Usui Mikao
Encyclopedia
Mikao Usui was the founder of a form of spiritual practice known as Reiki
, used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. According to the inscription on his memorial stone, Usui taught Reiki to over 2000 people during his lifetime. Sixteen of these students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden level, a level equivalent to the Western third degree, or Master/Teacher level. Usui died on 9 March 1926 of a stroke.
district of the Gifu Prefecture
, Japan, which is now located near present day Nagoya.
Usui was influenced by Shintoism, the traditional faith of the Japanese people prior to contact with China. Shintoism focuses on the kami, which are spirits in the forms of birds, animals, mountains, trees and people. An 18th century scholar, Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801) said, "According to ancient usage, whatever seemed strikingly impressive, possessed the quality of excellence, or inspired a feeling of awe was called kami". Usui was known to use jumon (呪文) – spells or incantation
s in his teachings, derived from Shintoism and Taoism
.
Usui also is also said to have practiced Shugenja
(修験者), also known as Shugendō
(修験道), in addition to his alleged practice as a Tendai Buddhist. Shugendō is a Japanese mountain ascetic
shamanism
, which incorporates Shinto and Buddhist
practices. Roles of Shugendō practitioners include offering religious services such as fortune telling, divination
, channelling, prayer
, ritual incantations
and exorcism
. Shugenja was often used by family clans to heal disease or to avoid misfortune.
Usui had various careers, including acting as private secretary to Count Shinpei Gotō (後藤新平, Gotō Shinpei).
According to Japanese Reiki Master and monk Hyakuten Inamoto, Usui was a Pure Land Buddhist. As an adult, he travelled to several Western countries, including Americas, Europe, and China as a part of his continued life long study. His studies included history, medicine, Buddhism
, Christianity, psychology, and Taoism
.
Usui's ancestors were the once influential Chiba clan and were Hatamoto samurai
. Usui was raised as a samurai
from childhood, specifically aiki
jutsu
(合氣 術). According to the inscription on his memorial, Tsuentane Chiba, a military commander during the end of the Heian period
and the start of the Kamakuru period (1180–1230), was one of Usui's ancestors. In 1551, Toshitane Chiba conquered the city Usui and thereafter all family members acquired that name.
Recent discoveries by Reiki Masters and practitioners have revealed the story of Reiki's history and travel to the West as false. Hawayo Takata
, a Reiki Master attuned by Chujiro Hayashi
(林 忠次郎, 1880–1940), changed Reiki's history of development in order to make Reiki more appealing to the West. In one of their books, Frans and Bronwen Stiene claim that a Tendai Buddhist nun by the name of Suzuki San, allegedly studied Reiki with Usui from 1915 until his death in 1926. They further claim that , "There was no fixed point at which he began to teach. People were drawn to him because of his charisma and wisdom, and asked him to teach them, he never placed himself in the role of teacher."
The alleged Suzuki San is supposed to have listed Mount Hiei
(比叡山, Hiei-zan), a famous Tendai mountain
, as one of the mountains where old Sūtra copies exist with Usui's Buddhist name of Gyoho or Gyotse on them. Mount Kurama
(鞍馬山, Kurama-yama) is the other.
What Usui Mikao taught may have simply been called 'Usui do' – 'the way of Usui', and what he practiced on people could have been referred to as 'Usui teate' – meaning 'hands-on'. The teachings and tools provided were usually customized to the student, since each student learns differently. It was the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai which formalized the teachings. The hand positions were added for the students who found it difficult to work intuitively. Early students are supposed to have never heard of the word Reiki in relation to the entirety of Usui Mikao's teachings. Usui's memorial stone uses the name Usui Reiki Ryoho to refer to Usui Mikao's teachings ('Usui's healing method based on spiritual energy'). Once it came to the West, the name of the system was abbreviated to 'Reiki'.
It is believed that the aim of Usui's teachings was to provide a method for students to achieve enlightenment. Unlike religion, though, there was no belief system attached. Though enlightenment was the aim, the healing that was taking place for students was a wonderful 'side effect'. What sets Usui Mikao's teachings apart from other hands-on healing methods is his use of reiju or attunement to remind students of their spiritual connection. It seems that all students of Usui Mikao received reiju and the 5 precepts and those with a further interest in the teachings became dedicated students. There does not appear to have been a distinction between clients and students in the beginning though this may have changed at some point. People began coming to Usui Mikao possibly for different purposes – some for healing and others for the spiritual teachings.
During the early 1920s, Usui did a 21-day practice on Mount Kurama called Kushu Shinren, (which is a form of shugyo, also known as discipline or training) according to translator Hyakuten Inamoto. Common belief dictates that it was during these 21 days that Usui developed Reiki. As Mount Hiei is the main Tendai complex in Japan, and is very close to Kyoto, it has been surmised that Usui Mikao would also have practiced there if he had been a lay priest. A Zen meditation practice called Zazen
Shikan Taza may well have inspired him and his teachings on Mt Kurama.
There was a great deal of poverty in Japan at that time due to the depression. After the earthquake Usui Mikao moved his home and place of teaching to Nakano ku, outside of Tokyo, in 1925.
Mikao's memorial stone is located at the Saihoji temple in the Suginami district of Tokyo. Reiho Choso Usui Sensei Kudoko No Hi, in English this means: Memorial of the merits of Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiho (Reiki Ryoho). The inscription on the Usui memorial was written in old Japanese by Mr. Okata, and Mr. Ushida. The memorial stone was erected by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in Japan one year after Usui Mikao's death.
Reiki
is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
, used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. According to the inscription on his memorial stone, Usui taught Reiki to over 2000 people during his lifetime. Sixteen of these students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden level, a level equivalent to the Western third degree, or Master/Teacher level. Usui died on 9 March 1926 of a stroke.
Usui's life
Usui was born on 15 August 1865 in the village of Taniai in the YamagataYamagata, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan.-History:The city was established on April 1, 2003, by merger of the towns of Miyama and Takatomi, and the village of Ijira, all from Yamagata District.-External links:*...
district of the Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
, Japan, which is now located near present day Nagoya.
Usui was influenced by Shintoism, the traditional faith of the Japanese people prior to contact with China. Shintoism focuses on the kami, which are spirits in the forms of birds, animals, mountains, trees and people. An 18th century scholar, Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801) said, "According to ancient usage, whatever seemed strikingly impressive, possessed the quality of excellence, or inspired a feeling of awe was called kami". Usui was known to use jumon (呪文) – spells or incantation
Incantation
An incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
s in his teachings, derived from Shintoism and Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
.
Usui also is also said to have practiced Shugenja
Shugenja
Shugenja were the 7th century practitioners of the Japanese religion of Shugendō. They were sometimes known as yamabushi, incorrectly translated as "mountain warriors", "warrior priests", "bandit monks", etc., though warrior priests or warrior monks are correctly termed sōhei in...
(修験者), also known as Shugendō
Shugendo
is a highly syncretic Buddhic religion or sect and mystical-spiritual tradition which originated in pre-Feudal Japan, in which enlightenment is equated with attaining oneness with the . This perception of experiential "awakening" is obtained through the understanding of the relationship between...
(修験道), in addition to his alleged practice as a Tendai Buddhist. Shugendō is a Japanese mountain ascetic
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, which incorporates Shinto and Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
practices. Roles of Shugendō practitioners include offering religious services such as fortune telling, divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
, channelling, prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
, ritual incantations
Incantation
An incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
and exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
. Shugenja was often used by family clans to heal disease or to avoid misfortune.
Usui had various careers, including acting as private secretary to Count Shinpei Gotō (後藤新平, Gotō Shinpei).
Family
Usui's father's common name was Uzaemon, and his mother was from the Kawai family. His brothers, Sanya and Kuniji, grew up to become a doctor and a policeman respectively. He also had an older sister called Tsuru. Usui married Sadako Suzuki, who bore children by the names of Fuji and Toshiko. Fuji (1908–1946) went on to teach at Tokyo University, and Toshiko lived a short life, dying at the age of 22 in 1935. The entire family's ashes are buried at the grave site at the Saihō-ji Temple in Tokyo.According to Japanese Reiki Master and monk Hyakuten Inamoto, Usui was a Pure Land Buddhist. As an adult, he travelled to several Western countries, including Americas, Europe, and China as a part of his continued life long study. His studies included history, medicine, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Christianity, psychology, and Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
.
Usui's ancestors were the once influential Chiba clan and were Hatamoto samurai
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
. Usui was raised as a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
from childhood, specifically aiki
Aiki (martial arts principle)
Aiki is a Japanese martial arts principle or tactic in which the defender blends with the attacker, then goes on to dominate the assailant through the strength of their application of internal dynamics or Ki energy to effect techniques. Blending with an attacker's movements allows the Aiki...
jutsu
Jutsu
—meaning technique, method, spell, skill or trick—is a bound morpheme of the Sino-Japanese lexical stratum of the Japanese language.* Jutsu * Martial arts * Bajutsu...
(合氣 術). According to the inscription on his memorial, Tsuentane Chiba, a military commander during the end of the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
and the start of the Kamakuru period (1180–1230), was one of Usui's ancestors. In 1551, Toshitane Chiba conquered the city Usui and thereafter all family members acquired that name.
Reiki
Usui founded the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai (臼井靈氣療法學會 in Traditional Mandarin, meaning "Usui's Spiritual Energy Therapy Society"), a society of Japanese Reiki masters. His style is assumed to have survived to the present day (assumed as no-one knows exactly how the Gakkai practises nowadays), with Ushida being the one who, upon death, substituted the presidency of the association. This society remained secret for many years and at present, the shihan (master), Masaki Kondoh, is the president of the Gakkai. Though many of their teachings still remain secret, little by little, members of this association – such as Master Hiroshi Doi – have been sharing their knowledge with the rest of the world. In spite of this, it continues to be a hermetic society, nearly impossible to access.Recent discoveries by Reiki Masters and practitioners have revealed the story of Reiki's history and travel to the West as false. Hawayo Takata
Hawayo Takata
Hawayo Hiromi Takata , a Japanese-American born in Hanamaulu, Territory of Hawaii, introduced Reiki to the Western World. As a Nisei fluent in the language and culture of both Japan and the United States, she was well-suited for this task and her contributions in this area are widely acknowledged...
, a Reiki Master attuned by Chujiro Hayashi
Chujiro Hayashi
, a disciple of Mikao Usui, played a major role in the transmission of Reiki out of Japan and for turning it into a less mystical practice.Hayashi was a naval physician, and employed Reiki to treat his patients. He began studying with Usui in 1925. The following year, he took over Usui's clinic...
(林 忠次郎, 1880–1940), changed Reiki's history of development in order to make Reiki more appealing to the West. In one of their books, Frans and Bronwen Stiene claim that a Tendai Buddhist nun by the name of Suzuki San, allegedly studied Reiki with Usui from 1915 until his death in 1926. They further claim that , "There was no fixed point at which he began to teach. People were drawn to him because of his charisma and wisdom, and asked him to teach them, he never placed himself in the role of teacher."
The alleged Suzuki San is supposed to have listed Mount Hiei
Mount Hiei
is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...
(比叡山, Hiei-zan), a famous Tendai mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
, as one of the mountains where old Sūtra copies exist with Usui's Buddhist name of Gyoho or Gyotse on them. Mount Kurama
Mount Kurama
is a mountain to the north-west of the city of Kyoto. It is the birthplace of the Reiki practice, and is said to be the home of Sōjōbō, King of the Tengu, who taught swordsmanship to Minamoto no Yoshitsune...
(鞍馬山, Kurama-yama) is the other.
What Usui Mikao taught may have simply been called 'Usui do' – 'the way of Usui', and what he practiced on people could have been referred to as 'Usui teate' – meaning 'hands-on'. The teachings and tools provided were usually customized to the student, since each student learns differently. It was the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai which formalized the teachings. The hand positions were added for the students who found it difficult to work intuitively. Early students are supposed to have never heard of the word Reiki in relation to the entirety of Usui Mikao's teachings. Usui's memorial stone uses the name Usui Reiki Ryoho to refer to Usui Mikao's teachings ('Usui's healing method based on spiritual energy'). Once it came to the West, the name of the system was abbreviated to 'Reiki'.
It is believed that the aim of Usui's teachings was to provide a method for students to achieve enlightenment. Unlike religion, though, there was no belief system attached. Though enlightenment was the aim, the healing that was taking place for students was a wonderful 'side effect'. What sets Usui Mikao's teachings apart from other hands-on healing methods is his use of reiju or attunement to remind students of their spiritual connection. It seems that all students of Usui Mikao received reiju and the 5 precepts and those with a further interest in the teachings became dedicated students. There does not appear to have been a distinction between clients and students in the beginning though this may have changed at some point. People began coming to Usui Mikao possibly for different purposes – some for healing and others for the spiritual teachings.
During the early 1920s, Usui did a 21-day practice on Mount Kurama called Kushu Shinren, (which is a form of shugyo, also known as discipline or training) according to translator Hyakuten Inamoto. Common belief dictates that it was during these 21 days that Usui developed Reiki. As Mount Hiei is the main Tendai complex in Japan, and is very close to Kyoto, it has been surmised that Usui Mikao would also have practiced there if he had been a lay priest. A Zen meditation practice called Zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
Shikan Taza may well have inspired him and his teachings on Mt Kurama.
- “In April of the 11th year of Taisho (1922 A.D.) he settled in Harajuku, Aoyama, Tokyo and set up the Gakkai to teach Reiki Ryoho and give treatments. Even outside of the building it was full of pairs of shoes of the visitors who had come from far and near.” – translated from the memorial stone.
- “In September of the 12th year (1923 A.D.) there was a great earthquake and a conflagration broke out. Everywhere there were groans of pains from the wounded. Sensei, feeling pity for them, went out every morning to go around the town, and he cured and saved an innumerable number of people. This is just a broad outline of his relief activities during such an emergency.” – translated from the memorial stone.
There was a great deal of poverty in Japan at that time due to the depression. After the earthquake Usui Mikao moved his home and place of teaching to Nakano ku, outside of Tokyo, in 1925.
- “Due to his respected and far-reaching reputation many people from local districts wished to invite him. Sensei, accepting the invitations, went to Kure and then to Hiroshima and Saga, and reached Fukuyama. Unexpectedly he became ill and passed away there. It was March 9 of the 15th year of Taisho (1926 A.D.), aged 62.” – translated from the memorial stone.
Mikao's memorial stone is located at the Saihoji temple in the Suginami district of Tokyo. Reiho Choso Usui Sensei Kudoko No Hi, in English this means: Memorial of the merits of Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiho (Reiki Ryoho). The inscription on the Usui memorial was written in old Japanese by Mr. Okata, and Mr. Ushida. The memorial stone was erected by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in Japan one year after Usui Mikao's death.
See also
- Alternative medicineAlternative medicineAlternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
- Laying on of handsLaying on of handsThe laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
- Glossary of alternative medicineGlossary of alternative medicineThis is a glossary for terms and concepts being used in Alternative Medicine, an umbrella term for a large number of practices that fall outside the scope of conventional medicine.-Acupuncture:...
- US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- ReikiReikiis a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
- Chujiro HayashiChujiro Hayashi, a disciple of Mikao Usui, played a major role in the transmission of Reiki out of Japan and for turning it into a less mystical practice.Hayashi was a naval physician, and employed Reiki to treat his patients. He began studying with Usui in 1925. The following year, he took over Usui's clinic...
- Hawayo TakataHawayo TakataHawayo Hiromi Takata , a Japanese-American born in Hanamaulu, Territory of Hawaii, introduced Reiki to the Western World. As a Nisei fluent in the language and culture of both Japan and the United States, she was well-suited for this task and her contributions in this area are widely acknowledged...
- Hiroshi Doi
- Fuminori Aoki