Japanese Reiki Glossary

A Bi Ra Un Ken 阿毘羅吽欠

mantra

A sacred Sanskrit mantra used in esoteric Buddhism and some Reiki practices for purification and empowerment.

Amida Nyorai 阿弥陀如来

The Buddha of Infinite Light in Pure Land Buddhism, associated with compassion, wisdom, and infinite life, closely related to the concept of Muryō Ju.

Bonji 梵字

Sanskrit characters used in esoteric Buddhism and some Reiki practices for their spiritual and vibrational significance.

Budō 武道

The martial way: the Japanese tradition of martial arts understood not merely as fighting techniques but as paths of spiritual cultivation, discipline, and the realisation of one’s true nature.

Busshō 仏性

The innate spiritual essence or Buddha Nature within every being, described in the precepts as the centre toward which all practice points.

Byōsen Reikan Hō 病腺霊感法

A Reiki technique for sensing energetic imbalances in the body through intuitive awareness felt as sensations (hibiki) in the hands (byōsen: before illness; reikan: sacred intuition; hō: method).

Chi / Ten / Jin 地・天・人

The three foundational energies of Japanese cosmology (Earth, Heaven, and Humanity) corresponding to the three energy centres in the body: hara, heart, and head.

Chie 智慧

Wisdom or insight, associated with the sun in esoteric teachings and understood as inseparable from compassion (jihi).

CKR

Symbol 1

The first Reiki mantra and symbol, meaning ‘direct spirit’ or ‘true self’, rooted in old Shinto practice and invoking Earth Ki, groundedness, and the honest, direct expression of one’s original nature.

Dainichi Nyorai & Fudō Myōō 大日如来・不動明王

Two important Buddhist deities: Dainichi Nyorai represents the Cosmic Buddha at the centre of esoteric practice, while Fudō Myōō is a wrathful protector deity whose light burns away illusion and obstruction.

Daiseishi Bosatsu 大勢至菩薩

Mahasthamaprapta

The Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom and Vigour, associated with the mantra CKR, one who uses the light of wisdom to awaken Buddha nature in all beings and lead them toward enlightenment.

Denju 伝授

The formal transmission or bestowal of teachings from teacher to student, the act by which lineage, understanding, and spiritual empowerment are passed on in the Japanese esoteric tradition.

DKM

Great Bright Light

The highest symbol and mantra in the Reiki system, representing the spiritual experience of one’s own true nature as luminous, undivided awareness.

Dō 道

The Way: a path of spiritual cultivation and self-development, as seen in Budō, Shugendō, and the broader Japanese understanding that every discipline can be a vehicle for realising one’s true nature.

Engaku 円覚

A Buddhist term meaning perfect or complete awareness, the circle (en) of full enlightenment (kaku), pointing to an awakening that is whole, boundless, and without remainder.

Engi 縁起

The Buddhist principle of dependent origination: that all things arise in relationship to all other things, with nothing existing independently.

Enkaku Chiryō Hō 遠隔治療法

Remote or ‘distant’ healing: a Reiki technique of becoming One with another person so that healing can take place, based on the understanding that separation is illusory (enkaku: distant; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Five Natural Elements 地水火風空

Chi, Sui, Ka, Fū, Kū

The fundamental elements of Japanese philosophy (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void) used to understand the nature of energy and existence.

Funi 不二

Non-duality, literally ‘not two’: the experience that there is no separation between self and other, understood as the spiritual foundation of the Reiki system.

Gakkai 学会

A society, association, or formal learning group, as in the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai, the original organisation founded by Usui Mikao to teach and preserve his system.

Gasshō 合掌

The gesture of placing both palms together used to centre the mind, set intent, and give thanks at the beginning and end of every practice, itself a living symbol of duality becoming One.

Gasshō Kokyū Hō 合掌呼吸法

A breathing meditation performed with hands in the gasshō position, used to concentrate and refine energy while unifying breath, body, and mind (gasshō: palms together; kokyū: breath; hō: method).

Go Shimbō 護身法

A Mikkyo Buddhist purification ritual meaning ‘Dharma for Protecting the Body’, one of the first esoteric rituals a practitioner undertakes, understood as the root of the reiju in the system of Reiki, helping the practitioner embody the armour of Dainichi Nyorai.

Gokai 五戒

The five precepts (go: five; kai: precepts/guidelines), the foundational ethical and spiritual instructions of the system of Reiki: do not anger, do not worry, be grateful, practise diligently, show compassion to yourself and others.

Gokai no Shō 五戒の唱

The recitation or written form of the five precepts: the act of giving voice to the precepts as a daily spiritual practice, understood to cultivate pure and healthy minds when performed morning and evening.

Gokai Sansho 五戒三唱

The practice of chanting the five precepts three times, a Buddhist tradition used in the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai at the close of each gathering, three being considered a sacred and complete number.

Goriki 五力

The five spiritual powers (faith, energy, memory, meditation, and wisdom) said to be activated and blessed through the reiju transmission.

Gyō o hageme 業をはけめ

The fourth precept, ‘practise diligently’, an instruction to commit to sustained daily spiritual work as the path of self-mastery and inner transformation.

Gyōsei 御製

The 125 waka poems written by the Meiji Emperor and used by Usui Mikao as a tool for contemplation and energy development within the system of Reiki.

Gyōshi Hō 凝視法

A healing technique using the gaze: energy is sent from the eyes with soft, defocused attention and intent to an area of the body (gyōshi: to stare or focus the eyes; hō: method).

Hadō Meisō Hō 波動瞑想法

A Reiki vibrational meditation technique using the ‘haa’ breath and hand movements to bring the practitioner into a deep state of meditation and energetic connection (hadō: wave/vibration; meisō: meditation; hō: method).

Hanshin Koketsu Hō 半身交血法

A traditional Reiki technique for half-body blood cleansing, using sweeping hand movements along the spine to stimulate circulation and rebalance energy (hanshin: half body; koketsu: blood exchange; hō: method).

Hara 腹

The primary energy centre located three finger-widths below the navel, where one’s original life energy is stored and from which groundedness, strength, and connection to Earth Ki arise.

Hasshōdō 八正道

The Eightfold Path: the Buddhist framework of right views, thoughts, speech, action, living, effort, mindfulness, and meditation, reflected in the mantra HSZSN.

Hatsurei Hō 発霊法

A Reiki meditation method for generating greater amounts of spiritual energy, traditionally incorporating the precepts and the Emperor’s waka poems (hatsu: to generate; rei: spirit; hō: method).

Heso Chiryō Hō 臍治療法

A healing technique placing one hand over the navel and one at the back, working on the umbilical connection, the bond with mother, and the kidney energy point (heso: navel; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Hibiki 響き

Resonance or energetic sensation: the feelings of heat, cold, tingling, or pulsating experienced in the hands during Byōsen Reikan Hō, indicating areas of imbalance.

Hikkei 必携

Reiki Ryōhō Hikkei

The manual or handbook given to members of the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai, containing the precepts, waka, hand position guidelines, and the teachings of Usui Mikao, one of two booklets issued to members alongside the Shiori.

Hito ni shinsetsu ni 人に親切に

The fifth and final precept, ‘show compassion to yourself and others’, understood as the natural flowering of practice once anger and worry have been released and the true self is revealed.

HSZSN

Symbol 3

The third Reiki mantra and symbol, meaning ‘right consciousness is the origin of everything’, used to invoke the awareness of Oneness and connection with all things, dissolving the illusion of separation.

Ikaru-na 怒るな

The first precept, ‘do not anger’, with anger understood as an illusion that obscures one’s true nature and disturbs the free flow of Ki.

In / Yō 陰・陽

The Japanese equivalents of Yin and Yang: Earth energy (receptive, feminine, moon) and Heaven energy (active, masculine, sun), the dual forces that must be brought into balance within body and mind.

Jihi 慈悲

Compassion or loving-kindness toward self and others, associated with the moon in esoteric teachings and embodied in the final precept.

Jiko-jishin 自己自身

The true self: the authentic nature that lies beneath accumulated layers of anger, worry, and conditioning, pointed to by the precept ‘be true to your way and your being.’

Jōshin Kokyū Hō 浄心呼吸法

A foundational Reiki breathing meditation meaning ‘focusing the mind with breath,’ used to clear the meridians and build energy in the hara (jōshin: focusing the mind; kokyū: breath; hō: method).

Jumon 呪文

The spoken mantra component of the Reiki symbols, chanted to help the practitioner embody the associated energy rather than to convey any external power.

Kami 神

Divine spirits or phenomena in Shinto belief, representing various aspects of nature and existence.

Kanji 漢字

The Chinese-derived characters used in written Japanese: each kanji carries multiple layers of meaning and is used throughout the system of Reiki in the shirushi (symbols), precepts, and technique names.

Kansha shite 感謝して

The third precept, ‘be grateful’, understood as the energetic antidote to worry, and a quality that naturally arises as practice deepens and the heart opens.

Katsu 活

A resuscitation or revitalisation technique used in traditional Japanese healing and martial arts, a sharp cry or physical intervention used to restore vital energy and consciousness when someone has fainted or been stunned.

Kenkyū-kai 研究会

A research association or study group, used in the names of several Reiki lineage organisations, such as the Hayashi Reiki Kenkyū-kai, denoting a community gathered around shared inquiry and practice.

Kenyoku Hō 乾浴法

A cleansing technique known as ‘dry bathing,’ used to purify and clear the energy field before meditation or healing practice.

Ketsueki Kōkan Hō 血液交換法

Blood exchange or blood cleansing method: the collective name for spinal sweeping techniques (including Hanshin and Zenshin Koketsu Hō) used to stimulate circulation and rebalance the body’s energy.

Ki 気

The animating life force energy that flows through all living things, which the precepts help to keep clear and freely flowing.

Kiriku キリク

Sanskrit: Hrī

The Sanskrit seed syllable (bīja) of Amitabha Buddha and Kannon Bodhisattva, used in esoteric Buddhist practice as a sonic embodiment of compassion and the capacity for enlightenment.

Kōki Hō 呼気法

A healing technique in which Ki is directed through the breath: energy is drawn in through the nose to the hara and then exhaled intentionally through an ‘O’-shaped mouth to a specific area of the body (kōki: breathing Ki; hō: method).

Kokoro 心

The Japanese concept of ‘heart-mind,’ representing the unified seat of emotions, spirit, and thought.

Kokyū 呼吸

Breath or respiration: the vehicle for moving Ki through the body in practice, and the living embodiment of the precept’s instruction to stay in the present moment.

Kotodama 言霊

The Japanese belief in the spiritual power of words, where spoken sounds carry vibrational energy that can influence the physical world and human experience.

Kū 空

The concept of emptiness or void in Buddhist philosophy, representing the ultimate nature of reality beyond form and non-form, both the fifth natural element and the ground of non-duality.

Kurama-yama 鞍馬山

The sacred mountain north of Kyoto where Usui Mikao undertook 21 days of fasting and austerity, attaining enlightenment and the realisation of Reiki Ryōhō, a mountain long regarded as a seat of spiritual power.

Kyō dake wa 今日丈けは

The opening phrase of the precepts, ‘for today only’, grounding practice firmly in present-moment awareness rather than past regret or future anxiety.

Ma 間

The Japanese concept of negative space, pause, or interval, the meaningful emptiness between things, reflecting the understanding that stillness, silence, and space are as alive and purposeful as form and sound.

Mikkyō 密教

Esoteric Buddhist teachings encompassing three traditions: Tōmitsu (pure Shingon), Taimitsu (Tendai), and Zōmitsu (Shugen), all of which inform the deeper layers of the Reiki system.

Misogi 禊

A Shinto purification ritual, traditionally involving water, used to cleanse the body, mind, and spirit of impurity and restore one’s natural connection to the sacred.

Mono no aware 物の哀れ

A Japanese aesthetic and philosophical sensibility meaning ‘the pathos of things’, a gentle, bittersweet awareness of impermanence that opens the heart to the beauty and transience of life.

Mujō 無常

Impermanence: the Buddhist recognition that all phenomena are transient and constantly changing, foundational to releasing attachment and opening to one’s true nature.

Muryō Ju 無量寿

Amitāyus

Infinite or boundless life: one of the two aspects of Amida (alongside Muryō Kō, infinite light), representing the inexhaustible life force that underlies all existence and is invoked in Pure Land and esoteric healing practice.

Nadete Chiryō Hō 撫でて治療法

A healing technique using long, intentional stroking movements along the meridians and organs of the body to clear and balance energy (nadete: stroking with the hands; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Naikan 内観

Inner looking or self-reflection: a Japanese contemplative practice of honest self-examination, directly reflected in the precept to be true to one’s way and being.

Nentatsu Hō 念達法

A Reiki meditation technique specifically focused on working with the precepts at a deep energetic level, used to send intent and transform habitual patterns of thought and feeling.

Okuden 奥伝

Level II: Hidden or Inner Teachings

The second level of the system of Reiki, in which students discover their hidden inner qualities through working with three mantras and symbols, deepening Earth, Heaven, and Heart Ki, and developing the capacity for professional healing practice.

Oshite Chiryō Hō 押して治療法

A healing technique using gentle, intentional pressing of the hands on specific areas of the body to encourage the flow of Ki and address energetic stagnation (oshite: pressing with the hands; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Reiha 霊波

Wave of rei or spiritual wave: the tingling, electrical sensation felt in the hands during practice, described by Tomita Kaiji as the hallmark of spiritual energy becoming active and palpable in the body.

Reiji Hō 霊示法

A Reiki technique meaning ‘being guided by spirit,’ in which the hands are allowed to move intuitively to the areas of the body most in need of treatment (rei: spirit; ji: show; hō: method).

Reiju 霊授

The sacred spiritual blessing or transmission offered by a teacher to a student to help reconnect them to their original nature, ideally performed from a state of non-duality with no giver, receiver, or gift.

Reijutsu 霊術

Spiritual healing art: a broad Japanese term for practices working with spiritual energy for healing, predating the formal system of Reiki and encompassing a wide range of energy-based therapeutic traditions.

Reinetsu 霊熱

Spiritual heat: the warmth felt in the hands and body during Reiki practice, understood as a manifestation of spiritual energy flowing actively through the practitioner.

Ryōhō Shishin 療法指針

The Healing Method Guideline: Hayashi Chujiro’s manual of hand positions for specific conditions, compiled at Usui Mikao’s request and preserved as a foundational reference for hands-on healing practice.

Saibō Kassei Kokyū Hō 細胞活性呼吸法

A Reiki breathing technique for cellular activation: using breath and visualisation to bring revitalising energy into every cell of the body (saibō: cells; kassei: activate/enliven; kokyū: breath; hō: method).

San Mitsu 三密

The Three Mysteries or Triple Secrets of Shingon esoteric Buddhism: the union of mantra (speech), mudra (body/action), and mandala (mind), understood as the path by which the practitioner embodies the Cosmic Buddha.

Seiheki Chiryō Hō 性癖治療法

A Reiki technique using the SHK symbol and mantra to address mental and emotional patterns, habits, and imbalances at the level of the Heaven Ki energy centre (seiheki: habit of the mind; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Seishin Toitsu 精神統一

A Reiki meditation meaning ‘unified mind’, to unite spirit and mind into one, reflecting the integrated state that sustained practice of the precepts aims toward (seishin: spirit/mind; toitsu: to unify).

Seiza 正座

The traditional Japanese formal sitting posture, kneeling with the feet tucked under, used in Reiki practice as a posture of stillness, centring, and receptive attention; also means simply ‘to sit still.’

Sekizui Jōka Ibuki Hō 脊髄浄化息吹法

A Reiki technique for cleansing the spinal cord with breath, based on the Japanese belief that the spine records karma, rebalancing it through visualisation and the hado breath (sekizui: spinal cord; jōka: purification; ibuki: breath; hō: method).

Sensei 先生

Teacher or master, literally ‘one who has gone before’, a title of deep respect given to those whose experience, wisdom, and embodiment of the teachings make them guides on the path.

Shihan 師範

Master teacher or instructor: a title denoting a high level of skill and authorisation to transmit teachings, used in Japanese martial arts and spiritual traditions including the system of Reiki at the Shinpiden level.

Shingon 真言

A form of Japanese esoteric Vajrayana Buddhism founded by Kūkai, meaning ‘True Word,’ based on the union of mantra, mudra, and mandala (San Mitsu) and centred on Dainichi Nyorai as the Cosmic Buddha.

Shinpai su na 心配すな

The second precept, ‘do not worry’, with worry described as a distraction that scatters the mind, lowers energy, and obstructs the flow of Ki.

Shinpiden 神秘伝

Level III: Mystery Teachings

The third and deepest level of the system of Reiki, focused on personal spiritual development, the mysteries of existence, and learning to perform reiju, a lifelong practice of becoming the Great Bright Light.

Shintō 神道

Way of the Gods

Japan’s indigenous spiritual tradition: a reverence for kami (divine spirits) present in nature, ancestors, and sacred places, whose concepts of purification, direct spirit, and the unity of all things permeate the system of Reiki.

Shiori 栞

A small supplementary booklet issued to members of the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai alongside the Hikkei, containing additional guidance and teachings for members of the society.

Shirushi 印

The Reiki symbols: visual forms used alongside their jumon (mantras) as training tools to help the practitioner embody specific qualities of energy, not as sources of power in themselves.

SHK

Symbol 2

The second Reiki mantra and symbol, meaning ‘habit of the mind’ or ‘one’s natural tendency’, invoking Heaven Ki, the energy of harmony, mental and emotional clearing, intuition, and spiritual connection.

Shoden 初伝

Level I: Beginner Teachings

The first level of the system of Reiki, introducing the precepts, foundational meditations, and hands-on healing, the beginning of the path of self-discovery and energetic awareness.

Shūchū Reiki 集中霊気

A concentrated Reiki technique in which several practitioners work simultaneously on one person, with the intensity of combined energy allowing for a shorter but powerful treatment (shūchū: concentrated; rei: spiritual; ki: energy).

Shugendō 修験道

A Japanese mountain-based tradition blending Daoism, Shinto, and Buddhism, focused on developing inner power (siddhi) through prolonged physical and spiritual discipline in nature.

Shugyō 修行

Austere self-mastery through committed, sustained practice of body, mind, and spirit, reflected in the precept gyō o hageme: ‘practise diligently.’

Shūyō-kai 修養会

A spiritual cultivation gathering or training meeting: a regular assembly of practitioners who come together to receive reiju, practise techniques, chant the precepts, and support one another’s ongoing development.

Sun and Moon 日・月

Symbolic representations of complementary energies in Japanese spirituality, the sun representing wisdom (chie) and the moon representing compassion (jihi), together comprising the Myō kanji at the heart of DKM.

Sun Mudra (Nichirin-in) 日輪印

A hand gesture or seal, formed by touching the tips of the thumbs and index fingers to create a triangle, associated with Dainichi Nyorai and used in the reiju ritual at the student’s third eye.

Tanden 丹田

Ka Tanden 下丹田 / Chū Tanden 中丹田 / Shō Tanden 上丹田

The three energy centres or diamonds of the body: Earth (hara/below navel), Heart (centre of chest), and Heaven (forehead), whose alignment and connection form the energetic backbone of the Reiki system.

Tanden Chiryō Hō 丹田治療法

A purifying Reiki technique placing one hand on the hara and one on the forehead, then bringing the hand down to join the hara, reconnecting conscious awareness with original nature and clearing the body of accumulated energy (tanden: energy centre below navel; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Teate 手当

Hand healing or hand treatment: a fundamental Japanese concept of healing through touch, from which the system of Reiki draws its most essential and ancient expression: that the laying on of hands can relieve suffering and restore vitality.

Tendai 天台

A major school of Japanese Buddhism founded by Saichō, based on the Lotus Sutra and Vajrayana teachings, whose esoteric branch (Taimitsu) and cosmology of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity deeply inform the system of Reiki.

Tengu 天狗

Supernatural mountain beings of Japanese folklore (part human, part bird) associated with martial arts mastery and Shugendō, particularly connected with Kurama-yama where they are said to have imparted spiritual and martial wisdom.

Tenohira 手のひら

The palm of the hand: the primary vehicle of healing energy in the system of Reiki, understood as the place where Ki is most concentrated and radiated during hands-on treatment.

Uchite Chiryō Hō 打って治療法

A healing technique using rhythmic patting of the hands on the body (with palm, back of hand, side of hand, or fingers) to encourage the flow of Ki through the organs and meridians (uchite: patting with the hand; chiryō: treatment; hō: method).

Usui Reiki Ryōhō 臼井靈氣療法

The healing method founded by Usui Mikao, literally ‘Usui Spiritual Energy Healing Method’, a system for improving mind and body described by its founder as ‘the secret method to invite happiness and the spiritual medicine for all illness.’

Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai 臼井靈氣療法學會

The Society of the Usui Spiritual Energy Healing Method: the original organisation founded by Usui Mikao in Tokyo in 1922, which continues in Japan today and is considered the most direct custodian of his teachings.

Waka 和歌

Traditional Japanese short poems of 31 syllables used by Usui Mikao as a meditative tool for self-development, contemplation, and energy cultivation within the system of Reiki.

Yamabushi 山伏

The ascetic mountain practitioners of Shugendō, literally ‘one who lies in the mountains’, who undergo prolonged retreats in wilderness settings to forge inner power through physical and spiritual discipline.

Zaike 在家

A lay priest or householder priest: one who follows a dedicated spiritual and religious path while living in the world, rather than residing in a monastery; the path followed by Usui Mikao as a Tendai Buddhist practitioner.

Zazen Shikan Taza 坐禅只管打坐

Zen seated meditation, literally ‘just sitting’, the practice of sitting completely absorbed in pure, objectless awareness without striving for any goal, considered in Soto Zen to be the direct expression of enlightenment itself.

Zenshin Koketsu Hō 全身交血法

A traditional Reiki technique for whole-body blood cleansing, combining a full treatment with sweeping hand movements along the entire spine to stimulate energy flow and restore systemic balance (zenshin: whole body; koketsu: blood exchange; hō: method).

Zuiin 随印

Following the seal or following the mudra: a practice of harmonising one’s body, speech, and mind with the sacred gesture being performed, so that the inner and outer dimensions of the ritual become unified.