Reiki history, Usui, Japan, Ryoho Gakkei, Yamaguchi, Tibetan energy, Arjava, Petter, Hayashi, Takata, Energy healing, spiritual healing, relaxation

                         The History Of Reiki 

There are many variations to the history of Reiki. The version originally handed down left many of us feeling incomplete, as the story was unverified and seemed riddled with myth. Much research has been undertaken to discern the true roots of the beautiful Reiki tradition.

Japanese Reiki Masters Arjava Petter (Reiki Fire) and Ms. Shizuko Akimoto, along with Usui Sensei's early initiates Mr. Oishi and Fumio Ogawa and members of Tokyo's original Reiki organization, Usui Reiki Ryoho, are credited with the following, more accurate portrayal of Reiki history. Their work, brought together by William Rand of the Center for Reiki Training in Michigan, gifts us with this more credible version of Sensei Usui's motivation to rediscover and teach this healing system to others.

I have herewith meshed their information with my own to present you with a more authentic history of this wonderful healing modality.

Reiki Founder

Sensei Mikao Usui

The Sensei Usui Memorial

 Mikao Usui

August 15, l864 - March 9, 1926

Born in Yago, Japan, Sensei Usui lived a quest for gathering Spiritual Truth. His study of Buddhism rendered a fascination with the Buddha's ability to heal. Later in his life, when things were not going well, the Sensei traveled to Mt. Kurama, a giant cedar forest outside Kyoto, to pray and meditate. Upon Mt. Kurama rests a Buddhist Temple established in 770AD by a Priest named Gantei in honor of Bishamon-ten, the Spirit of the Sun . It was there that Dr. Usui dedicated himself for twenty-one days.

Initiation

On the first day he piled 21 stones and each dawn he tossed one away, in this manner keeping track of the length of his stay. On the twenty first day, after tossing the last stone, he looked to the horizon and saw a beam of light coming towards him. The light had consciousness and asked if he was willing to receive the healing information that the light had to offer. Willing, the beam struck him in his forehead, knocking him unconscious.  In this state he was shown colored bubbles of light, inside of which were symbols.  As he meditated upon them, he obtained the knowledge of and the right to use these symbols in healing.  It was in this way that Dr. Usui was initiated into the use of healing energy.  He soon discovered that this wonderful energy not only heals the physical and emotional bodies, it also awakens spiritual gifts, balances the spirit and helps one to achieve overall inner peace and happiness.

Dr. Usui Develops And Teaches Reiki

Dr. Usui named his healing system Reiki, and created a healing society and clinic in Tokyo in April, 1921, where he gave treatments and taught classes. His organization was and is still named Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkei.  He formulated and taught Reiki in three degrees: Shoden (First Teaching), Okuden (Inner Teaching) and Shinpiden (Mystery Teaching). He also created the Reiki Attunement ritual, which a Master uses to initiate a student into the Reiki energy. It's interesting that the symbol for mental/emotional healing taught in the second level of Reiki resembles the love symbol as it's used in the aforementioned Buddhist Temple.  The Reiki Master symbol resembles the one used to represent Sonten, the Supreme Deity in the Temple.  It seems clear that the mysteries of many symbols and philosophies were incorporated into the wonderful system of Reiki.

In September, 1923 an earthquake devastated Tokyo, and Dr. Usui took Reiki into the city to help heal survivors  (original earthquake pictures). Word of his gift for healing spread over Japan, and he traveled throughout his country providing help wherever he could. He dedicated the rest of his life to healing, and died from a stroke in Fukayama on March 9th, 1926, at the age of 62.

Basic Philosophy ~ Lineages

Sensei Usui was a warm, gentle and humble man. He didn't establish a mandatory fee for Reiki classes or sessions, and sometimes gave them free of charge. His philosophy was that to teach Reiki and acquire the peaceful state of the sages, one needed to meditate upon and follow the principles of the Meiji Emperor. In brief these principles are: 1) Don't get angry today. 2) Don't worry today. 3) Be grateful today. 4) Work hard today (meditative practice). 5) Be kind today. He taught that anyone can access Reiki, because it's found within your Self!

Dr. Usui gave the Master Teacher Attunement to sixteen persons, many of whom taught and thereby created Dr. Usui's lineages. One student who was influential in the spread of Reiki to the West was Dr. Chuujuru Hayashi.

A 4' wide by 10' tall memorial was constructed for Sensei Usui by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkei. Upon it is inscribed in Japanese Kanji the story of his life and purpose written by Mr. Okata and Mr. Ushida, who succeeded Sensai Usui as President of the organization. The Memorial is located next to his gravestone in a public cemetery at the Saihoji Temple in Tokyo, and is cared for by the members of the organization.

Where Is Reiki's Home?

It's important to understand that Reiki's home resides in Japan to this day, led by it's President, Mr. Kondo. In the Japanese Reiki tradition, there's no such title as "Grandmaster" or "Lineage Bearer".   This title was created by a Reiki organization in the West, it refers only to the structure of their own organization, and holds no influence over Independent Reiki Masters and Practitioners.

Reiki is love. Attempts, in any shape or form, to control or own Reiki come from deep misunderstanding of what Reiki means to all of humanity.