather

than the 'healing hand' practices

2,

The deeper the practitioner's own connection/interaction with, and

understanding/appreciation of, the Gokai, the deeper their scope for facilitating the Gokai Blessing for others.

3,

The Japanese kanji-character pronounced as " Oko " can also

be pronounced as " Ika " . Several Reiki teachers prefer to use " Ika " as they consider it was the more common

pronunciation in the Meiji / Taisho era during which Usui-sensei

lived, whereas " Oko " is seen as a more current pronunciation. However,

the Gokai are all about " just for today " - about being centred in the

present  - in the current moment...Use whichever feels more appropriate to you.

4,

In fact, for each of the three 'intonement-points' (i.e. the positions at which the Gokai are recited), if you or the

recipient wish, you may position your hands a couple of inches off

the body in the recipient's aura.

5,

However, the use of the SHK and CKR brings a greater depth to the

Blessing process.