Climbing the Reiki Mountain

It was only two months ago that we were in Japan, visited Kyoto, and climbed to the Temple on Mount Kurama. Mikao Usui had a vision there, which started a chain of events that led to many people, perhaps millions of people, being attuned to a spiritual energy and learning a method of healing.



It doesn't seem yet so long ago, nor in truth so far away (though the flight seemed to go on and on and on at the time). We live under the same sun (even if day here is night there) and the same energy flows through us all. Today I saw another "climb" - and it taught me something - that Kurama isn't only in Japan. The spirit surrounds us wherever we are.



Philip is a man who is living the last days of his life, i will not say dying because he does not think of himself in that way. He has a rapidly spreading cancer which has caused an intermittent internal blockage - the medical details really do not matter. He has wanted to receive artificial intravenous feeding, and we have followed his requests. In hospice my mantra is to empower the patient and follow their wishes as much as possible.



On the television it said today was going to be a sunny day, for me, that reminded me of my day climbing the steps of Kurama, but for Philip, it made him want to go outside. He has not been in the sun since he entered the hospital. He wanted to walk around his room, and walk to his wheelchair, and as he said, "I can only do that if someone helps me."



The effort that it took him to walk around his room, even with his walker, even with help, exceeded the effort it took for me to climb Kurama. More exhausting than the travel, the security, the flight, the bullet train, and finally the half day climb up the steps.



But today he made "the climb." Walked to his wheelchair, and a volunteer took him outside, and he sat in the sun for 15 minutes. I asked him how he felt, and he said simply, "good." He was focused on living - just for today.