Translating The Usui Affirmations (Precepts)

The Usui Affirmations (also known as the precepts, concepts or principles) are the heart of every system of Reiki that is attributed to Mikao Usui. This includes the original Usui-Do, Usui Te-ate, Usui Reiki Ryoho, and all early systems in Japan, and afterwards. As a student grows his/her way through the structure of the system, eventually he/she comes to a deeper understanding of their meaning.
http://threshold.ca/reiki/ The affirmations have been presented in many forms since Takata first taught the core part of them - what is known in Japan as the Gokai - and most have been similar in their wording. But recently, these versions have been found to be a little incomplete and slightly inaccurate. In June, 1996, I taught a Japanese fellow who was in Vancouver learning ESL (English as a second language). Just before leaving Japan he purchased a Reiki book called "Iyashi No Te" (Healing of Hands -- or Healing Hands). The author is Reiki Master Toshitaka Mochizuki, and this is the first modern Reiki book written by a Japanese. He has connections to many Reiki masters in Japan, some of whom have a lineage to another of Usui's students, Toshihiro Eguchi.

In Mochizuki's book (written in Japanese), he had a copy of the original Usui precepts (in Mochizuki's handwriting). With the aid of one of my Japanese students, Emiko Arai, a group of Reiki Masters sat down to decipher this version of the precepts. Dave King also brought his own a copy of the original affirmations, in the handwriting of Mikao Usui. (The original precepts are stored in a private shrine to Usui Sensei somewhere in Tokyo).

Emiko compared the modern day Japanese translation in Mochizuki's book to the copy of the original we had. If you have ever had to decipher someone's handwriting, you know that there are usually some words you have to guess at. It is the same with the handwritten version of the precepts; plus, this style of writing and the Japanese Kanji used, are a bit different from that in use today.

Here is a VERY LITERAL TRANSLATION of the precepts, using a Japanese to English dictionary. Please note that the sentence structure is backward to that normally used in English (i.e. the verb comes first). Also, the first 2 lines are actually heading lines.


Literal Translation

Inviting blessings of the secret method
Many illnesses of the spiritual (heavenly) medicine
Today only anger not
Worry not With appreciation
Do work To people be kind

In morning at night hands held in prayer think in your mind
Chant with mouth

Mind body change it for better Usui Reiki method

Founder
Usui Mikao


Romaji or Japanese Pronunciation


Shou fuku no hiihou
Manbyou no Rei yaku
Kyo dake wa Ikaruna
Shinpai suna Kansha shite
Gyo wo hageme Hito ni shinsetsu ni

Asa yuu gassho shite kokoro ni neji

Kuchi ni tonaeyo

Shin shin kaizen, Usui Reiki Ryoho

Chosso
Usui Mikao