Reiki for the eyes means Reiki that focuses on the eyes and the area of the forehead. Anyone who has ever put their hands over their closed eyes after a long day at the screen knows the feeling: warmth, darkness, and the tension slowly easing. In this article I'd like to show you what the eyes mean in the Japanese tradition and why the Medicine Buddha Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来 plays a special role here.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the eyes are seen as the window of the liver, and the liver meridian is connected with the eyes. Put simply, from this point of view tired eyes are not only a matter of screen work but also of the flow of energy in the whole body.

Mark Hosak in Gasshō practice in front of several thangkas · silent gathering
Mark · Gasshō in front of the thangkas

The eyes in the Japanese tradition 眼 · Me

In Japan there is a saying, me wa kokoro no kagami 目は心の鏡, "the eyes are the mirror of the heart". The word kokoro means heart, mind and soul at the same time. So when you look into someone's eyes, you meet more than their face.

You find this attitude in many areas of Japanese culture. In martial arts there is the term metsuke 目付, the right way of looking. A swordsman doesn't fix his eyes on the opponent's blade, but looks in a way that lets him take in everything at once. In Zen meditation the eyes are half open, and the gaze rests softly on the floor in front of you.

And then there is the round Daruma 達磨 figure that you find all over Japan. When you make a wish, you paint in one eye, and the second eye only when the wish has come true. Here the eyes stand for intention and determination.

眼
Gan or me 眼 means eye. In Buddhism the character appears in terms such as tengen 天眼, the "heavenly eye" of supernatural perception, and egen 慧眼, the "eye of wisdom". Buddhism speaks of five eyes (jap.: gogen 五眼), from the eye of flesh to the eye of the Buddha, so seeing has several levels.

Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha and the light 薬師如来

In the Shingon tradition there is one figure who is closely connected with light and seeing: Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来, the Medicine Buddha. His full name is Yakushi Rurikō Nyorai, the "Medicine Master of Lapis Lazuli Light". In Japan he is usually shown holding a medicine jar, and according to the sutra his light shines into the darkness, including the darkness within.

In Japan many people have traditionally prayed to Yakushi Nyorai for their eyes, and there are temples that are known especially for this. In this tradition physical seeing and inner seeing belong together.

I have a personal connection to the Medicine Buddha. When I walked the 88 temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage, I recited his mantra in the heat with sore feet, and my professor in Kyoto once gave me a statue of the Medicine Buddha as a present. In Shingon Reiki his Siddham syllable (Bonji in Japanese), his mantra and his mudra are part of the practice. You can read more about him in the article on the Medicine Buddha.

Mark Hosak working with Eileen in front of a Kannon statue · silent Reiki practice
Mark and Eileen in front of Kannon

Laying hands on the eyes 手当て

The basic idea is very simple: you rest your palms lightly over the closed eyes, without pressing, and let Reiki flow. The Japanese word teate 手当て, literally "putting on the hands", is still the everyday word for first aid and treatment in Japan.

From the point of view of TCM, the eyes are connected with the course of the liver meridian, which runs from the foot along the inside of the legs and through the trunk up to the eyes. Many practitioners describe that they feel relaxation not only in the eyes but also in other parts of the body. The body is a connected whole.

In the Shingon tradition the forehead, the area of the sixth chakra, is also connected with a Siddham syllable and with inner seeing. In Shingon Reiki the work with the eyes therefore goes beyond the body. The details belong in the practice itself. Eye Reiki is also available as an online path (in German).

Byōsen, what the hands feel at the eyes 病腺

In Reiki there is the term byōsen 病腺, the ability to notice ahead of time where something is out of balance. When you lay your hands over someone's eyes, you may feel warmth, coolness, pulsing, tingling or a fine pulling sensation. This perception becomes finer with regular practice.

Many practitioners find that byōsen is particularly clear around the eyes, because the area is sensitive and the skin is thin. The feeling in the hand, hibiki 響き, which rings and vibrates like a bell, is often described there as a fine pulsing that slowly calms down. In my view this perception is not a mysterious gift, but a natural ability that everyone carries and that only needs to be uncovered again. You'll find more about it in the article on hibiki and byōsen.

Dr. Mark Hosak resting one hand gently on Eileen's face · Reiki at the eyes and forehead
Reiki at the face · hand at the eyes and forehead

If you'd like to learn more about the energy centers, the article on chakras and Reiki explains the connection with the five elements and the Siddham. Have you ever noticed what your eyes tell you about how you are doing?

The eyes as gate

Discover Shingon Reiki

Reiki for the eyes is only one of many practices that, in Shingon Reiki, are linked to the depth of the Japanese tradition. Find out which entry point fits you.

Your path into Shingon Reiki Chakras & Reiki