JAPAN TOUR 2000

The Journey of Reiki from the Past, through the Present,
And Into the Future

It is with joy that we at the Reiki Foundation™ announce our Japan 2000 Millennium tour for the Spring. Each journey has brought a wealth of illumination, magic and surprises! With the on-going changes on the planet, and within the cosmos, we feel that this will be a worthwhile and rewarding journey for those who will venture with us.

Most of the members of the Reiki Foundation™ have been to Japan several times before to research, study, and explore the deeper roots of Reiki and the traditions that it emanates from. We all have been deeply moved by the harmony and love that has surrounded us at all times. We also honor the profound sense of "resonance" we have experienced at the sacred locations during our meditations and spiritual practices. During our journeys we allow for a personal and heartfelt integration to occur for each individual.

The Spring is a wonderful time to visit Japan, as the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom! This time of year very much reflects the unfoldment of our ability to live our lives in this energetic healing art with the same beauty and power that nature is presenting all around us.

We will be visiting some familiar temples with new awareness, and exploring other temples that we have not had a chance to visit before. We will be present as the ancient culture of Japan moves into the 21st century, and in a quiet and humble way, assist energetically, its movement forward into this new era.

Mr. Randall Hayward, the founder of the Reiki Foundation™, will be sharing his valuable insights gained from his prior journeys to Japan, and will speak of new research that he his currently working on. There will be on-sight discussions throughout the tour on the Great Buddhas and Saints, and how we, in many ways, are moving towards embodying their qualities. Opportunities for giving and receiving Attunements in the heart centers of sacred temples, as well in powerful natural sanctuaries will be part of the trip. In addition, there will be time for hand-on Reiki practice as well as distance healing.

Walking tours in the "towns" will include enjoying the wondrous age-old Japanese crafts of fabric making, incense, working with bamboo and calligraphy. In the evenings, participants will stroll through the lighted temple gardens that are specially lit in exquisite manner only twice each year. The annual times for this are: in the Cherry Blossom season in Spring, and when the colors change in the Fall. It is truly a magnificent sight to behold!

The tour dates are from April 4 through April 16, 2000. Participants will be arriving in Osaka, Japan on April 4th, and will be returning from Japan on Sunday April 16th to the United States.

The tour investment is $3195.00, which includes lodging, transportation, and admissions (to museums, sights, etc.) and breakfast & dinner when you are in the temple at Koyasan. It does not include airfare or meals when we are in other locations. This allows everyone a choice of meals, as it suits their individual taste, and the chance to take advantage of special airfares from different locations. Last year the airfare from San Francisco was approximately $795.00.

For those who have been before, it is another opportunity to deepen their experience and understanding; and if it is your first time - - then it may prove to be a journey of discovery and illumination as you may have not experienced before!!


Highlights of the Trip:

Going as "spiritual pilgrims", we each have a "spiritual passport book." This is a book traditionally carried as one visits the sacred temples. Upon entering the temple grounds the book is stamped with a seal of the temple, then the date and the sacred symbols associated with the temple are applied by the hand of a skilled calligrapher using brush & ink. This becomes a focus for the spiritual energy of each temple that will continue to bless you, and all who contact it.

Kyoto will be our " headquarters" for most of the journey. Participants will be staying at a traditional Japanese Inn called the Three Sisters Ryokan, surrounded by the smiling faces and graciousness of our hostesses. Members of the Reiki Foundation™ refer to this place their "home in Japan." When you are there, you will be within walking distance of the Heian Shrine with its gardens, pools, and superb outdoor evening concerts, that take place amidst all the splendor of lighted Cherry trees. Many smaller temples are also within easy walking distance, as are restaurants, fruit & vegetable markets, a supermarket, bank, Laundromat, and the Kyoto Handicrafts center; which has five floors of traditional arts and handicrafts.

There will be a day trip to the Ohara district, northeast of Kyoto, which will allow us the chance to visit the exquisite Jakko-in Temple. It is a nunnery that is in ¾ scale, and is a living work of art! The beauty and peace it provides will be an excellent place for our meditations and quiet contemplations, as a group, and as individuals. A short walk will take us to Sanzen-in Temple, which overlooks the Ohara valley. This is the home of many famous pieces of the Japanese National Treasures (art / sculpture). It is also one of the most beautiful and renowned moss gardens in Japan. It is a place of spiritual pilgrimage for many people.

After departing Ohara participants will be led onward to Mount Kurama, the site of Mikao Usui's personal spiritual practices, which led to his awakening unto Reiki. This mountain temple, Kurama-dera, has a wonderful history; and holds the deeper meanings of the origin of Reiki and its true purpose; which will be discussed by Mr. Randall Hayward (founder of the Reiki Foundation™) while participants are on site. The connection at the Kurama-dera temple is very tangible, and when one is prepared, the outpouring of light energy is most transformational. There will be a special Attunement given to each participant at the top of Mt. Kurama.

Another enjoyable day will be spent walking to some of Kyoto's most revered temples, the Temple of the 1,000 Quan Yins, the Temple of the turning Amida, and Toji Temple, the Kyoto headquarters of Shingon Buddhism. Here you will find magnificent temples, pagodas, and other treasures. The evening will be spent visiting the famed Kyomizudera Temple, which is illuminated in full during the Cherry Blossom season, and the peak of Fall colors. It sits high atop a hill that overlooks the splendor of nighttime Kyoto!

The following day takes us to the Koryu-ji temple, which the Reiki Foundation™ members visited for the first time last year. Everyone agreed that its collection of statues, including the world famous Miroku, Healing Buddha with Attendants, and the three Standing Quan Yins, was one of the most powerful places of energetic focus that any of us had previously encountered. A quiet meditation in this sacred space is an eternal blessing for all. From there, we will take a walking tour along the river in the Arashiyama district to explore other temples, and take the scenic Sagano train along the river gorge ablaze with color from the Cherry trees.

A leisurely day of shopping, sampling, and sharing will enable each one to enjoy the best that Kyoto has to offer. From the showroom of one of Japan's best incense manufacturers, to the breathtaking brocades of the textile market, to the street market filled with every imaginable Japanese delicacy, to small intimate shops that have supplied generations with their unique products; we will enhance our appreciation and understanding of this great culture through its many traditions and crafts.

An early morning finds us taking a train ride to Nara, the cultural heart of Japan. Located here are some of the most important and beautiful temples in all of Japan. We will walk through deer park, surrounded by deer, who have never experienced "aggression" - thus, they have no "fear." We will enter the great gate to the temple of Todaiji, the largest wooden building which houses the largest bronze figure in the world. It is here that Kobo Daishi, founder of Shingon, made his great call for enlightenment. A short distance is the Shin-Yakushi-ji temple, with the Twelve Yaksa Generals surrounding the Healing Buddha / Medicine Buddha / Yakushi Nyorai. Another short train ride finds us arriving at the splendid Yakushiji and Toshodaiji temples. The Yakushiji temple, with its twin pagodas is the sacred repository of the Yakushi Triad. These are bronze figures of the Healing Buddha/ Medicine Buddha / Yakushi Nyorai and his attendants - Radiance of the Sun and the Moon. These are considered by many to be the most beautiful statues in Asia, and their inner radiance is powerfully felt. Not too far from there, we find Toshodaiji, with its statues of the Vairocana Buddha, the Thousand-Arm Quan Yin, and the standing Healing Buddha / Medicine Buddha / Yakushi Nyorai.

In the evenings participants will have the option to have a private Japanese bath at our Inn, or at the public bath one block away. (Quite an experience, either way!)

A "free" day offers participants the opportunity to explore other aspects of Kyoto's rich heritage, and of course, there will be some special surprises that will delight you - - of that we're sure!!

For three days and evenings we have the privilege of exploring the beautiful mountain top village of Koyasan, the center of Shingon Buddhism. A century old temple will be our home while we are there. The Abbot of the temple is one of the most inspiring individuals we have been privileged to meet on our journeys. Each morning there will be an opportunity to experience the chanting of sacred sutras, and the Goma fire ceremony for purification and empowerment. A young monk, who we met two years ago (who speaks English), and who so graciously led us through some of the spiritual practices last year, will again assist us in many of the inner teachings and their deeper meanings. The library, museum, the many temples and shops, and the sacred woods, all provide us with a lifetime of experiences in a few days. This is truly one of the great heart centers of light on the Earth. One light center, that has been sending its blessings to all life for more than 1200 years, and will continue to do so into the distant future.

We are joyously working on lodging arrangements and special activities for participants at the sacred sites. A resource packet will be provided for each person who partakes of this special journey. The packet contains pertinent information, contact numbers, ideas for packing, excerpts on many of the temples and research information so that you will be prepared for this wonderful experience.

If you are interested in joining us for this fantastic adventure, please contact either of the following Reiki Foundation™ offices:

Asunam J. Pope
Director / Sensei
The Reiki Foundation™
P.O. Box 362
Brewster, NY 10509-0362
(845) 278-3038
E-Mail: asunam@msn.com

Randall Hayward
Founder, the Reiki Foundation™
(616) 385-8953
E-Mail: RandallAIM@aol.com

Much love and many blessings as you journey
This life of your spiritual path,

Asunam & Randall

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