To all Reiki Masters.
What makes you a Reiki Master? I am confused. Is training all you need?
My definition of master is a teacher, a master teacher, much like a professor only more so. This is my definition only. I see so many people pay large sums of money to become Reiki Masters and that troubles me, as the criteria seems, to me, to be if you can aford the course, then you can be a Reiki Master. A master in other disciplines takes years, but Mastership in Reiki can take less than 12 months. What makes a person a Master?
From my understanding Dr. Usuie chrged nothing and taught no-one.

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Good question.

Student - wants to know the way
Guide - shows you the way
Teacher - shows you how to get there
Master - has been there

NB "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man (master) is king"

Last edited: 12-12-2006 02:03:31 PM

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When I became attuned to Reiki, the lady who attuned me had this same discussion with me and that she too is troubled by the fact that people pay all this money to become a master, when infact they arnt really a master, they have just paid for the name. She agrees with you (and so do I) that ultimately it does take a long time to become a master, in between attunements you have to practice the levels of Reiki given to you and 'master' each level before you are ready to move onto the next step.

Its like anything really, you cant just buy a degree (well you can from some places but that doesnt teach you anthing does it? And would probably get you no where) and expect to be able to apply this degree to your work without having actually taken the course, studied, taken the exams and been awarded the level for which you deserve.

In my opinion this shows that some Holistic Therapies are becoming commercialised and some people are not taking them as seriously as they should be taken. But it seems there is nothing any of us can do about it - a little frustrating dont ya think?

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I don't think there is nothing that can be done. For good or bad, I call a spade a spade, which in Aussie talk means straight talking. The main thing I have a problem with is you can become a 'master' inside 12 months, and then, promote yourself as a master. When I see anyone promoting themselves as a Reiki Master, my first question is, 'how much did they pay to become this master'
And then as Leanne says, in Reiki a person becomes attuned. I think becoming 'attuned' is rubbish, and the reason, you don't get 'attuned' by paying money to someone who paid money to get attuned, who paid money to get attuned etc..etc..
Leanne, thats what I do when I see questionable things, I question them, thats what can be done. It may not be all that PC, and I'm sure there are genuine people out there doing all sorts of 'healing', including Reiki, but to those here who actually describe themselves as 'Reiki Masters', I believe you belittle Reiki and Natural Healing by calling yourself a MASTER, even Dr. Usuie didn't call himself a master.
A Reiki Master is someone who paid $4000 to be attuned by someone who paid.....etc..etc...rubbish

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One thing that I question is whether there really is an energy that is specifically Reiki which is different to other energies.

In his great series of articles called "Shopping for Spirit" Steve Gamble writes:

"We all originate from the one same source and therefore we are all connected to, attuned with and aligned to everything that is. If we were not then we would not be here, we would be dead. We are all part of the whole and we all evolve from the one source. We have just forgotten that’s all. We are everything and everything is us. Do we really believe Nature has separate pockets of energies labelled Reiki, Tera Mai, Karuna, Seichem, Sekhem, or even Uncle Tom Cobley and All? Nature just is. Everything just is. We just are. We are a part of everything, yet we are also everything at the same time. We are merely a holographic image of the whole of existence. When a hologram is broken each piece contains a picture of the whole and just as each cell of our body contains the blueprint of the whole body, so too do we contain the blueprint of the whole universe, just like the hologram. So how can we not be attuned, aligned and connected with everything that is when we hold its entire blueprint within us? Why should we pay hundreds of pounds and in some cases thousands of pounds to be attuned to something we are all already attuned to? Is it not then, more likely that Man and his ego has created these labels to make us feel inadequate and to deceive us and to encourage us to look in the wrong place for spirituality and truth? Or could it not be to make others feel superior and then make money out of teaching or attuning others into the ‘correct’ form of healing? Or both?"

Full article at http://www.equilibra.uk.com/shop1.shtml

Last edited: 13-12-2006 11:12:38 AM

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WOW, what a great article. I guess I'll never be an author, he says it so well.
Thanks so much Andy.

Last edited: 13-12-2006 11:23:28 AM

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Hi,
Actually anyone can self attune if they know the method.There is no difference in the energy between paying money or not.Also there is no difference in the energy, Reiki is only a system for working with the universal energy.The method of attuning most work with in the west is totally unnecessary, there are far simpler methods which are also quicker.
L&L
Dave

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I have yet to come across anyone who has paid $4000 to become a reiki master!!

'To master' simply means 'to become skilled or proficient in the use of' or 'to gain a thorough understanding of'. In reiki, this is what it is - it doesn't mean someone who stands on a pedestal over & above others.

A 'reiki master' is someone who has spent a long time in level 1 practising on themselves, before moving to level 2 & practising on others for at least a year. Many reiki practitioners do not even take the master level.

I am a 'master' and teach reiki. Someone here has said that it's a load of rubbish & is just like any other healing modality. Well...judging by many experiences that my 'pupils' have had during attunement, I wouldn't agree with that at all. Something metaphysical definitely happens during attunement. IMO.

Also...unfortunately...in this day & age of litigation, one has to have some kind of certification to be able to get insurance to heal!! Sad but true.

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Just because someone claims to be certified in something or an expert in their field doesn't always mean that they have a firm grasp on their field. I meet people everyday who are certified in this or that, yet they don't know or practice the basics of their expertise. It's quite common for people to pay for a certification or a title. Hey, I'm a hypnotherapist with initials after my name. I paid for the course and was tested before obtaining my certification, but I don't claim to be a total expert on the subject. With me, hypnotherapy is an extension of my mediumship work. Also, I know others who have taken their hypnotherapy certifications yet don't quite understand how it all works. They're just doing what they were told. Go figure.

Peace,
Dawn

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What I have 'gone figured', Dawn, is that you are going to give alternate therapy a very bad reputation if you carry on in this vein!

Pax.

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Why is that, Helen? Because I've spoken the truth? I attend metaphysical events on a regular basis all over the place and it's the same wherever I go. Don't get me wrong, there are wonderful people who are brilliant at their work, but there are many more who don't really have a clue and are ego-based in nature. I'm just being honest.

Peace,
Dawn

PS: Blind faith never solved any problems nor started any movements. Pretension is a thing of the past.

Last edited: 18-08-2007 12:35:45 PM

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Well Helen, perhaps you should enquire in Australia. It is very common to pay that sort of money to 'be attuned' to master status.
Dawn, I agree, there are many people out there, who have all sorts of qualifications, yet 'know' very little about what they actually do..

Last edited: 18-08-2007 03:41:04 PM

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Dawn - are you certificated in your mediumship work? And if so, by whom exactly?

I personally have a big problem with 'mediumship', but out of courtesy do not challenge those who believe they are 'mediums' as they appear, like yourself, to sincerely believe that they are communicating with the spirits of the dead.

Jon - I've just converted your $4000 Australian into GBP to find that it's about £1600. I don't know of anyone who charges that here! I'm not sure if you mean that cost to attune just to master level, or you include all three attunements. Suffice to say that personally I charge £400 ($995?) to include all three over a long period of time, and that is fairly average.

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I don't need to be certified in my mediumship work because I've always had this gift, ever since I was a child. Hey, I can communicate with the spirit world. It's just something that I was born with and apparently destined to do. I'm very open about it and integrity is everything when it comes to my work.

Hmmm.....for someone who has a "big problem with mediumship", you seem to have no problem promoting it on your website. You sell items such as pendulems for divining and you promote spirit communication via the links on your site - even (gasp) animal communication. If you have such a big problem with communicating with spirit, why even promote it at all? Gee, I'm sensing a conflict in your words.

Also, it's common in the States to charge $2,000+ for a certification as a Reiki master. It's one of the biggest certifications going around these days. Everyone I meet is a Reiki master. Hey, I'm not knocking it because energy work is totally valid.

By the way, when I witness any type of therapy, whether it be Reiki or hypnotherapy, I also see healing spirits come in and work on the individual. It's quite amazing and I always ask the client if they want me to relate what I have seen in spirit. Everyone has always said "yes" and they've also been able to verify the identities of the loved ones in spirit who came in to aid in their session. It's all quite amazing!

Peace,
Dawn

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The two links on my site are reciprocal ones that I made years ago, when I was trying to promote it. (You have done me a favour actually, as I've just discovered that the lady owner of one of these sites has died, & the site is down! So that is just one link I have to 'spirit communication' - and she links to mine!)

Perhaps, although speaking the same language, we belong to different cultures & understand different things by 'mediumship'. I understand a medium to be a sort of go-between who facilitates communication from those who have passed to those who are still here on this earth plane. Is that your definition?

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Helen, there are other places beside United Kingdom, perhaps if you were to enquire of Reiki in Australia you might just find what I say to be accurate. BTW, how come you actually charge people to 'attune' them? Dr Usui didn't charge anything.

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Jon - I'm not challenging your assertion! I'm simply saying that this kind of money is not normally charged here in the UK! I know GB is not the only country in the world, but it's the one that I live in.

I am finding members here are quite aggressive. I don't know if I'll be staying around very long.

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Perhaps you should stay around Helen and open your mind a little bit more !!

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Hi Everyone,
Seems tempers are getting frayed over differences of opinion of which we as individuals are all entitled to without judgement.
To get back to the original question from Jon regarding what makes a Reiki master. A little research would have saved a lot of offense to all. http://www.reikialliance.com/eng_about.html
I believe originally the Reiki Alliance who started the original Reiki body in the USA, put a price tag of $1000 to get a Reiki Mastership.This lasted for as long as it took for someone's conscience to tell them that this had caused eliteism and that Reiki should be shared with the world. People then decided to share it with others at a much reduced price and eventually for free by some.Unfortunately(or not maybe)the original system as taught by the Reiki Alliance was altered as other people put their input into energy work.We have now reached a point where some who claim to be Reiki masters are not actually using or teaching the Reiki system. Reiki has become synonymous with energy work to a point where people use the name even when they don't fit the description as it is a selling point. It's now difficult to tell what we are getting in a treatment. Now I'm not knocking the bastardization of the Reiki forms by some as although they are not strictly Reiki, they still work and have purpose. In fact some of the methods developed are more efficient and have allowed the spread of energy healing.
L&L
Dave

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David,

Thank you for your post. I agree with your thoughts and input on this. Unfortunately, it seems as though many credible methods of metaphysical therapy have been taken advantage of by individuals who are unscrupulous and ego-based. As in all occupations, this was bound to happen in the modern age as it happened hundreds of years ago. The only thing we can really do is to keep our integrity and go with our instincts in keeping with the greater good.

Helen,

I really don't want to argue with you about anything. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I will mention, however, that fact is fact - there is no opinion involved in fact. Not all who are certified are on the up-and-up and anyone can make up a new method or therapy to be certified in. Also, any type of divination is considered a form of mediumship (pendulem, dowsing, tarot, etc.). Yes, there is energy work involved, but most use these tools for spirit communication (for verification or otherwise). I am a spirit medium. I don't know what else to tell you. I see them, hear them, feel them. They've given me great advice and my true Spirit Guides are always right, even when I don't want them to be. I use this gift to give back to people. I charge for 50 % of my services and I also give 50 % of my time toward free services. I'm doing my best to stay on the lighted path and I'm sure that my Guides will let me know if I go astray (as they have before).

I wish you all Love and Light in everything that you do.

Peace,
Dawn

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