Distance Initiations in Shingon Reiki

Can an initiation work across distance? For many people that sounds like a strange question at first. If you already practice Reiki, though, you probably know distance Reiki, where energy follows intention and not physical proximity. If that works for a treatment, the obvious question is why it shouldn't work for an initiation.

In this article I'll explain why distance transmission isn't a modern invention and how online initiations relate to live events in person.

Why distance is no obstacle 遠隔

In Reiki there's the symbol for distance, Hon Sha Ze Shō Nen 本者是正念. I translate it as "The true nature is right mindfulness." It's used to bridge space and time.

The principle behind it is much older. In esoteric Buddhism there's kaji 加持, the connection between the power of the Buddha and the practitioner, and it works through the three mysteries of body, speech and mind. Kaji isn't tied to physical presence. Put simply, what matters is the connection, and not how many kilometers lie in between.

That doesn't mean an online initiation is exactly the same as a live event. It has its own quality, but it isn't less.

The tradition behind it 伝統

In Japan, rituals for people who aren't present are nothing unusual. Kaji kitō 加持祈祷, prayer rituals with mantra and mudra, have been performed in Shingon temples for well over a thousand years, very often for people who live far away and simply send in their request. Goma fire rituals at Kōyasan or in other temples, for example, are regularly performed for people who aren't there in person.

In early Japanese Reiki, distance work was part of the practice as well. Among the techniques of the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai is enkaku chiryō hō 遠隔治療法, the "method of distance treatment."

What the internet adds isn't the ability to transmit across distance, which has always been there. It adds the possibility of seeing each other, speaking with each other and practicing together at the same time. My English live events, for example, take place in real time on Google Meet with a small group, and you join from home.

What people experience 体験

Experiences in an online initiation are just as individual as in person. Some people feel strong warmth in their hands or their whole body, some see colors or images, and some experience a deep silence. Others notice little at first and only become aware of a change in the following days. All of this is normal, and none of it is better or worse than the other.

Many people are surprised that an online initiation can feel very intense. Without the trip, the group and unfamiliar surroundings, you're entirely with yourself.

Online and live 両方

For me, online and live events aren't in competition. They're two forms of the same practice. Some people start online because they're curious, because there's no live event near them, or because they prefer the protected setting at home. Others come to a live event first and continue online.

What a live event in person adds is the presence of the group. When people practice together in one room, a field arises that carries each individual. That isn't better than the experience at home, it's different, a bit like the difference between a solo instrument and an orchestra. Both are music. Which setting would suit you better at the moment?