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Original Japanese Usui Reiki
What is Reiki?
Reiki Ho was originally founded by Mikao Usui, born in 1865, as Usui Reiki Ryoho (Ryoho means a treatment or therapy). He left his hometown, Gifu Prefecture, when he was young and had many different jobs. He then started thinking deeply about the true meaning of life.
After a long quest, he concluded that the goal of life was to reach Anshin Ritsumei (安心立命, Spiritual Peacefulness, 悟り, Satori).
What is Anshin Ritsumei?
It is to know the truth that the Universe gives each one of us a life with a lifelong mission. The Universe wants the best for us, never sends illness or unhappiness, so we should trust the Universe with a peaceful mind, and do what we are meant to do, no matter what happens. Usui Sensei understood them and practiced meditation at a temple in Kyoto for three years to continue his quest for Anshin Ritsumei.
However, he was unable to reach Anshin Ritsumei. In despair, Usui Sensei went fasting, preparing for death on Mount Kurama. As a result, his inner vibration resonated with the vibration of the Universe, and he experienced Oneness with it. He finally achieved Anshin Ritsumei. Usui Sensei knew intuitively that the vibration he resonated with was the Reiki that he had heard of from long ago, and understood that Reiki is a vibration in the Universe that will guide us to a healthy and happy life.
On his way home, he experienced many occurrences of healing. He realized that the Universe had given him healing ability. Healing occurred when he resonated with the Reiki vibration, just like the experiences he had on Mount Kurama. He took it as a sign from the Universe that he should share this simple hand-placement treatment as a starting point that leads us to Anshin Ritsumei.
He named it Usui Reiki Ryoho and established the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in Tokyo in April 1922 to teach it to as many people as possible. The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai still exists to this day to share Usui Sensei’s teachings continuously.
Usui Sensei's philosophy was simple. Human beings are basically made happy and healthy. Illness and unhappiness occur when we are not resonating with Reiki due to many factors. When our inner Reiki and the Reiki in the Universe resonate, we will regain happiness and health. Healing occurs when our inner Reiki resonates with the Reiki in the Universe. Anshin Ritsumei is an ultimate result of Reiki resonance with inner-self and the Universe. The origin of Usui Reiki Ryoho is to start a Reiki journey with the hand placement treatment, improve our resonance with Reiki every day, and reach Anshin Ritsumei. This was the original intention of Usui Sensei when he started Reiki.
Reiki Travels from Japan to the world
- the Birth of Western Reiki
Usui Sensei had about 2,000 protégés, and 21 out of 2,000 were Shihan (masters). Chujiro Hayashi Sensei, a Japanese military doctor and naval captain, and the last Shihan Usui Sensei had trained, taught Hawayo Takata, who later brought Usui Reiki to Hawaii.
Chujiro Hayashi established Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai (Hayashi Reiki Clinic and Laboratory) and left Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai after Usui Sensei had passed away. Hawayo Takata from Hawaii came to Japan to receive treatment for her serious illnesses. After she was cured, she learned Reiki from Hayashi Sensei and became a Reiki master in Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai. She continued providing Reiki sessions in Hawaii and trained 22 Reiki Masters. This was the origin of the so-called Western Reiki system.
After Takata Sensei passed away, her trainees split into two groups, and each group has spread Reiki globally. Reiki has been accepted by many people for its simple methods and highly effective results. Currently, over a several million people practice Reiki worldwide.
What is the difference between original Japanese Usui Reiki and Western Reiki?
The original Japanese Usui Reiki Ryoho has changed little by little from the way it was as it was introduced to Hawaii, to the mainland United States, and then to the world. With many different philosophies and techniques, Western Reiki was introduced to Japan around the end of the 1980's.
Western Reiki has significantly different characteristics from the original Japanese Usui Reiki. The original Japanese Usui Reiki clearly has its own traditional approach, philosophy, and protocols that have strictly been kept and passed on for generations only in Japan, whereas Western Reiki is more diverse with some groups keeping the traditions somewhat strictly, some groups freely changing them, and some are in between them.
Both the original Japanese Usui Reiki and Western Reiki have excellent features.
In the original Japanese Usui Reiki, it is considered that negative energy causes illness. A practitioner begins a Reiki session looking for negative energy and sends Reiki to eliminate it. Subsequently, the practitioner will use Reiki to enhance spirituality to not resonate with negative energy again. Furthermore, you will continue improving your vibration to achieve a peaceful and abundant life.
Western Reiki has a philosophy to work with modern medicine as complementary medicine, and it has been effective in improving a patient's mind and body.