Intuitive Reflections

About the Usui System of Reiki

What is Reiki? It is one of those ancient, not so well known new natural healing methods. Compared to other healing techniques, Reiki is very simple to do and can be learned in a weekend. All you need is your hands and a willingness to work on yourself. Paul Horan's book Empowerment Through Reiki states on page 17 that "Reiki is a Japanese word for Universal Life Force Energy." The Christian word is light and the Chinese word is Chi.

Reiki was discovered in the mid to late 1800s by Dr. Mikao Usui; the dean of Doshisha University in Kyoto Japan and a Christian scholar and minister. Dr Usui was born in Kyoto Japan. A group of his students from the Christian boy's school in Kyoto asked Usui if they should take the Bible literally because they wanted to learn to heal the sick like Jesus did.

Usui felt obligated to find an answer to his students' questions about learning this lost ancient healing technique. Usui was torn between going and staying and, after careful consideration, left his two-fold position of Minister and Principal to begin a seven year study period to find the formula for healing the sick that the Bible spoke of.

Dr. Usui studied at the University of Chicago in the Theological Seminary and earned a doctorate degree on scripture. His thirst for knowledge was not quenched so he traveled to the Lotus Sutras of Japan, hoping to locate information about Buddha's healings. He researched the Chinese language with a vast range of Buddhist writings and Chinese Sutras to investigate. Still, after not being satisfied with the information he found, Usui was led to study the Tibetan Sutras; to do so he had to learn Sanskirt. After seven years of research he found the intellectual formula of the Tibetan Lotus Sutras to the Christ healings. He realized that intellectual knowledge was not enough because he needed the empowerment to put the teachings to use. After collaborating with his abbot Sage about how to receive the Reiki empowerment, they both meditated for guidance and came up with the action of climbing Mount Kui Yama, a sacred mountain near Kyoto. As Usui set out on his journey, he gathered twenty one stones so he could keep track of the days. As each day passed he removed one stone at a time. Usui fasted for twenty days. In the early morning hours of the twenty first day Usui received the empowerment. He saw a large bright white light coming towards his third eye. Frightened as he was, Usui resolved himself to accept this experience for he had searched long and hard. As he surrendered, the beam of light struck the center of his forehead (his third eye, his psychic center). As this occurred, he saw what looked like tiny rainbows dancing inside bubbles all around him. They had three dimensional sanskirt symbols of gold inside them. These were the Reiki symbols, the keys to healing he had searched for so long.

When Usui came out of his trance state, the symbols were ingrained in his mind. So excited and filled with gratitude and joy about his amazing experience, he couldn't wait to share it with the Abbot. Usui hurried down the mountain, and as he did he tripped and tore the nail off his toe. Bleeding as it was; he reached his hand to hold his throbbing toe, and as soon as he touched his toe, it stopped bleeding and throbbing.

On his way home, he stopped at a roadside vendor and ordered a very large meal. This can be dangerous just after fasting, but he was fine. The vendor's daughter served Usui his food. All the while he noticed that her cheek was swollen and red because of a toothache. After he got permission to touch her face, the swelling went down and the pain subsided.

For the next seven years, Usui spent most of his time giving healing to people in the beggars' quarter. He had earnest feelings about wanting to heal these people so they could return to a normal life outside of the beggars' quarter. Usui soon realized why these people wanted to stay inside the beggars' quarter, because the responsibilities outside were too heavy. Usui felt let down after this. He learned that healing the spirit was just as important as healing the body and that there should be an exchange of energy when Reiki is given. This is where the five spiritual precepts of Reiki were born:

1. Just for today, do not worry.
2. Just for today, do not anger.
3. Honor your parents, teachers, and elders.
4. Earn your living honestly.
5. Show gratitude to every living thing.

(Most Reiki books have these five precepts.)

He also realized that the symbols he saw on his twenty first day of fasting were to be used to empower and to initiate students into Reiki.

Usui left the beggars' quarter with the knowing that the Reiki energy should be the responsibility of each person by choosing to take responsibility for their own healing when they ask for it. He learned Reiki is more powerful for people when they want the healing.

Even though Usui was disappointed with the results of the work he had done in the beggars' quarter, he decided to lecture on Reiki to those who were interested. He made a walking pilgrimage all over Japan carrying a lighted torch. This is how he attracted people to listen to his lectures on Reiki.

After attending a Reiki lecture by Dr. Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, a retired Navel Officer, became his best student. Before Dr Usui died, he passed the Reiki empowerment on to Dr. Hayashi, where he knew the teaching would be honored and respected.

Hayashi founded a clinic in Tokyo where people came from all over the world for Reiki treatments. He also held classes and lectures on Reiki there.

It was at Hayashi's clinic in 1935 that he met Hawayo Takata from Hawaii, a Japanese American woman. Takata was on the operating table about to have a tumor removed but was intuitively prompted to not allow the operation because there was another way. Her illness had served to change her life and many who came in contact with her. Takata's doctor suggested the Reiki clinic. Takata attended the clinic daily for weeks. She began to feel healthy once again. She wanted this Reiki for herself. But back then only men were allowed to practice Reiki.

Takata was persistent in her desire to learn Reiki. As she showed her commitment to this work she was finally allowed to take the training. She received first and second degree techniques and in 1938 she was initiated as a Reiki Master Teacher.

Dr Hayashi decided to leave his body when the war between United States and Japan felt imminent. Being a Reiki Master, Hayashi did not believe in war and could not participate in violence. Before his departure, he recognized Mrs. Takata as his successor in Reiki.

As Dr. Hayashi intended, Mrs. Takata returned to Hawaii and escaped the pain of the approaching war. She was responsible for bringing Reiki to the United States. Dr. Hayashi started the Reiki clinic in Tokyo, and Dr. Usui was responsible for the rediscovery of Reiki. Thank you Dr. Usui!

Reiki is an amazing tool for self growth, self healing and relaxation; it is universal life force energy which is what we are all made up of. It can help with stress, relaxation and the ease of pain.

The Natural Usui system of healing, Reiki has three levels of practice. Level one is for the Reiki practitioner, where the Reiki Master Teacher gives the atunements to make a Reiki practitioner. The Teacher uses the Reiki symbols to open the student's crown chakra to become a channel for the Reiki energy. Once attuned always attuned. One must remember that the more you use the energy the stronger it gets.

The second level is when the student receives three of the Reiki symbols and is deeply empowered. Being a second level Reiki practitioner, one can send Reiki anywhere in the world. The bottom line, of course, is Dr. Usui's major lesson - the patient has to ask for the healing. It would be just like someone calling for an appointment if they were coming to the practitioner's home or office. The integrity of the situation is that the client makes the appointment with the practitioner; then the practitioner sends the Reiki energy to the client.

The third level of Reiki is when the student receives the master Teacher symbol and Master atunements given by a Teacher which amps up their energy even more. There are actually two levels of Reiki Three. Reiki Three A and then Teacher. Both levels of Reiki receive the Master symbol and atunements, but only the Master Teacher is shown how to give the atunements. This of course depends on who the Teacher is and what their policies are. With this choice comes a great responsibility to help and guide their students toward healing and having a more healthful life style plus being a great service to the world.

The twenty one days that Dr. Usui spent on Mount Kyoto is symbolic of the twenty one days after a student receives a Reiki atunements. This twenty one day period is a natural cleansing process, for ones' own body will be releasing toxins and adjusting to this new level of light. It is a powerful healing period to come to terms with one's own self and personal issues.

The difference between a Reiki session and a Reiki atunements is that a Reiki session is a hands on touch energy therapy session, like laying on of hands given by a Reiki Practitioner,or master Teacher, or sending Reiki energy at a distance. A Reiki atunements is given to a student by a Reiki Master Teacher for the purpose of the student becoming a Reiki Practitioner.

Reiki - being universal life force energy - works on all levels, spiritual, mental, physical and emotional. Reiki is not a religion. It allows the body to relax so the body can heal itself. Reiki is wonderful for it cannot hurt you, though caution must be used with in the case of broken bones, waiting till the bone has been set. Everyone can benefit from Reiki as well as plants and animals.

Making the choice to become a Reiki Practitioner or to go through all the levels is powerful because it allows the practitioners to work on themselves, others and their families. The process involves filling oneself with light, and in light, darkness cannot exist. Disclaimer: always consult your physician before beginning any kind of therapy.

References

1. Reiki, Hawayo Takata's Story, by Helen J. Haberly.
2. Living Reiki - Takata's Teachings, by Life Rhythm.
3. Reiki - Universal Life Energy, by Bodo J. Baginski and Shalila Sharamon.
4. Empowerment through Reiki, The Path to Personal and Global Transformation, by Paula Horan.

(This article first appeared in October, 1996 in Access Regional Holistic Resource - now the Sentient Times Magazine.)