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I’m Tony Olliver, Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Healer & Facilitator at the ReikiWorld Academy in Hampshire UK. We run regular Reiki Courses at all levels, that are popular with men and women from all walks of life. www.reikiworld.biz
Reiki anthology - Upholding the first Reiki Precept (Anger).
‘‘if we are to consider ourselves as authentic practitioners and teachers of Reiki, then we must put to one side, the notional risk of following a pathway of duality’’….Tony Olliver.
It is possibly easier said than done and upon contemplation, how many of us can reliably say that we got through today without being a little irritated against our work colleagues, partners, friends or even strangers who we just came to pass.
How many of us today became angry because a somewhat inconsequential situation did not develop in the way that we had hoped and the subsequent impact resulted in a measurable amount of personal negative emotion?
How many of us would wilfully avoid a particular person or situation tomorrow, because we believe that the prospect of facing these circumstances would inescapably lead to a perceived and inflamed negative reaction within ourselves?
Think about it for a moment; the last time you got stuck in a traffic jam or that call you made to the telephone company, where you were put on hold for what appeared to be time without end.
Some other widely held annoyances to mention include the missing item on the shopping list that was discovered only after you left the shop, and the mobile android that simply does not work in the way that the instruction says it should. The list goes on and on and I have no doubt that you could add a further dozen scenarios at least to the list.
Now that we have well-thought-out how these perceived irritants can have such an emotional impact on us personally, can we now have the courage to remind ourselves of how our potential annoyance toward a variety of circumstances is also likely to create upset within the people who have our negative attention.
As Reiki Teachers, practitioners and students alike, we self-assuredly subscribe to the five Reiki precepts to a greater or lesser mark. We accept and agree in attitude, that the practicing and teaching of the Reiki precepts in our daily living is not only an essential condition attached to our evolving and lifelong commitment to Reiki, it is also the pathway that invariably leads us to a position which can make a positive difference not only to ourselves, but also to every living person, animal and situation that we meet every day and in every context.
Each precept represents a massive undertaking for each and every one of us, and if we now turn our focus to the first precept in a more introspective manner, we acknowledge that we must vehemently practice this, because we are accountable not only to our students and clients, but we are also answerable to our forefathers who laid the foundations for our rites of passage to the world of Reiki.
Even more conspicuous is that we should be held to account as individuals and if we are to consider ourselves as authentic practitioners and teachers of Reiki, then we must put to one side, the notional risk of following a pathway of duality. In as much as we face the likelihood of supporting the first precept, at the same time we consciously or sub-consciously lead our lives along a theoretically different pathway.
Conversely and as I suggested at the beginning of this article, the practice of the first precept is perhaps easier said than done. In fact, it does appear more thought-provoking in our western society more than ever, especially in the light of knowing that various authorities have positively tolerated the expression of anger in some form. And without being seemingly selective with the knowledge that I have to hand, one psychologist has suggested that repressed anger could build up to an unhealthy point where it could negatively influence our wellbeing if it is not expressed in some way.
The welcoming and to a certain extent, exonerating piece of information that we can take comfort from surrounds the human quality that we all share, and after all is said and done, that quality is human fallibility so called.
Human imperfection is imbedded in all of us and as much as we may try, we can only do our utmost in our attempt to pull off perfectionism; to do good things to others and always. I am referring here to the first Reiki precept of course and the need to safeguard our wits in the face of potential anger.
We risk the likelihood of violating the first precept every single day and as Reiki professionals, I would like to propose one option that stands out amongst other possibilities, that serve to remind us that finding a way out of would be inner conflict is easier said than done.
We can of course ignore the dilemma altogether, or we can feel shamefaced about our misgivings after that.
On the other hand, we have the ability to recognise that even though we are unswerving on the road that requires us to give of our best and all that we have to make a positive difference in our life-long Reiki journey, we also have the capacity to recognise our short comings and consequently, we can learn from our experiences.
The bigger picture that is surfacing in this article surrounds our personal need for self-acceptance; that we can never get it right all of time. It means that when we look introspectively at so called perfectionism, we know in our hearts that this is not down-to-earth.
Reiki is an incredible journey of positive experiences that embraces a wealth of lifelong learning skills for self and for others. My personal journey has uncovered a host of personal characteristics within me, some of which are made of strength and some obscured in vulnerability.
Then again, I like one and all have embraced the journey and accept that I continue to make mistakes along the way. Imperfection, vulnerability or call it what you will; the truth remains that I also accept and continue to aspire to the first precept ‘do not anger ‘.
I know in my heart and head that anger is potentially never far away in any one of numerous guises. I sometimes fail and fall by the way. But then again I get up and try and try again, knowing that the key to ‘do not anger ‘ is not only found in the skill to accept my shortcomings but it is found in the need to throwaway the theory of perfectionism. My acceptance of potential duality along the line that separates anger no longer holds the same emotional impact that it once did. I hope you feel the same.
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