Learn to Recite the Reiki Gokai Principles in Japanese and English

In the Japanese system of Reiki there are five main elements of focus. The Reiki gokai, or principles, are one of them and a very important one at that. The founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui, created them in conjunction with daily self practice. Gokai means Five Principles. Usui Sensei said it himself, “Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer. Pray these words to your heart and chant these words with your mouth.”

I personally say the gokai in Japanese all the time; in the morning before meditation, during the day when I feel I need a boost, at night with my son as a bedtime ritual – they aren’t exclusive to just my Reiki practice. I teach them as a main component of the system of Reiki in all my classes and I encourage my students to keep up with the recitation of them afterwards.

Just think about this for a minute: Can you imagine what the world would be like if every day a majority of people were reminding themselves “Just for today, do not get angry”… we would live in a very different world, don’t you think? I’m not proposing some sort of evangelism here… just a gentle awareness… why not give them a try yourself and see what happens? Commit for a week to reciting them and then share what you notice.