|
Reiki History |
There is a stone epitaph of "Usui-Sensi" in the Bodhi Temple in Tokyo. It was built in February 1927, the year following his death by over 2000 of his pupils. This memorial has been translated into English independently by Hiroshi Doi and Frank Arjava Petter and others. The following information is taken from those translations. He was born August 15, 1865. He studied in Europe, America, and China. He studied history, biography, medical science, Christianity, Buddhism, psychology, mythology, the art of cursing, divination and physiognomy. Despite his intelligence he led a poor and unsuccessful life. He went to Mount Kurama and did a penance fast for 21 day. On the 21st day he felt a great Reiki over his head and was spiritually awakened. He treated his own body and his family members. He moved to Aoyama Harajiko Tokyo in April 1922 and established an institute. People came from near and far for guidance and cure. In 1925 he outgrew his training center and moved to a new house in Nakano. He became well known and traveled all over Japan. He died abruptly after catching a disease at the age of 62. The reiki cure is aimed at not only healing disease but also connecting the mind to keep the body healthy and enjoy a welfare of live. so practice the final instructions of the Emeeroro Meiji morning and evening to keep them in mind. To develop a pure and sound mind to make the most of your daily life.
In his clinic, pairs of students treated patients.. He had 8 treatment beds and 16 healers working in his clinic. He was the person who divided Reiki Training into Three Degrees.
Reiki TodayReiki has become very popular. It is very simple and very profound. It is complements healing modalities of every type and doesn't require elaborate and restrictive belief systems, altered states of consciousness or exhaustive personal effort. Because of the simplicity and usability a confusing amount of 'new' reiki branches have been developed. Most of these reiki styles are based on the original Usui Reiki Ryoho. Reiki Masters have changed the attunement ceremony, added new symbols, more levels, new ways to work with the reiki, taken methods out of the system or included techniques from other modalities. Some people state that they have received channeled information from spiritual beings, archangels, and ascended masters. Some claim to be working with energy that is of an higher vibration, or from other healing rays. Some claim to activate your DNA. Many founders of off-shoot branches have trademarked their system. We are getting information about how Reiki was practiced in Japan historically and presently. Some of the 'new' and 'traditional Japanese' methods of working with Reiki are very interesting and worth investigation. It is thanks to these off-shoots and the the surrounding controversy that have allowed Reiki to be so well known. But these methods are not superior or of a 'higher' vibration and many contain things that are specific to a few people's belief systems. I am concerned about some of the borrowed techniques that are being packaged with or as Reiki because they are taught with out the proper training and can be invasive. But that doesn't take away from what a good simple system the Usui System of Reiki Healing is. It is a complete system, you can learn it in a short amount of time for the benefit of yourself and those that you come in contact with. Reading from various sources:
|
The story of Mikao Usui (1865-1926), the founder of reiki is shrouded
in myth and not much detail is known. The traditional story of the discovery
of reiki was a teaching story and not historically accurate. The book, 
One of his students was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi (1879-1940),
a retired Japanese navy officer. Chujiro Hayashi became reiki master in
1925. Dr. Usui mainly used intuition to decide which body parts needed healing.
Dr. Hayashi developed a more organized way of treating. He developed a set
of standard hand positions to make sure that all important areas of the
body were covered. Hayashi opened a clinic in Shinanano-Machi Tokyo.
One of Hayashi's students was a Japanese American woman, living in Hawaii,
Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Hawayo Takata was diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Her doctor sent her to Hayashi's clinic. After two months of intensive
treatment she was completely recovered. She was very impressed with teh
treatment
and worked in the clinic for a year before she went to Hawaii. In 1938,
Hayashi visited Hawaii and Hawayo Takata received the Masters Training. She
started a clinic and focused on treatment until a few years before her
death. She trained 22 teaching masters that have taught Reiki all over the
world. This branch of Reiki is now internationally known and has spread quickly.