The Five Principles of Reiki

Today I give thanks for my many blessings.

Just for today I will not worry.

Today I will not be angry.

Today I will do my work honestly.

Today I will be kind to my neighbor and to every living things.

ChoKu Rei

The history of Reiki goes back to the teachings of Dr. Makio Usui, in the late 1800's, the was founder of Reiki. Dr. Usui embarked upon a spiritual journey to learn to heal in the same manner he perceived Jesus Christ had healed the ill.

Studying first at Christian schools in the US, for where else to learn of Jesus, but with no results. In the Christian schools the method was not known. It was suggested he study Buddhist writings since the Buddha had also healed. This took more years studying at a monastery in the Orient. Nowhere could he find the answers.

Dr. Usui studied Christianity, and Buddhism but the orthodox teachings did not fulfill his quest for enlightment of how to heal as Jesus Christ had done.  Jesus had promised that we could do what he could do, so he knew the answer was to be found when sought by a pure desire to help others.

He announced to the monks of this monastery that he was going to fast and meditate for 21 days at a nearby mountain, which was Mount Koriyama. This is a mountain legendary for the right atmosphere for meditation.

He went to the mountain and gathered 21 stones to use to keep track of the days he was on the mountain.  Each day he would throw away a stone. On the 20th day he had not received the enlightenment he deeply desired. At this point he thought perhaps he had hit another dead end. He knew that this was his last night of meditation on the mountain.

In the night 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 forehead. 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 Tibetan writings he was studying but had been unable to understand.

Millions and millions of bubbles danced before him, then moved to his left. Usui counted seven colors. "I was blessed today!" A great white light came from his right. Golden symbols appeared, one after another. They radiated out in front of him, like on a movie screen, as if to say, "Remember! Remember!" As he watched them, there was total understanding.

He dusted himself off, picked up his cane and straw hat, then took the first steps of his twenty-five mile trek to Kyoto. The Zen monks were expecting him at the temple by sundown. He was surprised that he hadn't died of starvation and didn't feel hungry anymore. "This was indeed a miracle," he thought.

Near the foot of the mountain, Dr Usui stubbed a big toe on a rock. The blow lifted the toenail. Blood spurted out. The pain thumped with his heartbeat.

He sat down and held the toe in his hands. The pain subsided. The bleeding stopped. He continued to hold it till there was no more pain. Then he looked at the toe, he was amazed and delighted to see the nail back in its normal position. There was no indication of injury except dried blood. "This is indeed a second miracle!" he thought.

On the trip back he healed the ailing tooth of a young girl by placing his hands on her face. This was his third miracle in one day. In exchange for the healing, the girl's uncle gave Dr. Usui some food. He ate heartily though not getting sick after breaking a 21 day fast.

These are known as Dr. Usui's first four miracles. 

Note: I have seen aura pictures of people who have just completed receiving a Reiki energetic healing, and these bubbles are revealed in the aura pictures.

Once back at the Zen temple, Dr. Usui healed the Monk who had been suffering from arthritis and back pain.

He wanted to use these abilities to help others, he spent the next seven years in the beggars section of Tokyo healing the poor and sick people there, sending them to a priest to assist finding them employment, and elevating them out of poverty. After the seven years he noticed familiar faces, those of people whom he'd healed long ago who were back again. Asking them, they complained that life outside beggar-town was too hard and that it was much simpler to beg for a living. They had thrown away the gift of health, as if it had no value, to return to the supposed comfort of the life they knew.

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 did not understand the value of the gift he gave them.

Dr. Usui returned to the monastery for further reflection and planning. After some time in the monastery he developed precepts. In this new plan he traveled around the countryside from village to village. In each one he stood in a public place during the day holding aloft a lit torch. When people told him he didn't need a torch in daylight, he answered 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.

During these travels he met Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a Naval Commander in the Naval Reserve. He came from a well educated and well to do family. He met Dr. Usui in the marketplace holding a lit torch announcing his lecture at a nearby temple. Dr. Hayashi was very impressed with the sincerity and conviction of Dr. Usui. When asked by Usui to accompany him in his travels, Dr. Hayashi agreed. They traveled around teaching and healing.

After Dr. Usui passed on, Dr. Hayashi became the leader of Reiki. Dr. Hayashi opened a clinic in Tokyo near the Imperial Palace. It consisted of eight beds in a large room, two practitioners per patient. One would treat the head and the other would be on the right treating the stomach area. Then both would treat the patients back. The practitioners all worked here doing healings. They would also go to the homes of sick people for house calls.

In the beginning for one to become a Reiki Practitioner in that time one had to be accepted by the masters in the Reiki organization, and second had to promise to use Reiki daily and volunteer some hours to practice Reiki regularly in the clinic.

There are many books and tapes on Reiki. To practice the art of Reiki someone that has been attuned as a Master Reiki healer must attune you.  The symbols are guarded by those that practice Reiki, but seeing the symbols and using them does not empower one to practice Reiki.

An important part of Reiki is the energy exchange. The receiver must give something in return, in order to fulfill the full circle of completion. One practicing Reiki may charge money, they may ask for a prayer in exchange, but some energy must be exchanged.