THE FIVE PRECEPTS OF REIKI
JUST FOR TODAY, DO NOT WORRY
JUST FOR TODAY, DO NOT ANGER
JUST FOR TODAY, RESPECT ALL LIFE
JUST FOR TODAY, WORK HONESTLY
JUST FOR TODAY, BE GRATEFUL
​
Mikao Usui taught these precepts to his students. The intention of these statements is for general guidance toward a harmonious life. He also requested that his students meditate every morning and evening. This would imply that Usui originally intended 'Usui Do' or the “Way of Usui” - now known as Reiki - to be a vehicle of spiritual transformation for his students.
Living by these principles will help bring about peaceful living, kindness, inner calm and the attitude of gratitude. The precepts are there to remind us not to get caught up in ego-based emotions such as fear, anger and worry. ‘Just for today’ is a phrase to remind us of the present. When we begin to live in the present moment, we free ourselves from our conditioning, desires and fears. This could be defined as living a spiritual life.
If we are to consider emotions as relevant to time, we look at things this way: if the thoughts are fearful and anxious, then those thoughts are of the future. We worry about things which may happen in the future. If the thoughts are angry, then the mind is in the past. We get angry about things that have happened in the past, or just happened which is still the past.
Many people spend their whole lives worrying about tomorrow whilst neglecting life here and now. Many people spend their lives being angry about the past and blaming it for their present state of unhappiness. Yesterday is but a memory, tomorrow never comes, all of our lives are lived here, now, each moment is now, the present moment is all we ever have. Yesterday and tomorrow are just thoughts in the mind; the mind creates time.
When we learn to just drop all the baggage we carry, something wonderful begins to happen. We create space in our mind to experience something new. We become synchronised with life, serendipity occurs, good things happen and life becomes an effortless adventure lived in the now.
We go into greater detail about these subjects and we discuss how to embody these teachings in everyday life within the Reiki One manual. '