Reiki Symbol 1 of 4 路 Reiki II
Cho Ku Rei(The Reiki Power Symbol)
What the Reiki power symbol is, what it is not, and how you are attuned to it.
What is Cho Ku Rei?
The short answer
Cho Ku Rei is known as the Reiki power symbol. It is the first of the four symbols in Usui Shiki Ryoho, and the first of three that you are attuned to at Reiki II. It works as a key that helps an attuned practitioner focus and steady their work. It is sometimes spelled Cho Kurei.
You can see all four symbols on the Reiki symbols page.
Cho Ku Rei 路 the power symbol 路 click to enlarge
What does the power symbol do?
Cho Ku Rei is tied to focus and to steadying the work. It is a key that helps an attuned practitioner access a wider flow of energy. It is not where the power comes from, and the name “power symbol” can be misleading. The practitioner, attuned to Reiki, holds the frequency.
The three Reiki II symbols are attuned together over the course of Reiki II, and how they work with one another is something I teach my students directly.
Which level is Cho Ku Rei for?
Reiki II. Reiki I opens the channel. At Reiki II, a student is attuned to three symbols, and Cho Ku Rei is the first of them. You do not need any symbol to receive Reiki. They matter only if you want to learn Reiki and practice it yourself.
Attunements are valid whether they are received in person or online.
Is the symbol where the power comes from?
No. Cho Ku Rei is not Reiki. It is a key. The person holding the key is the one who carries the frequency and knows how Reiki moves, and the key only works for someone who has been attuned to it.
If you are not attuned to the symbol, it is just a pretty shape, however many times you see it, draw it or say its name.
Why were the symbols kept private, and why share them now?
There was no internet when Reiki began to be taught, and the symbols were kept within the teacher-student relationship so they wouldn’t be mistaken for Reiki, and so people who had never been attuned couldn’t say they practice Reiki on others. Today the symbols are easy to find, and I don’t think hiding them serves anyone. What matters is knowing what they are. I explain more on the Reiki symbols page.
There are other Reiki systems, and some use other symbols or other names. I respect them. This page speaks only for Usui Shiki Ryoho, the tradition I was attuned in and teach.
How do I get attuned to Cho Ku Rei?
By reading this page, you have learned about Cho Ku Rei. That is not the same as being attuned to it, and the attunement is the important part. A symbol is not something you memorize from a page. At Reiki II, a teacher attunes you to it, and the attunement is what makes the key yours.
I teach Reiki I & II live through Sovereign Light, and my students are attuned to the Reiki II symbols there. Attunements are valid whether they are received in person or online. You can join the waitlist to hear when the next cohort opens.
You can see my line, name by name, on my lineage page. I was attuned as a Reiki Master in the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition on June 21st, 2008.
Questions people ask about Cho Ku Rei
What is Cho Ku Rei?
It is known as the Reiki power symbol, the first of the four symbols in Usui Shiki Ryoho and the first of three attuned at Reiki II. It works as a key that helps an attuned practitioner focus and steady their work.
What does Cho Ku Rei mean?
It is a Japanese phrase, and translations vary. What matters most is what it is: a key used by an attuned practitioner, not Reiki itself.
How do I get attuned to Cho Ku Rei?
You are attuned to it at Reiki II by a teacher. Reading about the symbol is not the same as being attuned to it, and the attunement is the important part. I teach Reiki I & II live through Sovereign Light.
Can I use Cho Ku Rei without an attunement?
No. Without the attunement, it is just a shape. The practitioner holds the frequency, and the symbol is a key that only works for someone who has been attuned to it.
Do I need Cho Ku Rei to receive Reiki?
No. You do not need an attunement or any symbol to receive Reiki. They matter only if you want to learn Reiki and practice it yourself.
Can I be attuned to Cho Ku Rei online?
Yes. Attunements are valid whether they are received in person or online.
Continue through the symbols
The four symbols of Usui Shiki Ryoho, in the order they are attuned. Choose any to read about it.
Symbol 1 路 Reiki II
Cho Ku Rei
Symbol 2 路 Reiki II
Sei He Ki
Symbol 3 路 Reiki II
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Symbol 4 路 Reiki III
Reiki Master Symbol
Ready to be attuned?
Sovereign Light is live Reiki I & II certification in the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition, offered in cohorts. The waitlist is the way to hear when the next one opens.
Or explore Sovereign Light first.
Keep exploring
Reiki is a practice of energetic support and is not a substitute for medical or psychological care. No specific outcomes are promised or guaranteed. Certification reflects completion of training within the Usui Shiki Ryoho system.