Reiki Ryoho

While some sources maintain that the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Method Learning Society) was founded by Usui-Sensei himself in 1922, it is generally accepted that the Gakkai was actually founded by Rear Admiral Juusaburo Gyuda (Ushida) and other students around 1926/7.

It is also said that they posthumously honoured Usui-Sensei by naming him as the first kaicho (president / chairman) of the society, Ushida himself being classed as the second.

Prior to the Japanese entering W.W.II, Hayashi-Sensei had committed suicide, and with Takata-Sensei returning home once more to Hawaii, all contact between Japanese Reiki practitioners and the West was, it seems, lost.

[Well almost all - fourteen years after Hayashi-sensei's death, Takata-Sensei made a return visit to Japan and met with his wife,Chie, who was also a Reiki master.]

Certainly, in later years, it seems to have been the general consensus amongst Usui Shiki Ryoho practitioners that the practice of Reiki had eventually died out in Japan, and that, (up to 1976 when she began initiating masters) Takata-sensei was the only living Reiki Master on the planet.

However, as journalist and "Radiance Technique" Reiki practitioner Mieko Mitsui was to discover on returning to Japan in 1985 to research the origins of Reiki, this was not the case.

Not only was Reiki alive and well, but so, it seemed, was the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai.

[Though it has been suggested that the current Gakkai (if in fact it exists at all) might actually be a recently 'restablished' society - in much the same way that, in the West, long-defunct esoteric orders have been re-established by those with no direct connection to the originals]

The current president of the Gakkai is said to be a Mr. Masayoshi (or Masaki) Kondo.

Between Ushida (who held the office from 1926 to his death in 1935) and Kondo (1999 to date) there have apparently been four other presidents:
Kanichi Taketomi; Yoshiharu Watanabe; Hoichi Wanami; and Kimiko Koyama.

At one time there were supposedly more than 80 branches of the Gakkai, though at present there are only 5, with a combined membership in the region of 500 people, only 12 of which are of Shinpiden level.

According to Hiroshi Doi [who claims to be a member of the Gakkai] at the Gakkai's headquarters in Tokyo, weekly meetings referred to as shuyo kai are held, during which the students chant the gokai (the Reiki Precepts), practice the Hatsurei-ho and sing Gyosei - poetry penned by the Emperor Meiji. [These poems are in a style known as waka, ('Japanese Song') - short poems with lines containing fixed numbers of syllables. The familiar Zen haikyu are a form of waka]

Teachings: Reiki teachings state that there is a universal “life force” spiritual energy, which can be accessed by practitioners to induce a healing effect.It is claimed by believers that anyone can gain access to this energy by means of an attunement process carried out by a Reiki Master.This is not measurable energy and its existence has no scientific basis. Reiki treatments from a distance. This method, it is stated, involves the use of special symbols to form a temporary connection between the practitioner and the recipient, regardless of location, and then to send the Reiki energy. Techniques are also taught whereby Reiki can be sent to a specific point in time, either in the past or the future.

The energy involved in a Reiki treatment is said to be “from the Universe”, rather than the personal energy of the practitioner, and is therefore inexhaustible.(Some teachings say that the energy enters the practitioner through the crown chakra at the top of the head, before being emitted from the hands.) As a consequence, Reiki practitioners are taught that they can treat themselves with Reiki.

What is reiki ?

Reiki is said to be a form of spiritual practice. Reiki_as_spiritual_practice-0″[1] used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. Reiki_as_holistic_therapy-4″[5] Mikao Usui is said to have developed Reiki when, he claimed, he received the ability of ‘healing without energy depletion’ after three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama, in Japan.[6] Practitioners use a technique similar to the laying on of hands, which they say will “channel healing energy” (ki).[7] Practitioners state that energy flows through their palms[8] to bring about healing[9] and that the method can be used for self-treatment[10] as well as treatment of others.

Reiki and Islam

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad (SAW) is His slave and Messenger.

Before I begin I would like to say that this research was an unbiased research. I started finding about reiki when I heard about it on TV and from people who practice it. I have given account of what is reiki from the sites of institutes of reiki and also from wikipedia.

I begin with verses from the Holy Quran and Hadees of Prophet (saw).

Allah says: And they ask you (o Muhammad (saw)) concerning the ruh (the spirit). Say: “The Ruh (the spirit) is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of the knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little. “ (Surah 17 Al-Isra , Ayat # 85)

Narrated by Abdullah (Bukhari book 003 hadees 127)

While I was going through the ruins of medina and he was reclining on a date palm leaf stalk, some jews passed by. Some of them said to the others . Ask him (the prophet peaceb upon him) about the spirit. Some of them said that they should not ask him that question as he may might give a reply which would displease them. But some of them insisted on asking, and so one of them stood up and asked, “O abu-al- Qasim! what is the spirit?” The Prophet remained quiet. I thought he was being inspired Divinely Inspired. So i stayed till that state of Prophet ( of being Divinely inspiration) was over. The prophet then recited the above verses. (surah 17, ayat 85).

On the authority of ‘Umar, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said:

“While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.

He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam.” Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, “Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it).” Said he (the man), “You have spoken truly.”

We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, “Inform me about iman (faith).” He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, “It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects.” He said, “You have spoken truly.”

Then he (the man) said, “Inform me about Ihsan.” He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, ” It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you.” He said, “Inform me about the Hour.” He (the Messenger of Allah) said, “About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.” So he said, “Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming).” Said he, “They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings.” Thereupon the man went off.

I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, “O ‘Umar, do you know who that questioner was?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” He said, “That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.””

Do you keep your eyes open or shut -- or somewhere in between -- when you practice Reiki?

A third reason I appreciate working with my eyes open is the added opportunity to “see” the physical effects of the session. Seeing their breathing slow, the body relax, eyes stop twitching, belly rising and lowering naturally and all the other physical signs that I missed with my eyes closed. Since I first received Reiki Attunements and training, I have sensed what other’s process and systems functioning. This is an inner process and supports the core of Reiki for me. I am grateful I have been guided to not stop there and include visual evidence of what is happening as well. Again, why limit the possibilities? I do not say this from the perspective that I do not have enough faith in Reiki to do what it needs to do. Like most of us, I have experienced and witnessed shifts, changes and transitions that cannot be accurately described due to their at times miraculous nature. Reiki has changed my life and I have significantly more Faith in Reiki than myself. That is why I want to give myself every opportunity to stay focused, present, engaged and aligned with the Reiki lineage as much as possible. Reiki is an honor and I want to embrace that honor to whatever lengths I can. I know there have been questions and conversations about how much intention matters in Reiki, but my experiences to date strongly support the power of intention and its effectiveness. If my intention is to include my whole body and being in the process, how can it not increase the effectiveness of the process for all involved? If folks ask for Reiki to pass through their hands, why stop there?

This is not to judge or disrespect any other method that we practice as Reiki Practitioners; I am just sharing my experiences. This reflection came about from this Reiki Meet Up I participated in when folks were sharing about their process and how they didn’t know where their hands were, or where other’s hands were, etc. Keeping our eyes open and still maintaining our connection to the Source of Reiki seems a positive way to support our work. I hope for those who give it a try find the same positive effects that I have experienced.

Reiki practitioner Michael Swerdloff, our correspondent in Korea, checks in with an article on that very topic:

I had the opportunity earlier this month to participate in a Reiki Meet Up in Seoul, South Korea. Since Reiki is not very popular here in Korea, I was excited at the opportunity to share and receive some Reiki, and meet some good people. I was not disappointed. The group had lots of positive energy and everybody was respectful of each other. I felt welcomed from the minute I arrived and as usual, as a male, I was in the minority. I was grateful there was another male present, the group facilitator. In all, the group was made up of nine people; a few had never experienced Reiki previously and seemed to have very positive experiences. As is typically the case, I find the “proof” of Reiki success is in the change in the color and brightness of the eyes, cheeks and skin of each person as they slowly eased off the table. Our face and energy say what we are not always able to communicate verbally.

It was during the actual “table time” itself that has caught my attention and reflection since then. I have been fortunate to receive training from a very dedicated and focused Reiki Teaching Master who I think would prefer to stay anonymous, so I will honor that intention. She has instilled in me the wisdom of utilizing all our resources to support someone’s process. I am speaking specifically about using the eyes as a means of transmitting Reiki. I leave my eyes open when working with someone else. I know this has become rare these days in the Reiki community but I have had enough experience to convince me of its merits. In fact, I consciously ask for Reiki to flow through the eyes, belly, root and feet, as well as the hands. Why place limits on Reiki? I find using all three eyes increases the intensity of the energy. My experience is that the eyes are more powerful than the hands, almost without exception. The energy tends to be cleaner and tighter. I know others access their eyes during Reiki counseling, I do not understand why it is not consciously included during hands-on work. That is none of my business. I do what I do because it has been effective for me, and those I have been fortunate to pass on Reiki Teachings.

Another added benefit besides the increased energy is increased focus. My experience has been that I am more present and focused when I look at whom and where the energy is directed. My whole Self is present. I do not drift and space out as much as I used to with my eyes closed. I do not get lost in my own stuff, or get caught up in things that I do not need to be getting involved in when working with someone else. Like most Reiki Practitioners, I take our responsibility serious and try my best to honor and respect those who have been sent our way. I feel if I can stay present even a pinch more, it is worth my effort.

Reiki In India

Reiki is being practiced all over India and is very popular. It seems to have gotten started about 1992. Then in 1994, one of my students, William Hawu began teaching all levels of Reiki and it took off. There are now an estimated 1,000,000 people practicing Reiki in India and the numbers keep growing. One thing we noticed is that Indians are into Reiki for the healing benefits and they really practice Reiki. With a large population of poor, Reiki is a solution for low income people and we heard many Reiki success stories from all over India. We taught 5 classes in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai with a total of 140 students. Because of the low income of most Indians, we adjusted the cost of the classes so it was afordable.

While there we also spent 3 days at the the Sai Baba ashram in Putaparty. Baba does 2 darshans a day and we were at 5. I took pictures of the World Peace Crystal Grids for both the North and South Pole and wrote prayers on them. I asked that the World Reiki community would be united in love and work together in harmony, I asked also that the WPCGs would be charged by Baba for world peace and I also asked that Baba help me on my path as a Reiki leader. As he came by during darshan, I held out the pictures and he came over, felt the energy and then accepted them. So, Baba has blessed the World Reiki community and because of this, I am sure we will now see a major difference in how all the groups of Reiki people get along with each other. I received many spiritual blessings while I was there and plan to return to spend even more time in the future.