A heathen practitioner once said the Dai Ko Myo felt like a second spine lighting up inside the first. We have heard that description more times than we expected. Reiki Level 3 symbols, most notably the Dai Ko Myo, represent the final stage of Usui Reiki training — the master level, where the practitioner gains the ability to transmit attunements and work with the highest vibrational key in the system. That key unlocks more than teaching. It changes how you approach every session.
What the Dai Ko Myo actually is
The Dai Ko Myo is a single symbol composed of three kanji characters: 大光明 (dai kō myō). Dai means great, kō means light, and myō means bright or enlightened. Together they translate as “Great Bright Light” or “Great Shining One.” In practice, the symbol is drawn with the palm, in the air, over the crown chakra of the recipient — or over the practitioner’s own head before a session. It is not a decoration. It is a seal of spiritual authority within the Reiki system.
Some schools teach a second master symbol, the Raku (sometimes written Raku), a zigzag or lightning bolt that represents the fire serpent energy rising through the spine. This symbol appears in the Western Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai tradition, particularly in the attunement process. We treat it as a lineage-dependent addition, not a universal component of Level 3.
A history that begins with a Zen monk
Mikao Usui, born in 1865 in Japan, developed the Reiki system after a 21-day fast on Mount Kurama in 1922. His original training divided into three levels: Shoden (first degree), Okuden (second degree), and Shinpiden (third degree — the “mystery teaching”). The Dai Ko Myo was part of Shinpiden. It was not invented afterward. It appears in Usui’s own notes, the Reiki Ryoho Hikkei (handbook), which he wrote in 1923.
When Hawayo Takata brought Reiki to the West in the 1930s, she adapted the three-level structure. She taught the Dai Ko Myoo exclusively to masters, some report she did not teach it at all to non-practitioners until the late 1970s. The Raaku symbol, by contrast, appears to have entered Western Reiki through the teachings of Takata’s student Phyllis Furumoto and later variations. We mention this because the master symbol set is not fixed across all lineages. A Usuikai from Japan may recognize only one symbol at Level 3. A Western student may expect two.
That history matters for one reason: the Dai Ko Myo is not a “secret” symbol that must be hidden. Usui himself published it in his handbook. The secrecy that surrounded it was a Western innovation, likely tied to Takata’s desire to protect the integrity of the teaching, or to control its transmission. We do not keep it secret. We do treat it with the respect its name implies.
What the symbols mean: Great Light, fire serpent, and the end of duality
The Dai Ko Myoo is often described as the “master fader symbol”, the point where all lower symbols converge. In practical terms, it represents the practitioner’s ability to become a channel for the source energy directly, without intermediate steps. The three kanjii each carry a layer:
- 大 (dai): “great.” Not in the sense of large, but of encompassing. The self dissolves into the universal.
- 光 (kō): “light.” Not metaphorical. Practitioners report seeing a white or violet flash when the symbol is correctly drawn. The light is the operational component.
- 明 (myō): “bright” or “enlightened.” The state of clarity that follows the union of self and source.
The Raku symbol, where it is used, is read as the descent of fire through the spine, the kundalini-like energy that activates the chakras during attunement. Some schools draw it from top to bottom. Others from bottom to top. The direction changes what it does: descending grounds, ascending liberates.
We have watched a master draw the Raku over a student’s back like a slow bolt of lightning. The student flinched. It was not theatrical. It was the body recognizing what the mind had not yet accepted.
How we use the Level 3 symbols
The Dai Ko Myoo has three primary applications in our practice.
First, attunements. The symbol is drawn over the crown chakra of the student, then over the heart and hands, during the attunement process. It activates the student’s ability to channel Reiki at the master level. Without it, the transfer is incomplete.
Second, self-healing and meditation. We draw it over our own crown before each session. It resets the internal connection. The effect is immediate, a drop into a deeper state, as if the symbol collapses the distance between your awareness and the source.
Third, distance healing and past-event work. The Level3 symbol is often used alongside the Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (distance symbol) to send energy across time, not just space. We have used it to address ancestral patterns. The symbol does not erase memory. It reframes the energetic signature of that memory.
The Raku, where we use it, is reserved for attunements only. It does nothing in a self-heal session. Trying to use it that way is like lighting a bonfire to warm a teacup.
How Level3 compares to the earlier levels
Every Reiki practitioner knows the first three symbols. A comparison helps place Level3.
| Symbol | Level | Primary use |
|---|---|---|
| Cho Ku Rei (power switch) | 1 | Increases or decreases energy flow, protection, grounding |
| Sei He Ki (emotional harmony) | 2 | Mental-emotional healing, clearing trauma |
| Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (distance) | 2 | Sending Reiki across time and space |
| Dai Ko Myoo (master) | 3 | Attunements, deep meditation, high-level channeling |
| Raku (fire serpent) | 3 (varies) | Activation during attunement only |
The Level3 symbols are not “stronger” versions of the lower ones. They operate on a different frequency. Cho Ku Rei opens the gate. Dai Ko Myoo walks through the gate and stands on the other side.
Three misconceptions that still dog Level3
Misconception one: You must become a teacher to use Level3. Not true. Many practitioners stay at Level3 without ever teaching a single attunement. The master level is for personal mastery, not for starting a school. We have met Level3 practitioners who have never given an attunement and have no intention of doing so. Their practice is not diminished.
Misconception two: The symbols must be kept secret and never shown. The Dai Ko Myoo is in Usui’s own handbook. Publishing it does not weaken it. The power is in the attunement, not the image. A printed symbol does nothing. A symbol drawn with conscious intent within an active lineage does.
Misconception three: Level3 gives you special powers. It gives you a tool. The same tool in the hands of a diligent practitioner heals. In the hands of someone who collects initiations, it remains a drawing on paper. We have seen both.
FAQ
Do I need to master Level2 before attempting Level3? Yes. Most schools require at least six months of daily practice at Level2 before considering Level3. The distance Reiki skill is foundational.
Can I use the Dai Ko Myoo for physical pain? You can, but it is rarely necessary. Level1 and2 symbols handle physical pain efficiently. The master symbol is better applied to chronic conditions with an emotional root.
Is the Raku symbol universal? No. Only some Western Usuii lineages include it. Pure Japanese Reiki schools often stick to a single master symbol.
Will the symbol work if I draw it incorrectly? Partially. Intent matters more than geometric perfection. But repeated errors weaken the energetic signature. We recommend learning from a live attunement, not a YouTube video.
The master mark is not a trophy
The Dai Ko Myoo is the end of one road and the beginning of another. It does not make you special. It makes you responsible for a transmission that began in 1922 on a Japanese mountain. Use it for attunements, for deep healing, for the work your own lineage requires. The symbol will respond to the time you invest.
For a fuller view of the Reiki system, see our Reiki energy hub. You will find a glossary entry for the Dai Ko Myoo symbol and a guide to Level2 symbols that complements this one.