Mikao Usui's Gokai - five principles

Usui sensei’s gokai, or five principles, are often forgotten or placed into the background of Reiki teaching. However, in Usui and Hayashi sensei’s days, these five simple lines were deeply revered and those who practised Reiki did their best to live life according to the simple wisdom within them.

As a reminder, the lines are:

Kyo dake wa Just for today

Ikaruna Do not be angry

Shinpai suna Do not worry

Kanshashite Be grateful

Gyo-o-hagame Do your duties

Hito ni shinsetsu ni Be kind to others

They are simple, but there is such depth within them if only we can sit and feel it. Each one can relate to so much of how we can best live if we want to be in harmony with all around us. These six simple lines hold valuable wisdom that is helpful for us all today as we navigate stormy waters wherever we are.

In Women in Reiki (pg 197) we write a little about how the gokai was seen and used in Usui and Hayashi's days. We also talk about what living the gokai means for each of us.

In this blog series we will follow the qualities we found in these women’s stories, and how the gokai can be applied to each one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlwTyubfXRY

Listen to the Gokai in Japanese spoken by Mari Okazaki, one of the women from today in our book Women in Reiki.