The facet of Ki known as Denki, the Ki of Thunder, is a powerful force that is somewhat misleading inasmuch as it is the lightning that Denki symbolises, as opposed to thunder. The term Denki translates directly to our concept of electricity and is thus a potent form of Ki that manifests itself in the physical world, exactly as the electrical force we are accustomed to. Hence, we could understand Denki as The Ki of the Storm.
We often refer to the energy generated between two people as ‘electric’ and it is this electricity that really encapsulates Denki: the force that binds us, drives us and sometimes causes us to fall. Denki is the love between a mother and her child, the sexual energy between two lovers, the bond between life-long friends and the compassion of a healer for the sick. Yet, although the purpose of Denki is to help us overcome the isolation we feel while encased in our illusion of separateness, we very often find that it can make us feel even lonelier. We learn very quickly in life to crave the force of Denki, its physicality makes it seem finite and limited and linear.
This means, like the concepts of money or time, the Ki of Thunder appears to be restricted in the amount we can attain at any given moment. Thus we have occasions when we feel that we will burst with love, and at others we feel that there is not enough love in the world. It should be mentioned that Denki is not ‘love’ itself, but the force that is present whenever love, passion or compassion are felt.
Due to its physicality, Denki is much more tangible than Reiki, Tsuki or even Jiki and, while it does not share their level of intelligence; Denki does offer us rudimentary wisdom. If we imagine Reiki and Tsuki as enlightened beings and Jiki as the sage, philosopher or psychic, the knowledge of Denki could be compared to a friend who has a great deal of ‘common sense’. They may not intellectualise, but they know a lot about life, how to work through the hard times and enjoy the good times to their utmost.
Denki is the twinkle in the eye, an intimate touch of the hand, a beautiful summer’s day, the laughter of friends, the smile of a baby or the excitement of a dog greeting his owner. It is the elusive, yet special moments that are scattered throughout our days, which affirm we are alive and connected to all things. The innate simplicity of Denki is equalled only by its complexity; the beauty derived from our connection to Denki is matched only by the despair when it cannot be reached. Denki unites us and causes wars.