Ask and you shall receive . . . more replies

Thanks again to Scott K. for asking the question that has sparked so much discussion. Here it is again, followed by the latest replies:

The other week I watched the secret and learned about the law of attraction for the first time. I was wondering what the opinion of the Reiki community is on the law of attraction. My understanding from the movie is that as long as you focus your attention on something, and it does not matter if it is in a positive way or negative way, that something will come your way. If this is true then focusing on the precepts will bring one more anger and worry.

Our first reply this week is from Frans and Bronwen Stiene, authors of The Reiki Sourcebook, The Japanese Art of Reiki, The A-Z of Reiki, The Reiki Techniques Card Deck and Your Reiki Treatment:

Hi Scott,

Unfortunately the Secret misses the point. First of all it is all about material possessions. What happens when that brand new car we wished for and got gets a dent - then we get very upset and angry!

In turn, the precepts are about our spiritual path. Remember they are precepts not affirmations. Many people confuse these two very different teachings.

Definition of precept (on-line dictionary): A rule or principle prescribing a particular course of action or conduct.
Definition of affirmation (on-line dictionary): Something declared to be true; a positive statement or judgment.

You wrote: and it does not matter if it is in a positive way or negative way, that something will come your way. If this is true then focusing on the precepts will bring one more anger and worry.

We are not saying in the precepts "I want more anger and worry". The precepts are about "do not worry" and "do not anger" so according to your statement you will get "no worry" and "no anger" - isn't that wonderful?

Intent is the initial, directed thought that flickers across your mind - often before you are even consciously aware that you have begun the thinking process. This directed thought sets a process in motion. It stimulates your energy to trigger an action. The action might be picking up a tea cup, talking to someone or beginning a personal healing process. As an often unconscious act, intent can be vague and unclear or misdirected due to pre-set judgements and understandings that have accumulated during one’s life time. This can weaken one’s intent and the resulting process. To work consciously with your intent and to train your intent to work for you is a part of your personal healing practice. The more you consciously you work with intent, the less often you will revert to unconscious patterns. The deeper we go into our own spiritual practice the clearer our intent becomes.

One other very important aspect is that if you consciously intend something you want, you are required to actively follow it though with the right actions. Say, for example, we want more clients for our Reiki practice,. If we just set our intent to make this happen and that's it - then we can wait till we are old and gray, not a lot is going to happen. But, if we set the intent and follow through with the natural motivation inspired by intent, we begin to make plans and perhaps start making flyer's and handing them out - actively being involved in our intent. Your intent has stimulated your actions and the result will be more clients.

For more information about intent please read these related articles:
http://www.reiki.net.au/news.asp?id=144
http://www.reiki.net.au/copy.asp?id=FAQ2008#April2208

Hope this helps.
Frans and Bronwen Stiene
http://www.reiki.net.au/

Thanks, Frans and Bronwen.

By the way, Frans will be in New York City in October to teach a Shinpiden (Master/Teacher level) class, followed by a One-Day Advanced Workshop, sponsored by The Reiki Digest and The Reiki Dojo.

Next, Jean Bromage, Reiki Master/Teacher and proprietor of Dancing Light Candles:

Scott's question is very interesting for me this week and I thank him for bringing it up. Several days ago something happened that stirred up more anger for me than I had experienced in quite a long time. It wasn't the kind of anger over silly annoyances that I can just shake off with a few minutes of Reiki and a few repetitions of the precepts. No matter how much Reiki I gave myself, repeating "Just for Today Do Not Anger", and no matter how much I pictured myself in a sphere of peaceful light, it wouldn't go away. However, when I was able to, I did some yoga stretches and felt the physical aspect of my anger start to dissipate a bit. I then lay down on my mat and put my hands over my navel and the Reiki energy began to enter my emotional body more deeply. When I got up 20 minutes later, I felt ten times lighter. By the end of the day I was laughing and back to my happy go lucky self.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we are human which means having very real emotional bodies and the more we honor our that, the easier it becomes to transform the negative emotions no matter how deep the anger, worry or sadness may be. I think that is what this Reiki precept is about. It's allowing room for our human nature which sometimes includes anger, but if we are compassionate with ourselves and work with where we are at "Just for Today" (not yesterday or tomorrow) the anger won't fester and grow into something more destructive. As Katherine Simonton mentions, we don’t “bear” our anger, but it is simply an experience that passes and we aren’t attached to it. What a great conversation to have on the Reiki Digest and I hope more people share their thoughts.

Thanks Scott!
Namaste,
Jean Bromage, Reiki Master, owner of Dancing Light Candles

Thanks, Jean!

For our previous discussion on this topic, see here and here.

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