how do you know?

(just wanted to pose another question to your answer, hehe)

that was obvious wasn't it?

It was to me. How about you?

Shakti ~ Rising wrote:and I wonder what Pamela Miles' view of sign language is??...

I was reading Pamela's blog today
and this is one of her reflection
thoughts on "Reiki is not a word"

Reiki in the Name of Jesus seems particularly timely as we approach year-end. Although I was deliberately being a little provocative in order to get people thinking, the controversy sparked by Reiki Is Not a Word surprised me. What I wanted to underline is that there is much nuance related to Reiki that does not easily translate from Japanese culture to American understanding, and that it is worth making the effort to recognize some fundamental differences between the two cultures are. I'm not so sure that's the point that came across, but I'm always happy when people of diverse perspectives engage in respectful debate.

hmmm...... firstly.....that first sentence means nothing!

Reiki in the name of Jesus seems particularly timely as we approach the year end...

what has that got to do with anything?? ( I;m not having a go at you Solas but at Pamelas statement)

Its common knowledge that the celebration of the Winter Solstice was overtaken and hijacked by the heads of the Christian church who altered the date slightly and turned this time of year into the farce that has come to represent the birth of Jesus....

Most biblical scholars would agree that the historical Jesus wasn't even born at this time of year....

I'm sorry I've lost the point I didn't see far beyond that first sentence!! ahahahahahaah

chi_solas wrote:
I was reading Pamela's blog today
and this is one of her reflection
thoughts on "Reiki is not a word"

Reiki in the Name of Jesus seems particularly timely as we approach year-end. Although I was deliberately being a little provocative in order to get people thinking, the controversy sparked by Reiki Is Not a Word surprised me. What I wanted to underline is that there is much nuance related to Reiki that does not easily translate from Japanese culture to American understanding, and that it is worth making the effort to recognize some fundamental differences between the two cultures are. I'm not so sure that's the point that came across, but I'm always happy when people of diverse perspectives engage in respectful debate.

Frankly, Miles' claim as to Japanese culture and linguistics seems either disingenuous or naive. Her statements are the sort of things that would be said by armchair practitioners ooohing and aaahing over the "exotic" features of another culture they'd seen on rather shallow exposure. The Japanese language has no words? Nonsense.

Bruce

Shakti ~ Rising wrote:hmmm...... firstly.....that first sentence means nothing!

Reiki in the name of Jesus seems particularly timely as we approach the year end...

what has that got to do with anything?? ( I;m not having a go at you Solas but at Pamelas statement)

Its common knowledge that the celebration of the Winter Solstice was overtaken and hijacked by the heads of the Christian church who altered the date slightly and turned this time of year into the farce that has come to represent the birth of Jesus....

Most biblical scholars would agree that the historical Jesus wasn't even born at this time of year....

I'm sorry I've lost the point I didn't see far beyond that first sentence!! ahahahahahaah

Sorry about that. She had written
both articles at the same time.

now I'm really confuzzled!! ahahah.... but I agree with Bruce's last sentiments...

Shakti ~ Rising"...now I'm really confuzzled!! ahahah.... but I agree with Bruce's last sentiments...

It seems to me that she was trying
to get folks thinking about Japanese/Western
cultures interpreting Reiki. The loss that
happens when translating Usui's original
teachings. I can see that her choice of words
lead to more confusion.



Here she is reflecting on what she has said in a previous blog

Although I was deliberately being a little provocative in order to get people thinking, the controversy sparked by Reiki Is Not a Word surprised me. What I wanted to underline is that there is much nuance related to Reiki that does not easily translate from Japanese culture to American understanding, and that it is worth making the effort to recognize some fundamental differences between the two cultures are. I'm not so sure that's the point that came across, but I'm always happy when people of diverse perspectives engage in respectful debate.

Trying to get folks to think, applaud that! Even being a little provacative! Hehe, like that also!

Right/wrong, left/right, up/down, whatever. If it get's folks thinking about life, existence, etc, the practitioner serves the purpose, imo. Even if it's an emotive subject. Subjects that cause emotion, can cause more focus (at times).

i'm going off-topic here, but i know when i've been in deep debate. I always will go back & reread, for many weeks, all that has been said. This is cause, in the heat of any provactive chat, i may lose some important info another has taught me. In the cold light of re-study, days or weeks later, i have saw more readily what's been said.

So yeah, good on her, i mightn't agree with what she said, but heck, i don't agree with myself one week to the next, hehe.

It's healthy to always be prepared to change ones mind!

and thanks Bridget.....it doesn;t take much for me to lose the plot on message boards..

Shakti ~ Rising wrote:

it doesn;t take much for me to lose the plot on message boards..

well you've come to the right place then, you're like myself to most of the others, hehe!

i've made you look like a mad-woman for quoting you outta context! I know you'll see the funny side!

And this brings me to my most deeply held belief about Reiki.

Reiki found me as I was in 2004: Western, vaguely Christian with an interest in spirituality/spiritualism and other religions and cultures: middle-aged, ill, rock chick and all that that brings with it. Yet it still found me.

I am convinced that we do not need to try and get back to how Usui taught, what he taught, where he got it from, in order to be a Reiki practitioner. I am not Japanese, nor do I live at the turn of the last century, nor am I a man. As such, much of Usui's original teachings can not relate to me. However, Reiki - the healing gift - is entirely relevant to every being on the planet. "Reiki on" are the two easiest and most profound words I know.

Of course, as a teacher, it's nice to know and have an appreciation for the original Japanese cultural aspects, but they are not mine, and I don't see why they should become mine just because I am practising an energy therapy. I am on my own spiritual path which Reiki facilitates. My practise is different to Vijay's, for example: he has the Indian flavour to his Reiki, and I have a Western flavour to mine. And that's wonderful because we can all learn from that! Reiki enhances what we already have. We should not be prepared to ditch what we have because of Reiki, but to more fully embrace who we are. Reiki helps us do that. (see Colin's poem)

I suppose what I'm saying is not to mourn the loss in translation and culture, but to embrace it and configure Reiki for our culture.

Pandora wrote:And this brings me to my most deeply held belief about Reiki.

Reiki found me as I was in 2004: Western, vaguely Christian with an interest in spirituality/spiritualism and other religions and cultures: middle-aged, ill, rock chick and all that that brings with it. Yet it still found me.

I am convinced that we do not need to try and get back to how Usui taught, what he taught, where he got it from, in order to be a Reiki practitioner. I am not Japanese, nor do I live at the turn of the last century, nor am I a man. As such, much of Usui's original teachings can not relate to me. However, Reiki - the healing gift - is entirely relevant to every being on the planet. "Reiki on" are the two easiest and most profound words I know.

Of course, as a teacher, it's nice to know and have an appreciation for the original Japanese cultural aspects, but they are not mine, and I don't see why they should become mine just because I am practising an energy therapy. I am on my own spiritual path which Reiki facilitates. My practise is different to Vijay's, for example: he has the Indian flavour to his Reiki, and I have a Western flavour to mine. And that's wonderful because we can all learn from that! Reiki enhances what we already have. We should not be prepared to ditch what we have because of Reiki, but to more fully embrace who we are. Reiki helps us do that. (see Colin's poem)

I suppose what I'm saying is not to mourn the loss in translation and culture, but to embrace it and configure Reiki for our culture.

Everyone's culture starts with the basic's of Usui's Reiki system.
If we look at how Takata taught even if we don't agree with her
methods, she did seem to teach with an individualized style. I know
that each time I work with a client the Reiki session is not the same
as the client before nor will it be the same as the clients to follow.
I still follow a routine of the hand positions but its the client that
directs their energy to where their blockage may be or to keep the
blockage from occurring depending on what place in life the client is.

"Reiki on" and "embracing who we are" sounds good to me.

Pandora wrote:
I am convinced that we do not need to try and get back to how Usui taught, what he taught, where he got it from, in order to be a Reiki practitioner.

Of course Chris, as we're all Reiki practitioners already, hehe, .

Pandora wrote:
I am not Japanese, nor do I live at the turn of the last century, nor am I a man. As such, much of Usui's original teachings can not relate to me.

Yet you do use Japanese phrases to describe it, an initiation based on esoteric Japanese spiritual practices, symbols from within Japanese spirituality & language?

that's a bit of a weird thing to say, about Usui sensei being a man. what's that got to do with anything?

Notwithstanding, surely one must first know Usui sensei's original teachings, before they can decide whether they relate to themselves, ro not?

chi_solas wrote:
If we look at how Takata taught even if we don't agree with her
methods, she did seem to teach with an individualized style.

What methods do 'we' not agree with?

Take care
Wayne