by William Lee Rand
These are the Reiki Ideals used by Reiki masters in Japan. It was provided by a Japanese Reiki master, Toshitaka Mochizuki in conjunction with his Reiki book, "Iyashi No Te" (Healing Hands). The following is a line for line translation starting from the right.
The secret art of inviting happiness
The miraculous medicine of all diseases
Just for today, do not anger
Do not worry and be filled with gratitude
Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people.
Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer.
Pray these words to your heart
and chant these words with your mouth
Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind
The founder
Usui Mikao
Mochizuki, has researched the history of Reiki and has come up with some interesting information that differs from the history of Usui Reiki as told by Mrs. Takata and also adds to it. Part of his information comes from another book "The Secret of How to Take Care of Your Family Members" by Takichi Tsukida although I am told that the current edition is mysteriously missing the information about Dr. Usui. Both books are in Japanese.
According to Mochizuki, Dr. Usui was born August 15th, 1865 in the Gifu district. He died at age 62 on March 9th, 1926 in Fukuyama, Hiroshima. Dr. Usui was not a Christian and may not have been a Buddhist. He was most likely a spiritualist and psychic. People who do his kind of work were called "Rei Jyutu Ka" which means, "people who have spiritual skill." It was during his activities as a spiritualist that he rediscovered Reiki on Kurama-yama, a sacred mountain outside Kyoto. He established a healing society in Tokyo in 1922 and started giving treatments. Usui created the three degrees or ranks of Reiki which he called Shoden (First Teaching), Okuden (Inner Teaching), and Shinpiden (Mystery Teaching). He moved to Nakano, Tokyo in 1925 and expanded his healing center.
Dr. Usui was well known for his healing abilities and was often invited to local cities to speak and do healing work. Dr. Hayashi was given the attunements for all three Reiki degrees by Dr. Usui in 1925 when Dr. Hayashi was 47 and just one year before Dr. Usui passed on.
There were many "Hands on Healing" schools in Japan before the war. These other schools were not part of Usui Reiki. "Taireido" was started by Tanaka Monihei, "Tenohira-Ryouchi-Kenkyuka" which means "The Association for The Study of Palm Treatments" was started by Eguchi Toshihiro who learned healing from Dr. Usui and then founded his own group. Toshihiro also wrote some books on healing which are now hard to find. "Jintai-Ragium-Gakkai" which means "The Human Body Radium Society" was founded by Matumoto Chiwake and "Shinnoukyou-Honin" was the name of a religious group founded by Nishimura Taikan. His method was called "ShinnouKyou-Syokusyu-Shikou Ryoho" which means "Violet Light Healing Method."
Mochizuki teaches a form of Reiki from the Takata lineage and has studied with several western Reiki masters including one of my students. However, he does not teach the same as I do. The Reiki being taught in Japan is mostly a combination of various western Takata Reiki styles with some Japanese Reiki added.
He indicates that there are still those from non-Takata lineages who are practicing in Japan including those from the Hayashi lineage and also from the Usui lineage. Members of these groups are very secretive and do not easily or quickly pass on what they know. If and when non-Takata Reiki is revealed, it will likely be difficult to verify it's authenticity. We may see various groups develop who claim that they have the true Original Japanese Reiki in a similar way to what has happened in the west. The important thing about any form of Reiki is not where it came from, but how effective is it as a healing system. Also of importance is how openly is the information is presented and do those who teach it act in a Reiki like way.
Mochizuki indicates that he got the original Reiki Ideals from a non-Takata Reiki group he associates with, but did not indicate where they got it from.. However, there is an indication from another source that the original Reiki Ideals are written on linen and now hang in a shrine near Dr. Usui’s grave the location of which is known by some, but is being kept secret. Also, we have a handwritten copy of the Usui Ideals that is said to be written by Dr. Usui's own hand. I am certain that within the next 6 months or year our search for the "True History of Usui Reiki" will be even more fruitful and we will be finding out much more about Dr. Usui and how he originally practiced.
