Customer Reviews

Reiki and the Healing Buddha

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As with other reviewers who are both involved with Buddhism and Reiki, this manual is misleading in its content. It might sound good, but it is not based on factual information.

I am a Reiki Master Teacher in both Usui Reiki Ryoho and Usui Shiki Ryoho for over 10 years. I have also been involved with Esoteric Buddhism for well over 20 years. I am also a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Bodyworker. I teach Bodywork. I also have a very solid understanding of Eastern Culture & Bodywork, particularly that of Japan. Having great knowledge in these fields, I can speak from fact.

Here is a review of this book that I made for another forum:


Pros
.... Still out on this one

Cons
The book is terribly inaccurate. First, it bases the practice of Reiki on Buddhism, then after acknowledging that the different paths of Buddhism are not the same, she goes on to use various paths of Buddhism to support her idea that Reiki is Buddhist by creating the idea that these various forms of Buddhism are the same. Most of the book itself is based on some sort of Chinese Buddhist representation - not Japanese - definitely not Esoteric Buddhist.

Being a practicing Buddhist - in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism - I can say that Reiki is NOT Buddhist healing. Even though Usui-San was Buddhist, and he did base some of his practices of his spiritual system on Buddhist teachings, the practice of Usui's hands on healing was based more on the application of Kiko (Japanese Qi Gung) and early forms of Shinto hands on healing than anything Buddhist. Various forms of Buddhism does have hands on healing - though it requires faith in (and dedication to) Buddhism for it to work AND it differs greatly from Reiki (See "Kaji - Empowerment and Healing in Esoteric Buddhism" by Oda for more details on this subject).

Second, Kelly not only links Reiki to Buddhism, she goes further and links Reiki with the healing practices of Northern India and Mesopotamia, claiming that they are one and the same thing. Speaking out against this idea, most Eastern cultures have some belief in energy and energy work (as do they have some sort of empowerment / blessing techniques). Most of these cultures also have some form of touch therapy that works with this energy. Interestingly enough, some of these forms of energy work also have a form of blessing/initiation/attunement process. These similar traits, however, do not mean to say that ALL Eastern forms of energy work and hands on healing are the same. Quite the contrary, some cultures may hold very different beliefs altogether - such as India with the 5 element theory of the tattva (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit) and the Kundalini and Chakras systems vs. the Chinese with a polaric Yin/Yang balance, elemental system of wood, metal, water, fire, & earth and their use of the meridian system (which, I may ad, Kelly also links together).

Simply, there is no direct link to Reiki in any Buddhist text - Japanese or otherwise. What is more interesting, this text links Reiki to Buddhism through representation and comparison, yet, fails to actually show that they are directly linked in any way.

In Conclusion
Reiki is Japanese, plain and simple. It does not come from Tibet, China, India, Mesopotamia, or Sedona Arizona. Reiki is not a Buddhist practice, nor does it hold any esoteric link to Buddhist teachings or scriptures - unless you want to try and relate them yourself. It definitely isn't related to the Chinese Bu ga mandala. Reiki is not related to any other Eastern healing modality - save that of those popular in Japan during Usui's time.

*****

Lastly, the myth that Reiki comes from Tibet is very wrong. Esoteric Buddhism reached Japan before it did Tibet. It could not have originated from some place it didnt even exist yet. See this site for more details.....
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This book is an extraordinary (and extraordinarily clear) discussion of the Buddhist roots of Reiki. The author has in great detail put Reiki practice in the context of meditation on the Healing, or Medicine Buddha within the Esoteric Buddhist tradition.

I am a Reiki Master who previously searched on my own for more information on this subtle healing energy. This book clears up many earlier inconsistencies in writings about Reiki's origins and gives a detailed and quite beautiful view on what Reiki's roots may ultimately be.

This book is not just beautiful for the concepts discussed, but also for its graceful, measured, and lucid presentation. A tremendous spiritual volume.

I am both a reiki master and Tibetan buddhist practitioner. Medicine Buddha has been my main devotion and study for several years, so when I saw this book, I found it extremely interesting to think of a connection between reiki and buddhism.

Unfortunately, through well written and thought provoking, the author fails to back up statements such as "Because Reiki comes from Buddhism all symbols within Buddhism must have some relevance to Reiki." That's an interesting statement, but why exactly should I believe it? Who exactly said or proved that reiki comes from buddhism? She includes no footnotes whatsoever, nor does she refer to the facts that would make this statement true. This is one of many statements that are not backed up with clear evidence.

I also found it a little strange that she refers to this deity as the "healing buddha." In buddhist circles, the proper name is Medicine Buddha, Sangye Menla. In all my teachings, I have never heard the term 'healing buddha'. That indicates, to me, that the author did not have much contact with actual buddhist teachers or practitioners when researching the material.

Hi! I'm a Reiki practitioner.

This book is very well researched and is a must read for all Reiki practitioners and Masters.

It shows the connection between Reiki and the Healing Buddha. For example, the Reiki Master symbol is actually "hidden" within the vows of the Healing Buddha! Another interesting fact is that the two Bodhisattvas assisting the healing Buddha are called "Bright Sun" and "Bright Moon", the names of which if combined together gives you a significant portion of the Reiki Master symbol.

There is also an indepth discussion on the "hidden" meanings of the traditional Mikao Usui's background and story...etc. Lastly, there is also much explanation of the Reiki symbols and their background and uses.

What are you waiting for? GRAB THIS BOOK NOW!

~~~This is a superb book to read in conjunction with Richard Blackwell (Lama Yeshe)'s book Medicine Dharma Reiki. The association of Reiki with the tradition of the Healing, or Medicine, Buddha is even more precisely outlined there.

Despite what one of the reviewers says about Reiki and Buddhism, Maureen Kelly and Richard Blackwell both draw on documents from Reiki's founder, Mikao Usui, and extensively note his teachings in establishing and expanding this connection. Maureen Kelly carefully~~~~ goes through secondary sources on his teachings; Richard Blackwell is fortunate to have primary sources that he translates from the Japanese. He adds his own commentary as well.

This is an outstanding book on its own; I just wanted to mention its connection to this second volume. Both are great books to read together; each is outstanding on its own merits-- spiritual and textual-- as well. I am a Yogi, not a Reiki practitioner, but I have had Reiki and my practitioners all love this book: it~~ enhanced their knowledge and gave them a structure for their own practices.~

I, too, am a Reiki Master and have studied the history and symbols in depth. I am also Tibetan Buddhists and study Taoism as well. In discussing the second symbol with an actual Tibetan Buddhist monk, he informed me that it was in deed the 'Hrih' (Shree) symbol which is readily found on dieties of the Padma Buddhists Family of the west. Their color is red-not the blue Medicine Buddha which has his family in a complete different direction, or I should say element. This does not mean that the Medicine Buddha is not powerful for healing-it just means that it is NOT Reiki and there is no evidence found in the other symbols that connect the Medicine Buddha to Reiki.

Like the others who rated this book poorly, while there is a bibliography, there are no references or cited material that substantiate the writer's claims. (As a former college student, I would pull this stunt when I did not have or take the time to actually research a paper) In addition, the writer is trying to pull so much information in from a variety of sources that I actually found the material hard to follow. (Not to mention her own theories of the way things are that do not even come from Buddhism.) Since taking refuge as a Buddhists years ago, I have come to understand that the Buddhist teachings have a simplicity to them that only (western) human ego can muddle based on our own delusions and fantasy. The ultimate goal of Reiki is simply to develop awareness(enlightenment) and generate compassion so that we can detach from our own suffering, which is the source all illness. And, by the way, that takes more than 21 days.

I was really hoping that this book would be informative and well research, but it wasn't. It was more of an attempt of someone trying to explain Buddhism that has not really practiced Buddhism. We as Reiki practitioners and writers really need to begin substantiating information before publishing it because Reiki is an incredible healing energy. But, unfortunately, because most of the Reiki material is poorly written, it leads many who have not experienced Reiki to believe that it is 'flakey'.

From the perspective of this practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for many years, this book is incredibly accurate. I understand that the Reiki community doesn't appreciate the teachings as it does depart from Reiki teachings.

I am a Reiki master; I was intuitively drawn to study Reiki. With my first and second level attunements from Rev. Fran Brown, one of the 13 Reiki masters empowered by Hawayo Takata, I knew in my heart that this was very much a Tibetan system of healing that had been revealed to Dr. Usui.

The teachings in this book reflect the "terma" tradition of Reiki that was know in Tibet long before Dr. Usui. From that view, the teachings here are most excellent. They take the teachings and lineage back to a previous time, place, and spiritual lineage/practice that is valid.

For those seeking the link between the Medicine Buddha's teachings and Reiki, this book is very accurate with Tibetan Buddist teachings and the sutras.

In the Dark Age prophesied by Buddhist and Hindu traditions, false teachings will multiply exponentially, and the ability of beings to discriminate between gold and compost will atrophy in a frightening manner. This book validates this world view.
Whatever the realtive merits or demerits of Reiki might be, it is abhorrant that anyone would co-opt the profound and sacred teachings from the Tibetan tradition to serve their own ends. Not only is there no historical, scientific or traiditonal basic for any kind of "Reiki" in the Tibetan or Indian Buddhist systems, but trying to validate the Reiki system by association shows a remarkable lack of basic ethical development. It is an incredible insult to millions of Buddhists worldwide.
The kind of delusional associations and frankly bizarre connections that the author tries to make are done without even the least scholarship, and apparently without consultation with any Lamas from any Tibetan tradition. From another tradition, Gurdjieff says that there is no greater demerit than leading others astray, spiritually. Buddhist teachings have even more heavy things to say about spiritual charlatanism.
Why dont you leave Buddhism alone and do your own misguided thing without contaminating and misrepresenting valid systems of cultivation and transformation?