History Of Reiki

Whilst it is often claimed that Reiki healing has been practised though millenia, by many of the ancient cultures on earth, including ancient India and Tibet the 'Traditional Reiki Story' is of it's re-discovery by Dr Usui during the late 1800s

The story begins in the mid-1800s with Dr Mikao Usui, then Principal of a Christian College in Kyoto Japan. Dr Usui, also a Christan Minister, was challenged by his students about the veracity of the healing miracles described in the Bible, and asked to explain how they were performed. Because he could not answer these questions he set out on a quest for this lost knowledge.  He travelled for many years and his quest took him to The University of Chicago Divinity School in the United States, where he studied for and was awarded, a doctorate in Theology. Even then he still could not explain the healing miracles so he continued his search back in the Far East, studying in Buddhist monasteries. He then decided to make a Spiritual Pilgrimage to Mt.Kurama, back in Japan, to fast and meditate for 21 days.

On the 21st day he was struck by a bright projectile of light that progressed towards him, striking him between the eyes and causing him to lose conciousness for some time. During this time Dr Usui saw visions of the Reiki symbols. As he saw each symbol he became attuned and he received knowledge about the names of each one & how to use them.

Dr Usui made his way down the mountain and back to the monastery where he had been staying. As he did so four events confirmed that he had received the healing gift he'd sought for so long:

1. Firstly, he badly injured his toe. As he reached down and touched it, the healing energy flowed through his hands, completely healing it.
2. Secondly, he stopped for a meal to break his fast and was given the usual advice that only a very light meal was recommended. He ignored this advice, ordered a full meal and enjoyed it without any ill-effects.
3. Thirdly, the meal was brought to him by the food-seller's daughter who was suffering from painful toothache. With her permission, Dr Usui placed his hand near the girl's jaw and her pain vanished.
4. Finally, when Dr Usui returned to the monastery he found his friend the elderly abbot in bed due to painful arthritis. Usui placed his now 'healing' hands on the abbot's painful joints and restored the abbot to health.

Dr Usui then spent several years doing healing work with cripples and beggars in the poorer districts of Kyoto, Japan. The healings were dramatic, however, after a while he noticed that some of the same people were returning to the streets. They explained that this was because it was easier than working.

Dr Usui was disappointed but came to 2 conclusions. Firstly he recalled wisdom that Buddhist monks had given him years before, that healing the spirit was more important than healing the body. Secondly, these people had not appreciated gifts that had been given to them without charge.

Usui realised that he had ignored the spiritual needs of these people, assuming that their physical needs were paramount. He spent further time in meditation and received the five Reiki Principles:

Just for today, do not anger,
Just for today, do not worry,
Honour your parents, teachers and elders,
Earn your living honestly,
Show gratitude to every living thing.

Dr Usui started teaching others how to heal using the Reiki method, and sharing with them the principles and other insights he had received during his years of practise. He attuned 16-18 Reiki Masters, enabling them to continue the teaching of this method of healing. Towards the end of his life, in the late 1920s, Dr Usui asked Dr. Chujiro Hayashi to become the next Reiki Grand Master and to preserve the Reiki knowledge so that it would not be lost again.

Dr. Hayashi developed the structure of the Reiki system of healing, dividing the teaching of it into three degree stages. He also devised sets of standard hand positions - both for self-treatment & for treating others. He carried out much of his work from a Reiki Clinic in Tokyo, Japan, which he set up in the early 1930s. Dr Hayashi continued Dr Usui's work and attuned 13-16 additional Reiki Masters.

During this time Mrs Hawayo Takata, an American born in Hawaii of Japanese parents, returned to Japan to visit her parents in 1935. Her husband had died and she had experienced ill-health. She came to the clinic rather than have an operation to remove a tumour and stayed on in order to receive Reiki treatments. Four months later she was completely healed of all her health problems, and very impressed!

Takata asked to be allowed to learn Reiki but initially her request was denied because she was not Japanese. Eventually Dr Hayashi agreed to teach Takata how to perform Reiki Healing herself. In the spring of 1936 Takata received the First Degree Attunement. She then worked in the clinic every day for a year in exchange for the privilege of learning Reiki. Then she received the Second Degree Attunement, and returned to Hawaii to set up a Reiki clinic there.

Takata's first Reiki Clinic in Hawaii was also the first outside of Japan. In 1938 Dr. Hayashi visited Hawaii and he and Takata undertook a lecture tour together. It was during this visit that Takata was initiated as a Reiki Master. Dr. Hayashi returned to Japan and Takata continued working at her clinic. In 1939 Takata opened a second Reiki clinic.

In order to protect Reiki from the onset of World War ll he asked Hawayo Takata to take over from him as the next Grand Master of Reiki. Dr. Chujiro Hayashi passed over on 10 May 1941.

Takata taught Reiki throughout the United States and Canada for about forty years, training hundreds of people. It was not until the 1970s that she trained other Reiki Masters. Then she initiated a total of twenty-two Masters, all of them paying large sums of money for this privilege
Hawayo Takata passed-on in 1980, and Phyllis Furumoto (Takata's granddaughter) became the new Grand Master of the Traditional Usui Reiki.