| Lineage in the Reiki community is one of those | | | | order to eventually discover their own primordial |
| tenacious subjects that never really goes away. Many | | | | lineage. |
| Reiki students first hear about their own lineage from | | | | The foremost reason for being part of a Reiki lineage |
| their teacher and, from then on, it can become | | | | is to find our own primordial energy. If a teacher is |
| increasingly relevant to them. | | | | not working with this in mind, but is maybe focussing |
| In many traditions, lineage is used as a kind of | | | | on gaining personal power or influence, then the |
| validation that the practices, methods and teachings | | | | primordial lineage cannot function. When it is |
| taught in the tradition really do stem back to the | | | | functioning correctly it empowers the student and |
| person who first created them. This means that, | | | | teacher together. There is a deepening of self |
| within some of the more competitive corners of our | | | | knowledge for both of them. This is the true wisdom |
| Reiki community, lively "my lineage is shorter than | | | | that the very best Reiki teachers can show us and |
| your lineage" discussions flourish abundantly. There is | | | | help us to work towards. |
| often an unspoken belief lurking quietly beneath this | | | | The relationship between a teacher and student can |
| kind of discussion, that a shorter lineage can make a | | | | last many years. With this in mind, choosing a teacher |
| teaching more relevant, stronger, or even more | | | | is a significant decision. As students, it is important |
| directly transmitted from Mikao Usui although, if we | | | | that we take responsibility for ourselves and our own |
| examine this view rationally, it is impossible to find | | | | practice. This means that it is our role to evaluate |
| any logic or common sense in it. However short their | | | | potential teachers so we can learn how to recognise |
| lineage is, any teacher can make changes to the | | | | those that are in the primordial lineage. This will allow |
| practices they teach. | | | | us to make a wise decision when we choose a |
| Some Reiki students spend a lot of time collecting | | | | teacher. |
| lineages from different teachers by attending lots of | | | | Although many students find it tricky to recognise a |
| different classes, keeping track of their resulting | | | | teacher who is in the primordial lineage, we should |
| personal lineage in a kind of complicated spider's web | | | | remember that this energy is intrinsic to us. It is our |
| or expanded family tree which contains the names of | | | | birthright and the truest part of ourselves. This |
| all the teachers they have worked with. The | | | | means that our recognition can be instinctive and |
| unspoken thought behind this could be based on a | | | | instantaneous. It is never an intellectual thing. We |
| need to feel "well connected" within the Reiki | | | | know deep inside ourselves when things feel right |
| community, or it could express a search for pure | | | | and the primordial lineage is the most right part of us, |
| truth which is, as yet, undiscovered. | | | | flawless and absolute. Nothing can be more right than |
| These are both rather uncomfortable ideas when | | | | that. This is how we can tell whether a teacher is in |
| placed in the context of spiritual practice, so where | | | | the primordial lineage. When our Reiki path feels both |
| does the concept of lineage come from and how | | | | simple and profound it is clear that the teachings are |
| does it really relate to us as Reiki practitioners? | | | | coming from the primordial lineage root. It is useful to |
| In many eastern spiritual schools there are 3 different | | | | understand that this is where our path should be |
| ways of describing lineages and how they function: | | | | heading if we are to make the best progress we can. |
| 1.Transmission Lineage is used to describe the line of | | | | As Reiki teachers the primordial lineage is what we |
| teachers who link current practitioners back to the | | | | should aim to be sharing with the students we have |
| founder of a particular school, such as Mikao Usui in | | | | accepted. We need to constantly work on our own |
| Reiki or Bodhidharma (Daruma – Japanese) in Zen | | | | practices and keep in mind the goal of a personal |
| Buddhism. | | | | state of egoless-ness. If we are going to teach as |
| This kind of lineage validates the practices which are | | | | well as possible we need to know ourselves very |
| currently taught as being directly transmitted in | | | | clearly and honestly. The energy space we are |
| unbroken line from the founder. It can only work | | | | currently able to work in can be misleading. Our mind |
| effectively as long as none of the teachers in the | | | | and ego can be very good at deceiving us. In a mind |
| lineage have changed those original practices. Keeping | | | | that is not free from "self" it could be very easy to |
| practices exactly as they were taught to us is | | | | confuse the energy space we are in with something |
| known as "practising purely". | | | | deeper. Sometimes the best way to make sure we |
| 2.Organisational Lineage is held by the people who are | | | | do not fool ourselves is to take guidance from our |
| senior members of a particular school and therefore | | | | own teachers. It is comforting to remember that the |
| influence what happens within it. | | | | primordial lineage is always within us, as we work |
| This kind of lineage is an administrative tool which | | | | towards finding it. |
| allows decisions to be made and actions to be taken | | | | In many lineages there is an initiation or |
| for and in the community organisation. It functions in | | | | empowerment. In the system of Reiki it is often |
| the same way as a senior management structure in | | | | called an attunement or reiju. Initiations from a |
| businesses. | | | | teacher within a lineage help us to become part of |
| 3.Primordial Lineage is a far deeper and more direct | | | | that lineage. It is important to understand that an |
| form of lineage. It is the most profound connection | | | | initiation is an active process for both the teacher |
| to our own reality that we can find within ourselves. | | | | and the student. |
| It is where we discover our own true enlightened | | | | For the teacher, an effective initiation is always given |
| nature deep inside of us. | | | | from the space of the primordial lineage or, at a bare |
| This kind of lineage is the ultimate answer to those | | | | minimum, with the primordial lineage in mind. If this is |
| "who has the shortest lineage?" competitions. It is | | | | the case, it will trigger an initial experience of |
| not possible to hold a lineage shorter or more direct | | | | primordial energy within the student. |
| than the primordial lineage because it is the thing that | | | | For the student, an effective initiation is received |
| connects us with our original nature in one simple, | | | | with an openness and willingness to accept it in the |
| pure, deeply profound step. It is available to every | | | | intention that we want to practice the system of |
| practitioner and the person who is responsible for it's | | | | Reiki to discover our own primordial energy. |
| cultivation is ourself. Primordial lineage is our heritage | | | | If these two principles are not met the initiation can |
| as living beings. It is the centre of our being, our | | | | only be a pale reflection of a true primordial initiation |
| primordial energy. | | | | with no deep trigger of that energy within the |
| Primordial energy can be described in many different | | | | student. In short, the primordial lineage is always the |
| ways. In some eastern teachings it is described as a | | | | base for any true initiation, empowerment, |
| direct experience of Emptiness. In other traditions it | | | | attunement or reiju. This is relevant to all initiatory |
| is seen as discovering our own inner wisdom and | | | | spiritual practices. |
| knowledge, or the union of wisdom and compassion | | | | The central purpose of the Reiki teacher is to work |
| or wisdom and method. It is the state of being | | | | towards finding the primordial energy or lineage within |
| where we are able to see things as they are without | | | | themselves so that they can become an effective |
| any attachments whatsoever. Here we become part | | | | vehicle for the initiation to flow through. Once they |
| of the lineage of all beings who have discovered this | | | | are working in this lineage they need to be mindful of |
| primordial energy within themselves. It is this | | | | their role, guiding their students constantly towards |
| primordial state that eastern spiritual practitioners are | | | | discovering their own primordial energy. Each student |
| aiming to achieve. | | | | needs to make a commitment to their own practice, |
| As we can see from the definitions above, the | | | | staying in contact with the teacher so that they can |
| primordial lineage is a far more innate kind of lineage | | | | be guided into the right way. Without this guidance, |
| than the transmission and organisational lineages, | | | | the student could quickly become lost in the darkness |
| although both these forms of lineage perform | | | | of dead-ends and side alleys. |
| extremely relevant functions within the community. | | | | As students and teachers, we are given simple tools |
| The primordial lineage differs from them on a | | | | in the system of Reiki that we can use diligently. This |
| fundamental level in that it is central to each one of | | | | ongoing work will help us to move steadily towards |
| us as a human being and therefore as a Reiki | | | | experiencing our own primordial lineage. There is no |
| practitioner. It is the thing that makes us one with all | | | | quick fix option if we really want to deepen our |
| that is and allows us to understand how that works. | | | | practice and delve into the absolute. "Practise, |
| It is our true being, stripped of all the paraphernalia | | | | practise, practise" really does make perfect. |
| that we carry round with us in this life. It is the thing | | | | Perseverance is not exciting but the rewards are. We |
| that would be left if all our baggage was miraculously | | | | can take encouragement from seeing our fellow |
| lifted from our shoulders. It is the diamond at our | | | | students and teachers making headway along the |
| heart that our spiritual practices polish. | | | | path and knowing that our own efforts are helping us |
| The teachings and practices taught in eastern spiritual | | | | to do the same thing. |
| traditions have their origin in this primordial lineage or | | | | Help walking the same way is something good that |
| energy. It is in this space that the teacher finds the | | | | we can share with our fellow practitioners. We all |
| answers to how to teach their students, so that | | | | have the potential to experience our primordial |
| they too can remember their own primordial lineage. | | | | energy if we work at our practices steadily and |
| This primordial energy has an unlimited potential and | | | | patiently. Working with a teacher who is deeply |
| therefore is a vast storeroom of limitless methods. In | | | | connected to the primordial lineage and practising with |
| this space the teacher will understand the uniqueness | | | | people who are doing the same thing as ourselves |
| of each student and therefore be able to teach | | | | are great ways to make sure we don't get lost |
| different methods, practices or ideas to each one, | | | | down those dead-ends or side alleys as we walk |
| depending on their own distinct qualities and abilities. | | | | along the path towards our true heritage: our |
| Seen from this angle, the primordial lineage gives us | | | | primordial lineage. |
| an explanation of why some Reiki practitioners find it | | | | Here's a little bit of that help right now: |
| easier to work with the precepts, others prefer | | | | The next time you are faced with a "my lineage is |
| chanting the mantras, while others finds it easier to | | | | shorter than your lineage" discussion, remember the |
| work with symbols and mantras together. The Reiki | | | | truth of your own primordial lineage – and the |
| teacher's role is to direct their students in such a way | | | | potential primordial lineage of the person who is |
| that they get the most out of the system of Reiki in | | | | facing you. |