[quote="chandrika s"] Hi evryone,

"Copyright" business is a very recent one. Yoga, Vedas, Reiki,Runes, Pranayama, astrology etc etc etc are ancient. Is it right to copyright these? is it not like copyrighting air, space and fire.[/quote]


speaking of copyrighting or rather "trademarking" and "Branding", as was the petition and courtcase initiated by the Grand daughter of Mme. [[H. Takata]] back in the 90s I think -- portions of hinduism have been branded in recent years by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi's organization. Thus you have Maharshi Meditation, Maharshi Ayurveda and Maharshi Jyotish and perhaps many similar ones.

The *proponents* claim that this branding is not a copyright but like the Woolmark mark of purity and quality control...

The Maharshi landed in North America when the flower children movement was on the rise and thus he perhaps felt the need to limit the variability in the teachings so that people get what they deserve.

I think ...

When my mother went to Japan for several weeks to visit friends many year ago, she saw children wearing some of the Reiki symbols around their necks as good luck charms, out in the open. I read somewhere that the Reiki symbols come from one of the streams of Buddhism and Usui gave them to students who couldn't focus with chants or breathing. Unfortunately I can not remember the title of the book, but here is a http://learnreiki.tripod.com/grassrootsreiki/  to a site that also contains some of the same information.

It is my opinion (and only my opinion, you don't have to see it the same way) that the whole secrecy issue is to appeal to the Western mind which is largely socialized with concepts of "revealed" religion. The Eastern worldview sees something that works, and wants to share it with everyone. The Western mind sees the same thing and wants to hide it until someone proves themselves "worthy".

I gave up hiding the symbols from my students when I realized that they'd been on the internet and in books since the mid 90s. The symbol only "works" if you make it work, it is your intent to be open and ability to channel the ki that makes something happen. If it helps you in your focus then it is useful but if you don't know what it is, or can't relate it to what you are doing, then it is just another squiggle.

~Solwynn

[quote="Solwynn"]When my mother went to Japan for several weeks to visit friends many year ago, she saw children wearing some of the Reiki symbols around their necks as good luck charms, out in the open. I read somewhere that the Reiki symbols come from one of the streams of Buddhism and Usui gave them to students who couldn't focus with chants or breathing. Unfortunately I can not remember the title of the book, but here is a [url=http://http://learnreiki.tripod.com/grassrootsreiki/]link[/url] to a site that also contains some of the same information.

It is my opinion (and only my opinion, you don't have to see it the same way) that the whole secrecy issue is to appeal to the Western mind which is largely socialized with concepts of "revealed" religion. The Eastern worldview sees something that works, and wants to share it with everyone. The Western mind sees the same thing and wants to hide it until someone proves themselves "worthy".

I gave up hiding the symbols from my students when I realized that they'd been on the internet and in books since the mid 90s. The symbol only "works" if you make it work, it is your intent to be open and ability to channel the ki that makes something happen. If it helps you in your focus then it is useful but if you don't know what it is, or can't relate it to what you are doing, then it is just another squiggle.

~Solwynn[/quote]

Dear Solwynn,

Agreeing with you in essence, I must point out that at least in the realm of astrology/jyotish -- the sharing in India has not been all that universal or transparent. A lot of protectionism, territoriality, secrecy and hoarding information often to the detriment of the information (insects that destroy old books and ancient leaves on which the wisdom was transcribed!). Then again, the only India I have seen/experienced had been one that had for hundreds of years been under western influence, so maybe you could be right about east going back centuries :-}

That said, in the specific area of Reiki, I think what started out as sacred got misrepresented as secret. Stuff happens...!

Kind regards,

I understand, and I was generalizing. This is one of those discussions that people could carry on for a month of Sundays. I was having this conversation last week with a friend who is a nun in the Zen tradition and yes there is a lot of territoriality everywhere. It just seems that there is a big difference in how Reiki is disseminated in North America vs Japan, and there seems to be more "myth building"?! on this side of the pond. I'm not sure how else to phrase it. Sometimes its difficult to sift through it all to separate what is information and what is embellishment.

~Solwynn

[quote="Solwynn"]I understand, and I was generalizing. This is one of those discussions that people could carry on for a month of Sundays. I was having this conversation last week with a friend who is a nun in the Zen tradition and yes there is a lot of territoriality everywhere. It just seems that there is a big difference in how Reiki is disseminated in North America vs Japan, and there seems to be more "myth building"?! on this side of the pond. I'm not sure how else to phrase it. Sometimes its difficult to sift through it all to separate what is information and what is embellishment.

~Solwynn[/quote]

Dear Solwynn,

Thanks for sharing. I think there is only INFORMATION and KNOWLEDGE.

Information can be understated (properietary, sacred, parampara/tradition as it is commonly guarded as in India, perhaps elsewhere too) oir embellished as you stated --

and there is knowledge.

The difference between the two, information and knowledge to me is rather simple!

Information: I am hungry and pass by this French Pastry shop which has its front door open and the fragrance is just killing me and making my soul WANT to go in there (actually just my stomach!).

KNOWLEDGE: The bakery experience is behind me. I succumbed, I went in, probably made a fool of myself, ate all the pastry and more than I could have. I want to work there and improve certain things and flavours...