The Japanese art of energy healing
For Level 2
For Seichim Reiki masters
The History of Reiki
Mikao
Usui was born in Japan in the mid nineteenth century. As he was growing up
in a Buddhist environment, he heard stories about the Buddha. He was
impressed with the Buddha's quest for enlightenment, even though the
Buddha, having born into extreme wealth, did not lack any material need or
pleasure. Usui was fascinated by both the Buddha's desire to help others,
and the unusual metaphysical abilities he received after enlightenment. He
also noted that the Buddha was said to be able to heal physical illness
and that many of the Buddha's disciples acquired healing abilities by
following his teachings.
Usui
looked at the people around him and saw that there were many who were
unable to lead happy and productive lives because they were sick so often,
or had physical disabilities. Feeling compassion for them, he wondered if
it would be possible to acquire the ability to use energy to heal physical
illness in the same way that the Buddha had done. With this thought in
mind, he began to work on a system of using energy to encourage natural
healing, so that he might help others. He began talking to Buddhist
teachers and priests, asking if they knew how to heal the sick.
Apparently, the ability to heal the body was either held as a secret
Buddhist technique by a few spiritual groups, or had been lost through
disuse. Usui traveled throughout Japan, studying at Buddhist temples. Usui
was allowed to study the sacred writings at each temple and occasionally
he would find something about healing and use the information to develop
his system of natural healing.
Eventually,
Usui visited the holy mountain of Koriyama where he fasted, meditated and
worked on connecting to the same source of healing energy. He stayed there
for 21 days and at the end of that time, he had learned enough to be able
to connect to the energy he was looking for and project it through his
hands to the bodies of others.
Usui went back to Tokyo to work in the poor quarter helping the sick, and to teach his system of healing to others.
The Ancient Origins of Reiki
The
pre- Usui origins of Reiki are thought to come from a Tibetan Buddhist
healing technique called Medicine Buddha. It involves the laying on of
hands, similar to Reiki. The ability to do Medicine Buddha healing is
transmitted to the student through an empowerment, and the Reiki Usui
developed is believed to be a Tibetan technique that has been largely
lost.
It
is known that techniques of this kind are easily lost due to the failure
of a teacher to pass the knowledge on. Therefore, it is important to teach
as widely as possible so that such a valuable practice runs no further
risk of being lost.
It
is known that techniques of this kind are easily lost due to the failure
of a teacher to pass the knowledge on. Therefore, it is important to teach
as widely as possible so that such a valuable practice runs no further
risk of being lost.
According
to Phyllis Furumoto, the current Reiki Grand Master, the formula for
contacting higher energies that Usui found in the Sanskrit sutras of
Buddhist monasteries was the sutra on the Buddha of healing. This sutra
was translated into English by Raoul Birnbaum and is presented in his book
“The healing Buddha”. The essence of this sutra is that there is a
spiritual supreme being known as the Bodhisattva Supreme healer, who is
available to assist those in need of healing. The formula for contacting
this higher power involves physical and spiritual purification,
meditation, repeating mantras and other practices. The most important part
of the formula is the dedication of ones life to helping others. The
Bodhisattva Supreme Healer is said to bestow great blessings of healing
and enlightenment on anyone who sincerely follows this formula.
Mark Diegutis -
Reiki master