Reiki
What is Reiki?
Derivation of the Name and Related Terms
Reiki: Japanese, kanji rendering 霊気 or hirigana rendering レイキ, IPA pronounciation /ˈreɪkiː/
Usually one uses hirigana for "foreign" words. The example of the word reiki is a bit ironic given that reiki originated in Japan, flourished in the West, and then came back into common usage in Japanese as a "foreign" word, as it usually gets rendered in hirigana.
"Reiki" is often translated as "unseen/hidden energy/life-force". In Japanese, the word "reiki" is often used generically. Mikao Usui's Method of Reiki Healing specifically can be calledUsui reiki shiki ryoho, also known as Usui-do or Usui-no-michi ("the Way of Usui").
The Practice of Reiki
Universal Energy
Reiki Practitioner Levels
Level I Shoden
Level II Okuden
Level III Shinpiden ("Master")
Traditional Reiki Symbols and Jumon
The reiki symbols (shirushi in Japanese) can be seen as a form of ritual symbolism with an associated phrase (jumon, "spell" or "incantation", sometimes called shingon, "mantra"), used to increase reiki energy, or modify it to treat particular ailments or disorders. In Western reiki the jumon is commonly used as the symbol's name.
There is some debate among reiki practitioners as to whether the symbols should be shown to the uninitiated, as they were considered sacred if not secret many early masters. Even within reiki the symbols are generally not taught to first level initiates (shoden). Second level initiates (okuden) and higher usually learn the first three. Some further symbols are reserved for use by the master/teacher (shinpiden) during initiation/attunement. With the advent of the World Wide Web the secrecy of the symbols has become a rather moot point, as they can easily be found with a [Google Image Search].
Cho Ku Rei
Sei He Ki
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Non-traditional or Debated Symbols
Dai Ko Mio
Tibetan Fire Serpent
Linguistic Analysis of the Symbols
The symbols, in an English context, can be thought of as "Joycean", in that they often contain condensed Kanji (partially overlapped), Shinto symbolism, or even shorthand Sanskrit, where some elements have been taken off in order to give a specific energy connotation - not unlike James Joyce's portmanteau words in Roman characters, like "electrickery" (electricity/trickery).