Naikan: Questions for Answers

We all know how important phrasing questions is when doing a tarot reading. Questions must be formed a certain way to get the answer the querant truly seeks. And being reminded of that thought is what brought tarot to mind while I was reading an article about Naikan in Experience Life Magazine.

“Naikan (pronounced NI-KON) is a Japanese word that means “inside looking” or “introspection.” It’s also a structured method of self-questioning and self-reflection that helps stimulate a renewed sense of appreciation and insight about our circumstances.”

Naikan uses three questions:

1. What have I received from ______?
2. What have I given to ______?
3. What troubles and difficulties have I caused ______?

They are designed to help us reflect upon our relationships with others: spouse, child, parent, friend, colleague, client, etc) and gain a better appreciation of the give and take of our relationships.

“A person who is unhappy is so not because of the objective situation they are in, but because of their attitude and how they look at the world and perceive relationships with other people,” says Gregg Krech, author of Naikan: Gratitude, Grace, and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection (Stone Bridge Press, 2002). “People who practice Naikan often develop a healthier view about themselves and the world around them – one which is grounded in a profound sense of awareness of how they are supported by others.”

It helps us to see more clearly our own perceptions of situations and people. I think these questions can be used as an assessment of our relationships with not only the client, but with reading the cards themselves. It can help address any hurdles we are having in our readings and guide us toward a deeper relationship with the cards and the readings we do.

Naikan also made me think of Reiki. It was the being able to take an objective view of our own emotions, particularly anger, that had me thinking about it. It sounds like daily Naikan would be a great pre-meditation exercise that could give you a stronger focus on striving toward the Reiki Ideals, thus becoming a stronger Reiki practitioner.

Read more about each individual question and how they function within the practice as a whole. Plus, be sure to check out the section on daily Naikan.