14/08/2025
Non-Duality and the Reiki Precepts
by Frans Stiene
"The precepts are something everyone has as their own nature." - Becoming Yourself by Shunryu Suzuki
When we look at the precepts from a surface level, we just see the text:
Today
Do not anger
Do not worry
Be grateful
Be true to your way and your being
Show compassion to yourself and others
But the precepts point to so much more, the inner level. But to see and experience this we need to go within; else we do not have the ability to really see why Mikao Usui placed these specific precepts in his teachings.
On the inner level, the precepts point to our non-dual nature. We all have this nature.
Let's look at a few examples.
If we look for a particular experience when performing hands-on healing on ourselves or others and we do not feel, sense, or see anything, then we might get worried that we are not good enough. And because we are worried we might get angry with ourselves, with the system of Reiki, or the teacher. This is dual nature. But if we refrain from getting caught up in feeling this or that - duality - then we stay in the wide open state of mind of nonduality. The same thing applies when we are doing a meditation practice.
“That things exist outside of ourselves is a dualistic, primitive, shallow understanding of things.”
- Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness by Shunryu Suzuki
What if we feel the need to protect ourselves during a meditation practice or a hands-on healing session on ourselves or others? First of all, this means we are seeing ourselves and others as something separate - duality. While in essence we are all interconnected already, no self no others - nonduality. When we feel the need for that protection, we operate from the idea of good and bad - duality - while in essence this good and bad within our sessions is just our own mind creating stories. And when we get caught up in these stories, we get angry and worried. We worry and therefore we feel the need to protect ourselves. Therefore the real safety within these practices is about understanding our nondual nature, which is pointed out within the Reiki precepts
"If you remember this point, all the precepts are there. You will not be caught up by a dualistic experience of good or bad, or self or others. We violate the precepts when we attach to some particular experience." Becoming Yourself by Shunryu Suzuki
We can only have compassion for ourselves and others which will not change according to circumstances if we see there is no self, there are no others - nonduality. Else we will always fluctuate between this person is good and deserves our compassion and this person is bad and doesn't deserve our compassion. But good and bad can change rapidly. One moment your friend is super nice to you and you feel so much compassion for them. And the next moment they say something you don't like and you get angry with them - duality. But if we can stay in this wide open state of mind of non-duality, then our compassion doesn't change according to circumstances. It just is, always there.
“This strong conviction to realize your life is beyond "successful" or "not successful." Beyond any feeling of fear, you just do it. That is real practice and that is the way-seeking mind, which goes beyond the dualistic idea of good and bad, right or wrong. You just do it.” - Not Always So by Shunryu Suzuki.
This of course is not just an intellectual understanding; we have to have the direct experience of this. And that is why Mikao Usui placed various meditation practices, mantras, symbols etc. in his system, so that we can have the embodiment of the Reiki precepts in all we do today - nonduality.
“When everything exists within your big mind, all dualistic relationships drop away. There is no distinction between heaven and earth, man and woman, teacher and disciple.” - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
On the inner level we can see that the Reiki precepts are a description and an embodiment of nonduality. This is being Reiki, the embodiment of the great bright light (jp. Dai Kômyô) within us. This is why in Zen they say that the precepts are something everyone has as their own nature.
“While you are continuing this practice, week after week, year after year, your experience will become deeper and deeper, and your experience will cover everything you do in your everyday life. The most important thing is to forget all gaining ideas, all dualistic ideas.” - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
Mikao Usui used the word "today" within his precepts; that means we have to embody the Reiki precepts in our everyday life, not just on a meditation pillow or on a massage table. No; we have to embody the Reiki precepts in every action we do. Today, now, always.
“When you observe the precepts without trying to observe the precepts, that is true observation of the precepts.” Not Always So by Shunryu Suzuki
Thus when we realize our essence, our great bright light, that we are Reiki, there is no distinction between observing the precept or not observing the precepts - duality. We are the Reiki precepts in all we do - nonduality.
"The secret of observing the precepts is to see that the dualistic idea of "to observe or not to observe" takes place within your own mind." - Becoming Yourself by Shunryu Suzuki
And this is why Mikao Usui kept pointing to the mind in the Reiki precepts, within the symbols/mantras and within the meditation practices like joshin kokyu ho (Eng. pure mind with each breath). He wanted us to see that our biggest challenge can be taming the mind. And that is why we practice. Whether we use one tool within the system or Reiki or another, continued practice helps us to tame the mind, our dualistic ideas, and to move step by step toward realizing our nondual nature.
“As long as you are involved in dualistic concepts, it is not possible for you to observe our precepts. The point of practice is to get out of this kind of dualistic concept and fill our being with gratitude.” - Becoming Yourself by Shunryu Suzuki
