For today only:
Do not anger
Do not worry
Be humble
Be honest in your work
Be compassionate to yourself and others
These precepts are the cornerstone of Mikao Usui’s teachings and are guidelines to aid students in their spiritual development journey. The Usui Reiki Ryôhô Gakkai perform Gokai Sansho (chanting of the five precepts three times) at the end of their regular group meetings called kenkyû kai.
The precepts are spiritual teachings rather than religious teachings and students are asked to consider them in their daily actions. They are also a part of the ritualism of the system of Reiki. The words are used to connect Reiki practitioners to certain thoughts in order to help move energy. Without these initial words and their intentions, practitioners would not know where to begin. After much personal work using these precepts, it is possible to tap into their energy without the words themselves. This occurs when the practitioner is totally in the flow of his or her practice.
Recently, it has been asserted that the origins of the five precepts actually date back to 9th-century Japanese Buddhist precepts. The precepts translated above originate from the Usui Reiki Ryôhô Gakkai and may have been developed to suit the Usui Reiki Ryôhô Gakkai’s first members, Japanese naval officers.