Universal Key to Happiness

Keys come in various forms and can unlock many				each room looking for anyone or anything that
things. When a key is not available to unlock a				could help me. Through the window at the end of
door a call is usually made to someone with a				the hall I saw my solution. Some men were
spare key, a locksmith, or auto club. But what if				loading tools into their truck. I was on the second
the lock is on something else?				floor so for them to hear me I had to open the
What about those locks you create? Have you				window, but the window was locked. Unlike the
ever found yourself reacting in a negative way to				doors the window key was part of the lock, but
something or someone, but not understanding				the builders of the institution had incorporated
why you reacted that way? Logically there is no				another quirk. The windows would only open
reason for you to be upset, but nevertheless				about six inches. I knelt on the floor, pushed open
your adversity is very real. With everything in life				the window and called out to the men that I was
you are given the option of believing or not				locked in and needed their help to get out.
believing, and when it comes to beliefs it is you				There I was in a building still housing some people
that creates the lock. You might believe others				with serious mental challenges, calling out through
are accountable for some of your reactions, but				the bottom of a window to strangers that I
being locked into a certain belief is your own				wanted them to help me get out. It took me a
creation. A universal key to unlock all those				while to understand why the men just stood and
self-created locks is a handy thing to have. The				looked up at me. I again relied on Usui Reiki to
importance of universal energy providing a key				give me the balance I needed to calmly explain
was confirmed for me in a mental health				that I was employee who had left my keys on
institution.				my desk. What I was doing in the unused portion
I was employed in a financial office in a building				of the building I did not even attempt to explain.
that was built in 1840 as a mental health institute.				Finally one of the men was standing on the other
As the number of patients at the asylum's peak				side of the door to the stairwell. The relief I felt
grew to 1,800, additions were built onto the				at seeing another person on the other side of the
original stone structure creating a maze of halls				door quickly faded as the man shook his head and
and rooms. By the later part of the 1990s				yelled through the glass that the door was also
medicine and public awareness had reduced the				locked from that side. At that point the only
number of patients to less then 100, leaving				chance I could see of not spending the night in a
countless deserted rooms and hallways. A walking				cold dark haunted building with no food, nothing to
meditation during the workday does much more				drink and no place to sleep was the stranger on
for relaxation and awareness then trekking to a				the other side of that door. In what must have
vending machine. Those wide halls with Victorian				sounded like a desperate voice I asked him to go
style moldings added to the fascination of the				to the office where I worked and ask one of my
claim that it was haunted by mentally disturbed				co-workers to come unlock the door. His first
patients who had died there.				reply was that he did not know how to get to
Exploring the abandoned hallways or the tunnels				that office, but when I could no longer hold back
under the building during my breaks reenergized				tears he said he would find the office.
my mind and body. The more I learned about the				I stood and then sat by the door to the wide hall
institution/asylum/hospital, the more I became				waiting for someone to show up with a key. I had
entranced with things such as the patient's				been so focused on finding a door a way back to
paintings and poetry on the tunnel walls. The last				my office that I had not noticed the chill in that
line in one poem read "But what good is				part of the building. Sitting on the floor I began
Knowledge where others carry the keys . . ." I did				shivering.
not see any ghosts, but one day I found a bat				The shivering was a side effect of a locked door.
locked in a long deserted physiatrist's office. I				The door and lock were both matter, but what
trapped the bat in a metal wash basket and then				about forms of energy such as thought? Though
saw what I dubbed as a bat's freedom sky dance				can also be a lock or a key. Have you ever had
when I released him or her outside.				words or a talent just flow in one situation, but
I had been given a key that would unlock all of				later that talent seemed locked out of your reach.
the interior doors, so many a lunch hour I would				Have you ever heard someone say how beautiful
spend exploring the past that was etched in the				something or someone is, but beauty is not what
walls. I was so locked in to absorbing as much				you see when you look. Each person's reality is
architectural beauty of the institution as possible				based on his or her personal experiences. The
that I was not aware when life offered me a				essence of Buddha's quote, "All that we are is the
chance to learn through the bat's situation.				result of what we have thought" has been called
One day intending to only sit in the stillness of the				by many names. Buddha like many insightful and
very wide hall with high ceiling that adjoined the				knowable people over the centuries have said in
hall by my office I left my key on my desk.				various ways that each person creates his or her
Staring at the carved wooden door that opened				own reality and it is that reality that molds the
to the stairs going to first floor and outside I tried				way his or her life unfolds. My reality made me
to imagine the building bustling with patients and				belief that when a door opens to go into a room,
staff. I walked over to a closed door and for fun				that same door will open to leave that room. That
tried turning the doorknob. To my surprise the				is one belief I will never be locked into again. Your
door was unlocked. I went inside, but being unsure				reality can lock you in to certain beliefs.
if I should be in this room carefully closed the				Any lock can be a problem or an opportunity,
door behind me.				depending upon your reality. Locks are the same
The excitement of finding this new room behind				as problems in that they are never manufactured
an unlocked door was short lived. The only thing				or created without the key being manufactured
beneath cobwebs and dust was an empty				or created at the same time. Your reality
wooden desk and chair. However when I went to				determines how you observe and react to
leave the room I discovered one of the building's				everything. If your reality you are locked into is
secrets. The door I had thought to be unlocked				not the best for you at that time how do you
was actually only unlocked from one side, and to				recognize the key you created? If you have a
leave the room I needed the key that I had left				ghost locked in your house you call "Ghost
on my desk. There was another door on another				Busters" and if your keys are locked in your car
wall. Walking to it I crossed my fingers that it was				you call an auto club.
neither locked nor opened to a closet. It was				To unlock your reality a qualified Usui Reiki Shihan
unlocked and opened to another hall with more				(teacher) is a good person to call. The universal
doors. All I had to do was find the fasted way				vibrations of love and harmony used in the
back to my office. I had learned through Usui				practice of Usui Reiki balance and surround with
Reiki Ryoho to let go of worry and focus on the				harmony. In the Okuden (level 2), Shinpiden (level
present moment/now. I focused and saw a door				3) and Gokuikaiden (teacher or 4th level) you
with window at the interior end of the hall.				learn exercises that not only balance but rewrite
I was smiling when I saw through that door's				old tapes playing in your head, and melt negative
window the wide hall where I wanted to be. It				karma.
seemed strange that anyone would put a door				Focus on the scientific law, "energy can neither be
between two halls, but not questioning I grabbed				created nor destroyed, it only changes form" and
onto the doorknob. My smiled disappeared as the				think about that original form from which all forms
doorknob refused to turn and I found myself				of energy come. Combined universal love and
back at square one. I closed my eyes hoping in				harmony is the form of energy Mikao Usui used
the stillness I would find an answer. The answer				when he founded his spiritual practice that has
came as I heard the sound of the wooden door				become known around the world as different
to the stairs opening. I did not agree with my				styles of Usui Reiki Ryoho. Usui-Sensei's method is
co-worker's smoking habit, but at that moment I				one key known to unlocked health and happiness.
was delighted that he always went through the				It does not mask the symptoms of illnesses but
wide hall to go outside for smoke breaks. The				goes to the core of those atoms/cells that are in
angle of the door I was standing at did not allow				need of balance and harmony. What is in balance
me to see the outside wooden door, but the				and surrounded with harmony heals. One of the
sound told me someone was close enough to				purposes in the hours of study is to guide you to
hear my knocking on the door. I not only				allowing the true or universal you to emerge.
knocked, but called out that I was locked in and				Being locked in a mental institution confirmed to
did not have my key. I continued knocking and				me that life does not always happen as we plan.
calling out for an unreasonably long time, but no				In the years that followed I went on to practice
one came to my rescue. Netha always attributed				and teach Gendai Reiki-ho and Komyo Reiki,
every noise in the building to ghosts, and right				Japanese styles of Usui Reiki, I found a very
then I would have loved seeing a ghost with a				helpful universal key for when life happens
key.				opposite of what is planned. The universe did not
Judging myself at that point was not going to be				manifest a material key, instead it allowed me my
of any help. Instead I did Usui Reiki exercises to				path in life more clearly to see.
be free of negative emotions. Emotion can block				I can still remember the joy I felt when I heard
thinking, and to get out of that locked hall I				actual human footsteps outside that locked door.
needed to think clearly. Clearly the next thing to				When my co-worker opened the door I was
do was try another door. The next three doors				given the option of having that happiness taken
opened to what looked like had been an office				away by judging myself or embracing that I was
with only one door and one outside bared window.				free. Judging others or yourself is something the
The good thing was that I had learned that just				ego does; the practice Mikao Usui's founded guides
because a door opens it does not mean that it will				you in how to let go of the ego. I could have felt
not lock behind you. I left each door open wide as				anger when my co-worker said with a smile that
I scanned each room for another exit.				they had heard me knocking, but decided to
Reaching the exterior end of the hall I stopped by				teach me a lesson. Anger is of no use, and letting
the bared window and looking out saw only the				go of anger is the first line in the Usui Reiki Gokai
fresh snow that had fallen that morning. I closed				(five principles). Having your mind in a state of
my eyes, took a deep breath and repeated the				tranquility, peace and joy is one key to happiness
quote "a problem cannot exist unless the solution				that brings health and more.
for it exists at the same time". I leaned again the				Sitting in the stillness of that hall gave me time to
side of the window to again scan the hall for a				go within and become aware of the path I was
possible escape route. Then through the window				on. I was able to see that a better paying job is
in the door closest to me I saw a stairwell. I felt				not a good thing if it puts you in a toxic
like someone had just handed me the winning				environment. The legends attached to the
lottery ticket when I rushed to that door. I felt				building's past I enjoyed, but when I directed my
the disappointment of my lottery ticket not				attention to the office environment I found for
winning when I found that door was also locked.				me it was toxic. I moved to a position with a
It was that time of the year when most people				slimmer paycheck, but I felt healthier. Happiness is
end their work day in the dark, and the light in				something that no one can give to you, but there
the hall was fading. Running out of ideas I had the				are paths to finding that universal key that can
urge to scream, but instead did Usui Reiki				help you unlock happiness.
exercises to center myself. I knew if my				Try sitting, taking a very deep breath, and release
thoughts were scattered the solution to my				all negative emotions as you hear your breath
problem might be hidden from my view. I				releasing. As the emotions float away feel your
determinedly walked back to the door at the				muscles becoming relaxed. Set a timer for five to
opposite end of the hall, and again knocked on it				fifteen minute and go into that peaceful silence
harder then before. I intended to stay there				between your thoughts where you can safely
knocking until the knocks echoing in emptiness of				reorganize your thoughts. You can imagine you
the wide hall were heard by one of my				are locked in the stillness of an abandoned hall of
co-workers. I knocked and called out until my				mental institution, but also imagine you have a
knuckled became sore and my throat dry.				universal key in your pocket that will unlock any
Giving up was not an option if I wanted to go				door.
home that night, so I walked to the widow in

Reiki

Universal Key to Happiness