| Natural healing: History and practice of Reiki | | | | In March,1922 Usui's personal and business life was |
| P.Joseph | | | | failing. As a sensitive spiritualist, Usui Sensei had |
| Executive Director | | | | previously spent much time meditating at power spots |
| Thacra Social Service organisation | | | | on Mt. Kurama. So he decided to travel to this holy |
| Reiki in Japan | | | | mountain, where he enrolled in Isyu Guo, a |
| The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai | | | | twenty-one-day training course. We do not know for |
| Dr. Usui started a Reiki organization in Japan soon | | | | certain what he was required to do during this training, |
| after discovering Reiki. He was the first president. | | | | but it is likely that fasting, meditation, chanting and |
| After he died, he was followed by a succession of | | | | prayers were part of the practice. In addition, we know |
| presidents: Mr. Ushida, Mr. Iichi Taketome, Mr. Yoshiharu | | | | there is a small waterfall on Mt. Kurama where even |
| Watanabe, Mr. Toyoichi Wanami, Ms. Kimiko Koyama | | | | today people go to meditate. This meditation involves |
| and the current successor to Dr. Usui as of 1998 is Mr. | | | | standing under the waterfall and allowing the waters to |
| Kondo. Contrary to what has been said by some in | | | | strike and flow over the top of the head, a practice |
| the west, there is no "lineage bearer" or "Grandmaster" | | | | which is said to activate the crown chakra. Japanese |
| in the system of healing started by Dr. Usui, only the | | | | Reiki Masters think that Usui Sensei may have used |
| succession of presidents listed above. While Dr. | | | | this meditation as part of his practice. In any case, it |
| Hayashi was a respected Reiki master, he was never | | | | was during the Isyu Guo training that the great Reiki |
| in charge of the Usui system of Reiki. | | | | energy entered his crown chakra. This greatly |
| Reiki is a generic word in Japan, and is used to | | | | enhanced his healing abilities and he realized he had |
| describe many types of healing and spiritual work. It is | | | | received a wonderful new gift - the ability to give |
| not exclusive to the system of healing based on Dr. | | | | healing to others without depleting his own energy! |
| Usui's method. The system of healing that evolved | | | | Dr. Chujiro Hayashi |
| from Dr. Usui's method is called the Usui System of | | | | Dr. Hayashi was a retired naval officer. He received |
| Natural Healing or Usui Reiki Ryoho. | | | | the Reiki Master initiation from Dr. Usui about 1925 at |
| Origins | | | | the age of 47. |
| There has been a lot of speculation about where Reiki | | | | Up to this point, the Usui system of healing consisted |
| came from, but there has been little confirmation of | | | | of the energy itself, the 3 Reiki II symbols, the Usui |
| most of these ideas. Some say that Reiki originated | | | | hand positions, the attunement process and the Reiki |
| from Buddhism or that it contains Buddhist concepts or | | | | ideals. After being asked to do so by Usui sensei, Dr. |
| techniques. I spoke with a Japanese Reiki master who | | | | Hayashi went on to develop the Usui system of |
| is also a Buddhist and has done historical research into | | | | healing. He opened a Reiki clinic in Tokyo and kept |
| Reiki in Japan. He said that he could see no connection | | | | detailed records of the treatments given. He used this |
| between Reiki and Buddhism and that he felt that Reiki | | | | information to create the Hayashi Healing Guide that |
| is religiously neutral. While Dr. Usui may have been a | | | | included detailed hand positions for specific illnesses |
| Buddhist, he had also studied Christianity and had lived | | | | and conditions. He simplified the attunement process |
| with a Christian family for a time. It is clear he had a | | | | and is likely the one to add the master symbol, thus |
| very broad background in many religious teachings and | | | | increasing the effectiveness of the attunements. This |
| philosophies | | | | may be why Takata only give a limited number of |
| The clearest and most authentic understanding we | | | | attunements for each level, whereas Dr. Usui |
| have been able to discover is that Dr. Usui originated | | | | recommended the student receive as many |
| the system of healing he taught and practiced based | | | | attunements or reiju's as possible. |
| first on his mystical experience on Mt. Kurama and | | | | Hawayo Takata |
| then later by making use of his studies in many | | | | Takata photo taken June 11, 1979, Penticton, British |
| different areas of knowledge. Usui Reiki has no | | | | Columbia, Canada. |
| connection to Buddhism, nor is it connected to Tibetan | | | | Used with permission from the estate of Gunter and |
| Buddhism or Tibetan shamanism or any other religion. | | | | Ursula Baylow |
| One of the stories says Dr. Usui discovered the Reiki | | | | Reiki comes to the West |
| symbols in a Tibetan sutra, but even though people | | | | Hawayo Takata was born at dawn on December |
| have carefully looked, no one has been able to find a | | | | 24th, 1900, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Her parents |
| Tibetan sutra with Reiki symbols in it. This is further | | | | were Japanese immigrants and her father worked in |
| validated by Dr. Usui's own writing in which he says, | | | | the sugar cane fields. She worked very hard as she |
| "Our Reiki Ryoho is something absolutely original and | | | | was growing up. She eventually married the |
| cannot be compared with any other (spiritual) path in | | | | bookkeeper of the plantation where she was |
| the world." (Taken from his Reiki Ryoho Handbook) | | | | employed. His name was Saichi Takata and they had |
| Reiki in the West | | | | two daughters. In October, 1930, Saichi died at the age |
| After coming to the west, the Usui System of Natural | | | | of thirty-four leaving Mrs. Takata to raise their two |
| Healing has evolved over time. In its current state, it is | | | | children. |
| much more organized and structured than the simple, | | | | In order to provide for her family, she had to work |
| flexible, intuitive method practiced by Dr. Usui. The | | | | very hard with little rest. After five years she |
| following is a description of the evolution of the Usui | | | | developed severe abdominal pain, a lung condition and |
| System of Reiki. | | | | had a nervous breakdown. |
| During his mystical experience on Mt. Kurama, Dr. Usui | | | | Soon after this, one of her sisters died and it was the |
| received the ability to do Reiki treatments. Later he | | | | responsibility of Hawayo to travel to Japan where her |
| added the Reiki Ideals, the three Reiki II symbols, hand | | | | parents had moved to deliver the news. She also felt |
| positions and the attunement process. Dr. Hayashi | | | | she could receive help for her health in Japan. |
| developed a complex hand position system based on | | | | She took a steamship and was accompanied by her |
| his experience as a medical doctor and from his | | | | sister-in-law. After informing her parents of the death |
| experience working in his Reiki clinic. He also further | | | | of her sister, she entered a hospital. It was found that |
| developed the attunement process and may have | | | | she had a tumor, gallstones, and emphysema. She |
| been the one to add the master symbol. (Note that Dr. | | | | rested for several weeks to prepare for the operation. |
| Usui and his organization the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai | | | | On the operating table, just before the surgery was to |
| did not use a master symbol) Mrs. Takata added the | | | | begin, Hawayo heard a voice. The voice said, "The |
| foundation treatment which is a simplified version of | | | | operation is not necessary. The operation is not |
| what she learned from Dr. Hayashi. The foundation | | | | necessary." She had never heard a voice speak to |
| treatment consists of 4 hand positions on the | | | | her like this before. She wondered what it meant. The |
| abdomen area and 3 or 4 hand positions for the head | | | | voice repeated the message a third time even louder. |
| and a few optional hand potitions on the back. She | | | | She knew she was wide awake and had not imagined |
| also decided not to teach most of the techniques (now | | | | the voice. It was so unusual, yet so compelling that she |
| called Japanese Reiki techniques) she learned from Dr. | | | | decided to ask the doctor. She got off the operating |
| Hayashi, thus simplifying the system for Westerners- | | | | table, wrapped a sheet around herself and asked to |
| that was featured in the Spring 07 issue of Reiki News | | | | speak to the doctor. |
| Magazine) She also added the fee structure previously | | | | When the doctor finally came, she asked if he knew |
| mentioned. So while the lineage is the same, going | | | | of any other way that her problems could be helped. |
| back to Dr. Usui, and the 3 symbols from Reiki II are | | | | The doctor knew of Dr. Hayashi's Reiki clinic and told |
| the same as Dr. Usui taught, in many ways, the | | | | Hawayo about it. This was something she wanted to |
| system of Reiki she taught was different than what | | | | try. |
| Dr. Usui had originally created. The important thing is | | | | At the Reiki clinic, she began receiving treatments. She |
| that her system is effective with the addition of the | | | | had never heard of Reiki before and did not know |
| foundation treatment being her most important | | | | what it was. Using byosen scanning the practitioners |
| contribution to Reiki. | | | | could sense what was wrong with Mrs. Takata. Their |
| The required waiting periods between classes were | | | | diagnosis very closely matched the doctor's at the |
| added by several of Mrs. Takata's Masters after she | | | | hospital. This impressed her and gave her confidence |
| passed on. Actually according to Mrs. Yamaguchi who | | | | in what they were doing. |
| became a Reiki teacher under Dr. Hayashi, Dr. Hayashi | | | | Two Reiki practitioners would treat her each day. The |
| taught that Reiki treatments should be given for free. | | | | heat from their hands was so strong that she thought |
| This is why he taught mostly to wealthy students who | | | | they were using some kind of equipment. She looked |
| could afford to practice without charging money. So, | | | | around, but saw none. Seeing the large sleeves of the |
| while some say payment must be received, we know | | | | Japanese kimono one of the practitioners was |
| that this is not a requirement and that it is really up to | | | | wearing, she thought she had found the location of the |
| the practitioner to decide if they want to charge a fee | | | | equipment. She grabbed the sleeves, but found nothing. |
| or not for Reiki treatments. | | | | The startled practitioner wanted to know what she |
| However, some changes were restrictive, making it | | | | was doing and when she explained, he began to laugh. |
| more difficult for students to progress. Some took the | | | | Then he told her about Reiki and how it worked. |
| Third Degree and divided it into several small parts, | | | | Mrs. Takata received daily treatments and got |
| calling each new part a new Degree and charging | | | | progressively better. In four months, she was |
| additional money. Often, the fact that they had | | | | completely healed. Impressed with the results, she |
| modified the Takata system was not mentioned and | | | | wanted to learn Reiki. However, it was explained that |
| when their students became teachers, they began | | | | Reiki was Japanese and that it was intended to stay in |
| teaching what they thought was pure Takata style | | | | Japan. It could not be taught to an outsider. |
| Reiki and even calling it pure Usui Reiki when in fact it | | | | Mrs. Takata talked to the surgeon at the hospital and |
| was not. In this way, many varieties of Reiki have | | | | convinced him to ask Dr. Hayashi to allow her to learn |
| developed with some thinking they have the only | | | | Reiki. Since Dr. Hayashi wanted to teach Reiki to |
| authentic version of Reiki when actually what they are | | | | another woman besides his wife, and since Mrs. |
| teaching is a modified form. Much of the information on | | | | Takata was so persistent, he decided that she should |
| the web about the history of Usui Reiki and how it is | | | | be the one. In the Spring of 1936, Mrs. Takata received |
| taught and practiced has not been well researched | | | | First Degree Reiki. She worked with Dr. Hayashi for |
| and people are simply publishing anything they have | | | | one year and then received Second Degree Reiki. |
| heard without attempting to find the source or check | | | | Mrs. Takata returned to Hawaii in 1937. She was soon |
| references. | | | | followed by Dr. Hayashi and his daughter who came |
| The Development of Usui Reiki | | | | to help establish Reiki in Hawaii. In the Winter of 1938, |
| Dr. Mikao Usui | | | | Dr. Hayashi initiated Hawayo Takata as a Reiki Master. |
| Dr. Mikao Usui, or Usui Sensei as he is called by his | | | | She was the thirteenth and last Reiki Master Dr. |
| students in Japan, is the founder of the Usui System of | | | | Hayashi initiated. |
| Reiki. He was born August 15, 1865 in the village of | | | | Between 1970 and her transition on December 11, 1980, |
| Yago in the Yamagata district of Gifu prefecture, | | | | Mrs. Takata initiated twenty-two Reiki Masters. |
| Japan. Usui Sensei had an avid interest in learning and | | | | Conclusion: |
| worked hard at his studies. He traveled to Europe and | | | | The original twenty-two teachers have taught others. |
| China to further his education. His curriculum included | | | | In the decade since Mrs. Takata experienced transition, |
| medicine, psychology, and religion. It is thought that he | | | | Reiki has spread rapidly in the West. It is now |
| was from a wealthy family, as in Japan only the | | | | practiced throughout North and South America, |
| wealthy could afford to send their children to school. | | | | Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, India and other |
| Eventually he became the secretary to Shinpei Goto, | | | | parts of the world. There are now an estimated |
| head of the department of health and welfare who | | | | 1,000,000 Reiki Masters with as many as 4,000,000 |
| later became the Mayor of Tokyo. The connections | | | | people having been initiated into Reiki throughout the |
| Usui Sensei made at this job helped him to become a | | | | world. |
| successful businessman. | | | | |