I Will Do My Work Honestly

On the surface, the fourth precept seems to be about doing an honest day's work and we can take that to mean several things: Putting our best effort into each and every task, paid or unpaid, and treating those whom we encounter in the course of performing those tasks with integrity and respect. Sound advice to be sure when we consider the benefits to our self-esteem and the resulting healthy relationships that will flow from doing so.

Given that Usui's original intention was that Reiki be a spiritual path, I'd be willing to bet he had something else in mind with this precept.  My guess is that we are being instructed to put some effort each day into working on that spiritual growth by setting aside some time to self treat, meditate on the precepts and what they mean to us, and meditate simply for its own sake, since that was and is a big part of Buddhist practice and we know that Usui was a Tendai Buddhist. 

But where does the "honestly" fit into working on our spiritual path?  Since many of us find it difficult to to squeeze yet another demand into our already crowded days, it might mean that we need to take a look at our need to be so busy.  Are we afraid to face what might surface if we slow down and get quiet?  Anger, perhaps, or worry?  Feeling less-than?  The Chinese pictogram for "busy" also means "heart-killing" - and we can take that literally knowing what we do about the effect of stress on our body, as well as figuratively when we consider the effect of being disconnected from our inner self and not taking time to properly rest and rejuvenate. 

Being overly focused on spiritual growth and development can serve the same purpose, though, by distracting us from what is really going on inside and giving us another way to numb out and/or feel "superior-to".

Incorporating the precepts into our daily lives and using them to guide our thoughts and actions doesn't mean that we beat ourselves up when we fall short - and it's almost inevitable that we will.  It takes courage to honestly face those shadow aspects of ourselves and bring them into the light, where we can hold them tenderly and allow them to heal.  Keeping them hidden only allows them to grow bigger, more menacing and more destructive to ourselves and others.

For anyone wishing to explore this theme even further, I highly recommend reading "Radical Acceptance - Embracing Your Life With The Heart Of A Buddha" by Tara Brach, Ph.D.

Namaste,
Janet