Reiki’s history
We are about to dive into some history of reiki. Reiki was rediscovered in the middle of the 19th century by a man named Mikao Usui, who, it has been said, was responsible for its recovery.
There are many stories about the history of Reiki. Here we will learn of two of them. The first is the story as told by Grand Master Hawayo Takata (1900-1980), And the second was taken from a legend on Usui’s Memorial.
Let’s start with Hawayo Takata’s Story:
It seems Usui was the principle of a Christian seminary in Kyoto, Japan. His students asked why they had not heard anything of the healing method used by Jesus and whether Usui could demonstrate it for them. He was unable to give them an answer. He then decided to give up his position at the school and study Christianity in a Christian country until he found the answer. His quest led him to the university of Chicago in America. That is where he studied and became a Doctor of Theology, however he could not find any answers, in the Christian writings, about hands-on-healing. Usui searched the Chinese scripts, also to not find anything. He eventually traveled to North India, where he was able to study the Holy writings. Usui could read Japanese, Chinese, English and Sandskrit.
He later returned to Japan where, he found in the old Buddhist sutras some Sandskirt formulas and Symbols which seemed to hold the answer to his search. He was living in a monastery at that time in Kyoto. He then traveled to the Holy Mountain of Kuriyama. Where for the next 21 days he would fast and meditate in solitude. He had high hopes that this would bring him to the levels of consciousness the sutra formulas had described.
When he arrived at the mountain, he placed 21 small stones in front of him this was so he could count the number of days he was to fast. Each day he would discard one stone. He spent his days reading the Sutras, singing, and meditating. Everything seemed usual until the last day, when he saw a shining light moving towards him at a great speed. It came closer until it hit him in the center of his forehead. He then saw millions of little colored bubbles of blue, purple, pink, all the colors of the rainbow. A bright white light then appeared, and he saw a little known Sandskirt symbols in front of him glowing in gold color. This was the birth of the Usui system of Reiki as revealed from the Buddhist Sutras. When his consciousness returned to its normal state, the sun was shining high in the sky. He felt his spirit rise as well as a sense of strength and energy. He then began to go down the mountain. On his way down he stubbed his toe on a rock and fell. He grabbed his toe in both hand and the bleeding stopped, and the pain disappeared within a few minutes. This was the first miracle.
Along the way he stopped at a large Inn and ordered a large Japanese breakfast. He was very hungry. The Innkeeper warned him not to eat such a large meal after such a long fast. However, Usui was able to eat it all without any adverse effects. This was miracle number two.
The granddaughter of the Innkeeper had a horrible tooth ache. She had been suffering for several days. Usui laid his hands upon her swollen face and she immediately felt better. The girl then ran to her grandfather and told him that the guest was no ordinary monk. This was the third miracle.
Usui returned to his Monastery for a few days, then decided to go to the beggar city, in the slums of Kyoto, to treat the less fortunate to help them lead a better life. He had spent seven years in the asylum treating many illnesses, when he noticed the same old faces kept returning. They told him that working was to hard when he asked why they had not started a new better life. They said it was easier to beg. Usui was deeply shook to the point of weeping over this. He then realized he had forgotten something of upmost importance in his healing work. That would be to teach gratitude. In the days to come he thought about Reiki principles. He soon returned to Kyoto where he lit a large torch and stood in the streets. When he was asked why he stood in the streets with a torch, his reply was that he was looking for people in search of the true light. People who were ill, oppressed and who wanted to be healed. This began a new chapter in his life where he traveled around Japan teaching Reiki.
Usui was buried in a Kyoto temple. The story of his life was written on his gravestone. It is said that his grave was honored by the emperor of Japan.
One of Usui’s closest assistants was Dr. Chijuro Hayashi, who took his place, he became the second Reiki Grand Master in a line of tradition. He rana private Reiki clinic in Tokyo where severe illness and disease could be treated with Reiki until 1940. This is the clinic where Hawayo Takata first received Reiki treatments. Takata later returned to Hawaii after her studies. In 1938 Hayashi visited the island and Takata became a Reiki Master by Hayashi. Upon his death, in 1941, she succeeded him as Grand Master. She lived as well as healed in Hawaii for many years. At about the age 74 years old she began to train Reiki Masters. On December 11,1980 Hawayo Takata passed on to the higher vibrational quality of life. She initiated 21 Masters in the United States and Canada to carry on her great work.
Next we will learn more specifically what Reiki has been used for and some real life stories of healings or experiences.
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