Dr Mikao Usui and His Rediscovery

In the year of 1822 in the city of Kyoto, Japan, Dr. Mikao Usui (a Christian Minister) was giving a sermon. After the service, two seminary students asked him to explain how Jesus did the miracles of healing and whether or not he could as well, perform the same miracles. Dr. Usui was not able to answer the students. This marked the beginning of Dr. Usui's lifelong quest to uncover the source of ancient healing techniques. He left Japan, went to America and studied at the University of Chicago. During his stay he earned a Doctorate degree in Theology. He searched the scriptures to uncover the secret of how Jesus and his disciples performed their miracles but didn't find the answer he sought. Usui returned to Japan and as he did it occurred to him that the Buddha had performed the same type of miracles as Jesus. He too had healed the sick and had great control of energy. He channeled the power of God and the Universe. Dr. Usui began asking Buddhists if they could perform these great miracles of the Buddha. The Buddhists felt the healing of the body and spirit were not always directly connected and that they concentrated on the spirit. Finally, Usui asked the question at a Zen monastery. "Do the Zen know how to heal the body?" The monk explained that they too concentrated on the spirit.

Dr. Usui requested that he be admitted to the Zen monastery to study their scriptures in search of the key to healing. His request was granted and he began his study. He learned the language of Sanskrit and began reading original Buddhists writings and discovered what he felt to be the key to healing. He found symbols, formulas and descriptions of how Buddha healed but he still didn't have the power to heal. He and his friend, a monk, meditated upon the path to take and were told the Usui should go to the holy Mont Kuri Yama. There, he was to fast for twenty-one days and meditate to seek the power to heal: during this time he would receive enlightenment and spiritual clarity.

Dr. Usui went to the mountain and began his fast. He collected twenty-one stones to count each day that passed throwing one away each morning. On the twenty-first day he awakened to a dark morning. It was like a new moon day, when no light shone in the heavens before the breaking of the dawn. He could not even see his hand in front of him as he found his way to the spot where he meditated each day. He picked up the last stone and before throwing it he prayed. He asked God for confirmation of his findings and to be given enlightenment of how to use it.

As he threw the stone over the edge of the mountain a light appeared far in the east. It began to get brighter and move closer to him. This frightened him as thoughts of turning to run crossed his mind. Just then he remembered the long years of searching and meditating and the twenty-one day fast and his prayer for enlightenment. He realized he could accept this light if it was meant for him. The light became very bright as it streamed across the heavens and hit Usui directly in his third eye. For a moment he thought he had passed because he had never before experienced such a state of euphoria. He saw many bubbles in all the colours of the rainbow followed by the powerful white light and golden Sanskrit letters. The letters were the secret formula of the Universal Life Force and how to contact it. They came to him one by one, commanding him to memorize and preserve them.

Soon this experience was over and Usui was left feeling rested and full of life energy. Excited, he jumped to his feet to tell the monk his exciting news. In his rush he stubbed his toe on a rock and reached to comfort it and stop the bleeding. To his surprise the bleeding and pain stopped very rapidly. Something was very different about his hands. They became very hot.

Dr. Usui continued his descent and soon began to feel hungry. He stopped at a home that served travelers and ordered some food. A girl with a bandage around her jaw brought Usui his food and told him that she had a tooth ache. Encouraged by his own pain relief he asked if he could give her a healing. He put his hands around her jaw and within a short period of time her pain was gone. Usui finished his meal and went to pay for it but the girl's father was very grateful and told him to take the meal in exchange for healing his daughter.

Upon returning to Kyoto, he went to the monk for advice. What should he do now the he has received the key and energy of healing? He was told to go to the beggar kingdom in Tokyo. This kingdom was controlled by the Beggar King who allowed Usui to stay and heal the sick although he did not believe Usui would succeed.

For the next seven years Dr. Usui worked from daylight to dark healing the sick. Over this time he understood how the Reiki energy flowed through him into the healee and how the body became well.

One afternoon he took a walk and came across a beggar who looked familiar. He was one of the first beggars he healed. Usui asked if he was still a beggar. He answered, "oh Dr. Usui yes, and I did just what you told me. I went out to the temple to receive a new name; I went to society and began dealing with my Karma just like you told me to do. I even got a job and married but, it was too much responsibility. So I decided I would rather be a beggar. That way I wouldn't even be responsible for myself." This upset Usui and he thought that maybe the churches were right. Maybe the physical is not enough; maybe the spiritual also must be healed. Never again will Reiki be given away. There must be an exchange of energy. He decided to leave the kingdom.

As he walked back to the monastery, Usui was greeted in spirit by the teachers who greeted him on Mount Kuri Yama. The teachers gave him the Five Spiritual Principles of Reiki:

Just for today:

I will not worry

I will not be angry

I will do my work honestly

I will give thanks for my blessings

I will be kind to my neighbour and all living things

Usui realized he had been healing without the healee taking any responsibility at all. Also, there had been no exchange of energy for his services. The new teaching provided spiritual concepts to be integrated with the physical aspect of Reiki energy.

Dr. Usui lit a torch and walked through Kyoto. When asked why he had a lit torch during daylight he replied that he was searching for people with a heart full of love and enlightenment but who are sad and do not know the true light. He invited these people to come and learn about Reiki. He started teaching throughout Japan and gathered a following of sixteen teachers. Dr. Usui passed in about 1893 after asking Dr. Chujiro Hayashi to preserve the Reiki teachings. Dr. Hayashi did so as he traveled and dedicated his life to Reiki. He trained two women. One stayed in Japan and the other, Mrs. Hawayo Takata of Hawaii, was made a master in 1938 prior to Hayashi's death. Mrs. Takata was instrumental in spreading the teachings of Reiki to the United States and Canada.