Mikao Usui

Mikao Usui, samurai and scholar of theology, is the founder of the spiritual and therapeutic practice known as reiki

Mikao Usui (Taniai, 08/15/1865 - Fukuyama, 9/03/1926)

Mikao Usui, descendant of the Chiba clan who grew up as a samurai (in particular according to the precepts of aiki jutsu), spent a lifetime of study, especially applying himself to the study of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, psychology, medicine and history. . He traveled extensively in China, Europe and America. He had many careers, including that of personal secretary to Count Shinpei Gotō, a prominent Japanese politician.

Mikao Usui and the discovery of reiki

Mikao Usui synchronously absorbed the principles of Shintoism, Taoism and Tendai Buddhism; it is also said that he practiced Shugenja or Shugendō (ascetic siamanism of the mountains). In 1922, as a final result of a spiritual journey culminating in a three-week fast and meditation, Mikao Usui came into contact with reiki and understood how to use it as a tool for personal growth, spiritual evolution and self-healing.

Shortly afterwards he opened his first practice and teaching center in Harajuku, the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai .

During his life he transmitted his teachings to over two thousand people and began 17 Masters . As for the diffusion of reiki in the West, it is necessary to go back to the meeting of Usui with Chujiro Hayashi, naval officer on leave, which happened, according to tradition, in one of the markets where Usui wandered with a lantern in search hand of men interested in the truth. Hawayo Takata met Hayashi in Hawaii in 1936 and a few years later he became a Mistress. It was she who brought reiki to the West when she moved to California. Hawayo Takata died in 1980, leaving 22 Reiki Masters, many of them American.

The reiki according to Mikao Usui

Since time immemorial, it has often happened that those who discovered original and secret laws either kept them for themselves or shared them only with their descendants. Usually this secret served to guarantee a condition of financial security for their descendants and disciples. The secret is not transmitted to outsiders. However this is an old and outdated habit. Since in times like these the happiness of mankind is based on common work and on the desire for social progress, I could not allow anyone to appropriate Reiki. Our Reiki Ryôhô is something absolutely original that cannot be compared to any other spiritual path and therefore I would like this method to be (freely) available to the public for the well-being of humanity. Each of us has the potential to be able to receive a divine gift whose result consists in the union of body and soul. With Reiki many people will experience the blessing of the divine: first of all, Reiki Ryôhô is an original therapy based on the Spiritual Power of the Universe, through which man first receives health and then mental peace and joy. Today we need to improve and restructure our lives in such a way as to free our fellowmen from disease and suffering. For this reason I dare to teach this method freely in public.