NEWSFRONT
INTERVIEW WIH LAMA NGAWANG RIGDZIN – 14-20 JULY, 2008
HEALING WITH
UNIVERSAL ENERGY
‘The efficacy of this method of treatment was
also verified
in the present day and age in the labs in the
Reiki is
mentioned in the ancient Buddhist annals – in the Sat Dharma Pundarik Sutra
(Lotus Sutra), where it is mentioned that the energy of Bhaisaijya Raj Guru
(Medicine Buddha), which is universal, can be used for healing purposes. The
efficacy of this treatment has stood the test of time and is widely practiced
today. Here, NEWSFRONT introduces LAMA NGAWANG RIGDZIN, the only Lama Grand
Master in Reiki till date, who lives in
WHAT IS REIKI?
It is a Japanese
word that means universal energy. Rei means universal and Ki means energy or
power, and is the same as Prana in Sanskrit. The spiritual practice and the
healing part – the two sides to it, work together to heal one, physically,
mentally and spiritually.
Today, even
though science is highly advanced, due to lack of spiritual practice people are
plagued by pollution of minds and their mental suffering is increasing. They
are not happy despite the material and technological advancement, and it shows
the importance of a spiritual training and practice of some kind in everybody’s
life. Reiki is one such practice, where one heals oneself first, becomes
balanced and then starts healing others, sharing one’s knowledge and skill.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LEARN THIS ART OF HEALING?
I always
believed in divine healing power, and I was in search of such a method. During
the search, I stumbled upon this way of healing by hand, and was drawn to it
immediately. I learned about Reiki in 1996 from Dr. Vikasananda, and began
practicing it. I did the Master’s Degree course after being inspired to teach
through requests of students, who asked me to teach them when I was living in a
Gomba in Solokhumbu. I received the Master’s Degree from Guru Satyananda (Dr. S
K Saini) from
WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND REIKI?
There is a
Sadhana, a meditation process that a Reiki practitioner has to follow, whereby
the healer draws in the healing power that exists in the universe, and then
transfers it to the person who is to be healed. According to Reiki, the loss of
life power in a person brings about disruption in the person’s health, and
restoring it brings back the vital energy.
Reiki is a
simple healing process. First one takes initiation from one’s guru and through
one’s study and practice one takes the learning process forward. The more one
practices, the better one’s ability to heal gets.
There are four
levels of Reiki: the basic course where one teaches healing by touching; the
advanced course where one heals without touching, called distance healing. The
third level is for teaching and the fourth is Grand Master, the degree that
produces Reiki Masters.
There are
different ways Reiki can be practiced. One way is to heal by touching a person,
and another is distance healing where the healer focuses on a person at a
distance and passes on the energy.
CAN YOU RECOUNT
EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCES OF HEALING?
There are many
but the one that I can recall immediately is the case of a man who had several
stones in his kidneys and he already had a
date for his operation. Having heard of Reiki, he decided to
try it and agreed to take on the treatment
course of 21 days prescribed for him. After three days of the treatment he
began to feel much better, and after 21 days when he went back to the doctor it
was found that the stones had disappeared completely and there was no need for
the operation.
The man did come
back to check with me if the stones really had disappeared for good, was it a
miracle and whether he was really free of his ailment. I reassured him that he
indeed was fine now, as the medical reports showed him to be.
In another case,
a doctor suffering from a kidney cyst happened to hear about a similar
successful treatment through Reiki and sought our help. He too was cured. Yet
another case was that of a person suffering from a rare type of cancer, who was
given only two months to live. With Reiki, he has been surviving well for the
past four years and we still keep in touch.
Other minor
ailments such as headaches and stomach aches get cured easily. We have healed
many cases of diabetes also. Except for cases of broken bones and advanced
stages of cancer, we have seen remarkable, successful results in many ailments.
Even patients suffering from terminal cancer have been helped by Reiki by
lessening their pain; and we have seen that those seriously ill who have
received Reiki in their last stages passed away peacefully. The transition
appeared to be easier for them.
HOW DOES HEALING
OTHERS AFFECT THE HEALER?
If one’s
practice is strong, one is not affected, but if it is not, then dealing with
stronger negative energy does reflect on the healer. But it does not mean that
healing always has that effect. As in any other field, if one does not abide by
the basic principles and follow the rules, there are bound to be negative
consequences.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN
OF REIKI?
The source of
this teaching goes back to Bhaisajya Buddha. Since it is a system tapping into
the all-pervasive universal healing power or energy, people over the centuries
had been using it using their own methods and giving it different names.
Gradually it disappeared at one point of time. Dr. Mikao Usui was the modern
day pioneer from
Dr. Mikao Usui
was a follower of Tendai Buddhism, a Buddhist school where the major text is
the Lotus Sutra. Dr. Mikao received inspiration from this and had his own
vision on Mount Kurama when he was doing the 21 days retreat, and that is how
Reiki was reborn. The Tendai Buddhist system had various systems of energy
healing, and Dr. Mikao developed Reiki from that root. Thus it can be said that
the origin of Reiki lies in the Buddhist system, although energy healing
systems are found in other religious systems also.
The efficacy of
this method of treatment was also verified in the present day and age in the
labs in the
SOME DETAILS OF
YOUR WORK?
I am also
founder of a