Reiki History: Fact vs. Fiction

[calla lily]

Yesterday, I attended a level 1 class. I had already taken it 2 years ago but wanted to refresh. When the instructor was telling the class the history of reiki, I was surprised to hear things that I had not learned in my other classes. The most surprising new piece of information was the part about Mikao Usui studying theology at a university in Chicago and then going back to japan to study Buddhism.

When I came home, I decided to look this up. Maybe my previous instructors had missed something. It turns out my instructor from yesterday was missed inform. According to this article where the author had fact checked different parts of Mikao’s biography, the university in Chicago and Japan have no records of Mikao attending school there. There are more inaccuracies in reiki’s history and it is all clarified in the article. (One of the most surprising things I learned from the article is that when Mikao Usui taught reiki, there were only 3 symbols! (that are currently taught in level 2). You also learn how the reiki of today is different from how it was taught then.

Although most people do not pay attention to the history or really care to remember it once the class is over, for anyone else that was or will be taught the wrong story as I was, I think it is still important to get the story straight. For the practitioners reading this, you never know when you will find yourself teaching reiki in the future and it is best to be teaching the correct version of the story.

The article also provides lots of interesting information for the student and the teacher.

[Tanya]

I agree with you, stories change over time.
When I learnt Usui Reiki, everything felt wrong. the teacher and I would argue lots as I just couldn't digest the information being given. The attunement, I did feel the increased energy flow. but.. lvl 1-2 was 2 days.
I couldn't accept the fact I was able to go out there and perform reiki. I kept feeling something wasn't right, something was missing
Sooooo...

I questioned it all. I asked spirit and Usui to guide me and show me and so a 5 yr searching journey began. I already understood about energy but I questioned,
*how can I prove to clients, what I say is truth*
*how can I place my hands over someone and say what I can do is true*
if I was the recipient, then I would want to know the money I'm spending is being given for what I want done. right?

I was guided towards learning more on energy, training my right hand, I would touch everything and feel the different energy coming off the items or people, even myself. So I could feel which was mine and which wasn't. Left hand is for receiving so I never used it until later. I started to question chakras, people say *opening chakra, and unblocking*
I questioned *why* I know for a fact when I done my own chakras first, it can be devastating when all the emotions arise, so why would we do to another person :( I truly think a lot of people misinterpret information when concerns chakras, maybe feel for energy flow.. But I see a lot say *open or unblock* again another lesson learnt for me.
I questioned colour, if we are told to place our hands, then how come Usui spoke of colour, why arnt we being shown about that too. I did colour therapy, ohh colour chakras I still felt something was missing, then I learnt about food clothes and the colour area of the body. the ahaaaa moment !!
Sooo how did Usui send colour, and again I was shown, that's when the left hand is used, the *receiving hand* It was all starting to make sense to me.
At the same time, I was receiving messages via dream state, seeing symbols being placed on me, a diamond burning with flames under my temples. A laser beam smacked me in middle of my brow and a man placing my hands into water I assume purification process. Each time I learnt something that answered a question I asked, I saw a symbol being placed on me by someone or something symbolic being done. I also learnt about the organs and what happens when an area is blocked, how it affects everything else. After 5 yrs I finally understood. For me to truly understand Reiki, I walked the path. When I went back and asked for Reiki master. I had to do an exam, was on a person I never met and didn't know any health issues. I performed Reiki my way, not the way I was taught by the teacher but the way I was shown and guided through the journey I went through. I didn't care if I passed or not. But I more than passed the exam lol lets say I then had to teach the so called reiki master how to do the Usui Reiki I learnt. LOL

I have since done a long distance teaching with a person, and same as myself asked them to ask for guidance from spirit and Usui, and I was given a lot of confirmation as she as well saw symbols being placed on her, purification methods during dream state, but at the same I also dreamt she was given symbols a confirmation for me. The symbols funny enough was only 3 which is a part of reiki today.

Me personally, I believe there is more to Reiki than we are led to believe. I know cos I went on the journey, I searched for years until I felt I gained the knowledge I needed to make sure, when I say I can perform reiki, I really can do it. Also I don't charge money like most, I always ask a person to bake me a cake, not buy it. Or give me something that they have created themselves.

[Tanya]

I agree with you, stories change over time.
When I learnt Usui Reiki, everything felt wrong. the teacher and I would argue lots as I just couldn't digest the information being given. The attunement, I did feel the increased energy flow. but.. lvl 1-2 was 2 days.
I couldn't accept the fact I was able to go out there and perform reiki. I kept feeling something wasn't right, something was missing
Sooooo...

I questioned it all. I asked spirit and Usui to guide me and show me and so a 5 yr searching journey began. I already understood about energy but I questioned,
*how can I prove to clients, what I say is truth*
*how can I place my hands over someone and say what I can do is true*
if I was the recipient, then I would want to know the money I'm spending is being given for what I want done. right?

I was guided towards learning more on energy, training my right hand, I would touch everything and feel the different energy coming off the items or people, even myself. So I could feel which was mine and which wasn't. Left hand is for receiving so I never used it until later. I started to question chakras, people say *opening chakra, and unblocking*
I questioned *why* I know for a fact when I done my own chakras first, it can be devastating when all the emotions arise, so why would we do to another person :( I truly think a lot of people misinterpret information when concerns chakras, maybe feel for energy flow.. But I see a lot say *open or unblock* again another lesson learnt for me.
I questioned colour, if we are told to place our hands, then how come Usui spoke of colour, why arnt we being shown about that too. I did colour therapy, ohh colour chakras I still felt something was missing, then I learnt about food clothes and the colour area of the body. the ahaaaa moment !!
Sooo how did Usui send colour, and again I was shown, that's when the left hand is used, the *receiving hand*

It was all starting to make sense to me.

At the same time, I was receiving messages via dream state, seeing symbols being placed on me, a diamond burning with flames under my temples. A laser beam smacked me in middle of my brow and a man placing my hands into water I assume purification process. Each time I learnt something that answered a question I asked, I saw a symbol being placed on me by someone or something symbolic being done. I also learnt about the organs and what happens when an area is blocked, how it affects everything else. After 5 yrs I finally understood. For me to truly understand Reiki, I walked the path. When I went back and asked for Reiki master. I had to do an exam, was on a person I never met and didn't know any health issues. I performed Reiki my way, not the way I was taught by the teacher but the way I was shown and guided through the journey I went through. I didn't care if I passed or not. But I more than passed the exam lol lets say I then had to teach the so called reiki master how to do the Usui Reiki I learnt. LOL

I have since done a long distance teaching with a person, and same as myself asked them to ask for guidance from spirit and Usui, and I was given a lot of confirmation as she as well saw symbols being placed on her, purification methods during dream state, but at the same I also dreamt she was given symbols a confirmation for me. The symbols funny enough was only 3 which is a part of reiki today.

Me personally, I believe there is more to Reiki than we are led to believe. I know cos I went on the journey, I searched for years until I felt I gained the knowledge I needed to make sure, when I say I can perform reiki, I really can do it. Also I don't charge money like most, I always ask a person to bake me a cake, not buy it. Or give me something that they have created themselves.