The story according to Mrs. Hawayo Takata is:
Some of the students asked him one day, in the 1870's, if he believed in the miracles Jesus did (raising dead, etc.). Being a Christian Monk he answered "Yes". They asked if he knew how Jesus had done this, "No" he said. He realized that he must find out how Jesus healed. This immediately set him on a journey of many years. Studying, first at Christian schools in the US with no results. Someone suggested Buddhist writings since the Buddha had also healed. This meant more years at monasteries in the Orient. Nowhere could he find the answers. In Japan he toured all the monasteries there asking about how Jesus or the Buddha had healed. In one small monastery, he found some ancient Sanskrit writings. After a few more years of study, he felt he had come to an understanding and that to go further required serious meditation. He went to a nearby mountain declaring his intention to fast and meditate for 21 days and that if he did not come back they should come and get his body.
He went to the mountain and settled in with 21 stones with which to count the days. On the 21st day nothing had come as yet, and he turned over the last stone saying "Well, this is it, either I get the answer today or I do not". At that moment on the horizon he could see a ball of light coming towards him. The first instinct was to get out of the way, but he realized this might just be what he was waiting for, so allowed it to hit him right in the face. As it struck him he was taken on a journey and shown bubbles of all the colors of the rainbow in which were the symbols of Reiki, the very same symbols in the writings he was studying but had been unable to understand. Now as he looked at them again, there was total understanding.
After returning from this experience he began back down the mountain and was, from this moment on, able to heal. This first day alone he healed an injured toe, his own starvation, an ailing tooth and the Abbots sickness, which was keeping him bedridden. These are known as the first four miracles.
He spent the next seven years in the beggar section of Kyoto, healing the poor and sick people there, assisting them with finding employment, and elevating them out of poverty. However after some time he noticed familiar faces, those of people whom he'd healed long ago who were back again. Asking them, they complained that life outside beggartown was too hard and that it was much simpler to beg for a living.
This threw Usui into a quandary and he returned to the monastery. From this he realized he hadn't taught gratitude along with the healing. That he'd focused on the physical ailments without dealing with the spiritual matters. The people had not understood the value of the gift he gave them. At this point, he developed the Reiki Principles.
Dr. Usui returned to the monastery for further reflection and planning. After some time in the monastery he came to a different strategy. In this new plan he would travel around the countryside from village to village. In each one he would stand in a public place during the day holding aloft a lit torch. When people would ask him why he's doing such a crazy thing, his answer was he was looking for the few who are interested in improving themselves. In this way he traveled around teaching and healing, working both with the spiritual healing as well as physical healing. In following with the Japanese norms of supporting their Master or teacher, they made a personal investment towards their improvement, instead of just accepting some healing.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
History of Western Usui Reiki
Reiki has a very unique history. Although the Reiki energy itself goes back over 2500 years, as evidenced in Sanskrit Sutras, and the writings of Tibetan Monks and Enlightened Masters, the history of Reiki at taught today is much more modern. It begins in the early 1900s. Evidence of Reiki from before World War II remained in Japan and has been rediscovered to the rest of the world very recently.
With roots in Japan prior to World War II, it is not surprising that some documentation was lost. Apparently the survivors of Dr. Hayashi lost to the war the resources allowing them to continue the clinic he founded, and many stopped practicing Reiki for fear of persecution for not 'supporting the war'. Others continued to practice and their students are still practicing today.
If it were not for Mrs. Takata learning Reiki and taking it to America, this healing technique would have been lost to the western world. The war brought with it the loss of valuable memories and knowledge that was present in the group who learned from Reiki's originator, Dr. Usui. Mrs. Takata had to modify the story of Reiki right after World War II to make it acceptable to the Christian, western mind. Hopefully, with an open mind, and with practice, study and intuition, we will bring back any lost knowledge.
The history presented here is primarily the story of Reiki according to Mrs. Takata, with some notations about information from one of Dr. Usui's teaching manual included.
Reiki is a Japanese word meaning "Universal Life-Force-Energy". The "Ki" part is the same word as Chi or Qi, the Chinese word for the energy which underlies everything. Reiki is a system for channeling that energy to someone for the purpose of healing. It was discovered by Dr. Usui in the late 1800's. He was born about 1865, and there are two accounts of his discovery of Reiki; one being that he was a Buddhist Monk and after a 28-year quest, he journeyed to Mount Kurama. The other account is that he was a teacher or perhaps dean of a Christian school in Kyoto, Japan.
With roots in Japan prior to World War II, it is not surprising that some documentation was lost. Apparently the survivors of Dr. Hayashi lost to the war the resources allowing them to continue the clinic he founded, and many stopped practicing Reiki for fear of persecution for not 'supporting the war'. Others continued to practice and their students are still practicing today.
If it were not for Mrs. Takata learning Reiki and taking it to America, this healing technique would have been lost to the western world. The war brought with it the loss of valuable memories and knowledge that was present in the group who learned from Reiki's originator, Dr. Usui. Mrs. Takata had to modify the story of Reiki right after World War II to make it acceptable to the Christian, western mind. Hopefully, with an open mind, and with practice, study and intuition, we will bring back any lost knowledge.
The history presented here is primarily the story of Reiki according to Mrs. Takata, with some notations about information from one of Dr. Usui's teaching manual included.
Reiki is a Japanese word meaning "Universal Life-Force-Energy". The "Ki" part is the same word as Chi or Qi, the Chinese word for the energy which underlies everything. Reiki is a system for channeling that energy to someone for the purpose of healing. It was discovered by Dr. Usui in the late 1800's. He was born about 1865, and there are two accounts of his discovery of Reiki; one being that he was a Buddhist Monk and after a 28-year quest, he journeyed to Mount Kurama. The other account is that he was a teacher or perhaps dean of a Christian school in Kyoto, Japan.
The Reiki Timer
Many Reiki practitioners around the world have discovered the value of those great CD's that have a tone built in at regular intervals to give them a sense of time in their practice. However, they limited the variety of music you could use - and did not allow you to change the interval or to use silence.
Now, there is a new tool available that allows you to have a wonderful tone at intervals YOU select, freeing you from the watch and the CD music, allowing you to focus on your Reiki session, your meditation, yoga, or therapy session while the melodious and serene gong helps you regulate the time without having to watch the clock. And the aesthetics of this tool are amazing! It adds relaxation and harmony to the atmosphere of the room you practice in, while the pyramidal shape brings its own stability and specific energy.
The Reiki Timer is built to the perfect proportions of the Kheops Pyramid of Gizah, which Feng Shui specialists consider a source of powerful energy, stability, and balance. It is a constructed of natural sycamore wood (base & electronics in black plastic) and one side has Reiki Symbol. This beautiful pyramid chimes a pure gong sound at regular intervals you select. The simple controls in the base of the timer make it easy to set the timer, start it, and turn your focus toward your session. It is 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) long at the base.
The sound of the Reiki Timer is that of a Tibetan "singing bowl" digitally recorded, which gives it a very pure quality. There are 2 volume control options. It is a digital recording of a Rin Gong Bowl and the high-quality speaker inside the natural wood housing produces an amazingly real tone
There are eight possible settings - time intervals especially adjusted to the practice of Reiki: every 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes for sessions up to 90 minutes. Of course, the Reiki Timer can be stopped at any moment by simply pressing the on/off button. Running on 4 AA Batteries (not included), you can use this amazing tool for outdoor sessions, without having to worry about power.
The Reiki Timer can also be used by other therapists who would appreciate a discreet and peaceful signal to regulate their sessions. It can also be used as a beautiful reminder of mindfulness at any moment of the day.
Now, there is a new tool available that allows you to have a wonderful tone at intervals YOU select, freeing you from the watch and the CD music, allowing you to focus on your Reiki session, your meditation, yoga, or therapy session while the melodious and serene gong helps you regulate the time without having to watch the clock. And the aesthetics of this tool are amazing! It adds relaxation and harmony to the atmosphere of the room you practice in, while the pyramidal shape brings its own stability and specific energy.
The Reiki Timer is built to the perfect proportions of the Kheops Pyramid of Gizah, which Feng Shui specialists consider a source of powerful energy, stability, and balance. It is a constructed of natural sycamore wood (base & electronics in black plastic) and one side has Reiki Symbol. This beautiful pyramid chimes a pure gong sound at regular intervals you select. The simple controls in the base of the timer make it easy to set the timer, start it, and turn your focus toward your session. It is 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) long at the base.
The sound of the Reiki Timer is that of a Tibetan "singing bowl" digitally recorded, which gives it a very pure quality. There are 2 volume control options. It is a digital recording of a Rin Gong Bowl and the high-quality speaker inside the natural wood housing produces an amazingly real tone
There are eight possible settings - time intervals especially adjusted to the practice of Reiki: every 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes for sessions up to 90 minutes. Of course, the Reiki Timer can be stopped at any moment by simply pressing the on/off button. Running on 4 AA Batteries (not included), you can use this amazing tool for outdoor sessions, without having to worry about power.
The Reiki Timer can also be used by other therapists who would appreciate a discreet and peaceful signal to regulate their sessions. It can also be used as a beautiful reminder of mindfulness at any moment of the day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)