History of Reiki
A Japanese Tendai Buddhist named Mikao Usui is said to have discovered Reiki after long meditation, fasting, and prayer. Usui taught that by mystical revelation he had gained the knowledge and spiritual power to apply and attune others to what is called Reiki. Mikao Usui said that he had the ability to enable people to enhance their access to the energy through certain initiations called Reiju or what is called an attunement. Attunements to Reiki enhanced and refined a person’s pre-existing ability to connect with Reiki. Through such initiations, students are said[attribution needed] to become clearer channels for Reiki and thereby improve the quality of treatments that student (or practitioner) provides. Some schools of Reiki believe that Mikao Usui was pursuing knowledge of healing before he developed his Reiki method and that he also studied traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Qigong, and Yoga.[citation needed] Usui said that the awakening of Reiki and the development of his techniques was something entirely different.[citation needed] Usui was also an admirer of the literary works of Emperor Meiji, and, in the process of developing his Reiki system, summarised some of the Meiji Emperor’s works into a set of ethical principles, which later became, and to this day are known as, the Reiki Principles. Most Reiki teachers and practitioners aim to abide by these principles, one translation of which is:
- "The secret method of inviting good fortune.
- The marvelous medicine for all sickness
- Just for today;:
- Do not be angry
- Do not be worried
- Be grateful
- Work hard (on yourself)
- Be kind to others.
- Every morning and every night, sit in the Gassho (hands held palm-to-palm [literal translation]) position and speak these words out loud in your heart.
- For the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho" - Mikao Usui, the founder.[59]
Mikao Usui trained several students. One of his students, Chujiro Hayashi a Christian and Naval doctor, stressed physical healing and taught a more codified and simpler set of Reiki techniques. Among Hayashi’s contributions was a set of fixed hand positions to be used in the course of a treatment; Usui himself preferred a method called "scanning", through which he detected imbalances, and said that the hand positions were for beginners.[citation needed] Hayashi initiated and trained Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to the USA. Takata stated that she had been appointed Grandmaster of Reiki through the lineage of Chujiro Hayashi, and that there were no surviving teachers of Reiki to be found in Japan after World War II. Some researchers have discredited her claim of Grandmastership and her allegation that no Reiki teachers remained in Japan, after they discovered lineages through practitioners other than Hayashi. They also stated that the title of "Grandmaster" does not exist, and is not recognized in Japan. In order to instill a sense of respect for Reiki, Ms. Takata charged $10,000 for each Master attunement. The different symbols also changed because of Ms. Takata. She did not allow any of the symbols to be written down more than two or three times for practice, and then she destroyed the symbols. Because of this, different Reiki teachers teach the symbols differently. Takata stated that, after developing the Reiki methodology, as well as receiving the spiritual ability to practice it, Usui went to the slums of Tokyo to attempt the healing of beggars. However, after several years of very little success, Takata says that Usui stated that it was their mindset that kept them ill, even after he had treated them again and again. Usui decided that there should be an "energy exchange" of some value for Reiki treatment. This exchange usually takes the form of cash payment, otherwise a trade of some sort. There are essentially two broad groups, or schools: the traditional school and the independent school. The traditionalists say that they teach and practice Reiki strictly as it was taught from Usui’s time until Takata’s time, although modern research suggests that training under Usui differed greatly from the way Takata taught. Another, separate branch of traditionalists advocate adherence to the (now rediscovered) Japanese school’s methods. The independent schools vary greatly in their practices and methods, ranging from those descended through Iris Ishikuro, which fundamentally adhere to traditional Reiki practice but do not follow Takata’s practice of charging up to $10,000 for attunement to Reiki Master level, to so-called "newer" schools, which add elements to traditional Reiki. Reiki has been gaining some popularity worldwide within hospitals Source : Wikipedia
