Reiki: The Japanese Art of Spiritual Healing

Reiki: The Japanese Art of Spiritual Healing

Overview

Reiki (pronounced 'ray-kee') is a Japanese practice of spiritual healing, developed by Mikao Usui in 1922. Mikao Usui was a Buddhist monk, who spent his whole life studying in order to uncover the power to heal. Eventually, after performing a 21-day meditation on Mount Kurama, he received the knowledge and ability he had been searching for, which also allowed him to attain enlightenment.

Reiki cannot be 'learnt' in the way we are familiar in the West. It is a form of spiritual energy that can only be accessed after a student has undergone the 'attunement' process. This process raises your body's energetic vibrations and creates a permanent energy channel, through which you can channel Reiki energy in order to heal yourself and others.

The word 'Reiki' itself means, 'Universal life-force energy.' The 'Rei' is the higher conscious, the universal intelligence, a higher power which guides us through everyday life. 'Ki' is the Japanese name for the energy found in many spiritual practices. We are more familiar with the Chinese word, 'Qi (chi).' This energy permits life; without it we cannot live. It is found in practices like T'ai Chi, Qigong and Feng Shui. Therefore, 'Reiki' is a universally guided life-force energy.

Reiki vibrates at a much higher frequency than Ki energy. This means that not anyone has access to it. After the attunement process, you 'have' Reiki for life. Your channel will never disappear, even if you don't use Reiki for a long time. Reiki can be used to heal all levels of the body: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. This energy is intelligent; it knows which part of the body is most in need of healing as it is guided by a Higher Intelligence. This means however, we can never guarantee a particular result from using Reiki (if it is not for the highest good of the person to be rid of disease, not even a hundred Reiki treatments can heal it).

This book will cover the basic principles of Reiki, how you can train to use it, what benefits it can bring, the background history of it and some in-depth information into the power and potential Reiki can bring. There are limitless possibilities with Reiki, and it would take more than a lifetime to explore them all. So if you're a newcomer to Reiki, or an advanced practitioner, this book will cover all you need to know to develop your understanding of Reiki.

Namaste

Chapter 1 - The History and Development of Reiki

There has been a little debate over the precise details of Reiki's history. Hawayo Takata, a Reiki Master who brought Reiki from Japan to the Western world, felt the need to adjust the real story of Reiki to make it more acceptable to the mentality of the West. As she was teaching a Japanese technique with Buddhist origins to the American public during and after World War 2, she decided to say that Mikao Usui was actually a Christian missionary (if she hadn't, things might have been a little awkward for her).

However, quite recently we have discovered more about the true history of Reiki. It turns out that Mikao Usui was not a Christian missionary, but actually a Buddhist monk. I have given here the Reiki story as told by Mrs Takata, then I shall outline the changes which she made and explain more about the real history of Reiki.

The Reiki Story - As Told by Mrs Takata

In Japan at the turn of the century, Dr Mikao Usui, a Christian minister and the Principal of a University in Kyōto was questioned by his students. They asked if he believed, literally, that Jesus could heal. When Dr Usui replied that he did, his students wanted him to demonstrate his belief by performing a miracle, just as the Bible says Jesus and his disciples had done. Struck by the enormity of the question, Dr Usui resigned his post and went to the University of Chicago to study Christian scripture and try to reveal the secret of healing miracles. After 7 years he had not found what he sought and returned to Japan.