| Mikao Usui | |
|---|---|
臼井甕男 |
|
| Born | August 15, 1865 Taniai (Gifu), Japan |
| Died | March 9, 1926 (aged 60) Fukuyama (福山市), Japan |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Monuments | Saihō-ji temple (西芳寺), Suginami, Tokyo (杉並区) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Reiki Teacher |
| Known for | Reiki |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Mikao Usui (臼井甕男, 15 August 1865 – 9 March 1926, commonly Usui Mikao in Japanese) was the founder of a form of spiritual practice known as Reiki,[1] used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. According to the inscription on his memorial stone, Usui taught Reiki to over 2000 people during his lifetime. Sixteen of these students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden level, a level equivalent to the Western third degree, or Master/Teacher level.[2] Usui died on 9 March 1926 of a stroke.
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Usui was born on 15 August 1865 in the village of Taniai in the Yamagata district of the Gifu Prefecture, Japan, which is now located near present day Nagoya.[3]
Usui was influenced by Shintoism, the traditional faith of the Japanese people prior to contact with China. Shintoism focuses on the kami, which are spirits in the forms of birds, animals, mountains, trees and people. An 18th century scholar, Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801) said, "According to ancient usage, whatever seemed strikingly impressive, possessed the quality of excellence, or inspired a feeling of awe was called kami". Usui was known to use jumon (呪文) – spells or incantations in his teachings, derived from Shintoism and Taoism.[4]
Usui also is also said to have practiced Shugenja (修験者), also known as Shugendō (修験道), in addition to his alleged practice as a Tendai Buddhist. Shugendō is a Japanese mountain ascetic shamanism, which incorporates Shinto and Buddhist practices.[5] Roles of Shugendō practitioners include offering religious services such as fortune telling, divination, channelling, prayer, ritual incantations and exorcism. Shugenja was often used by family clans to heal disease or to avoid misfortune.[4]
Usui had various careers, including acting as private secretary to Count Shinpei Gotō (後藤新平, Gotō Shinpei).
Usui's father's common name was Uzaemon,[6] and his mother was from the Kawai family.[6] His brothers, Sanya and Kuniji, grew up to become a doctor and a policeman respectively. He also had an older sister called Tsuru. Usui married Sadako Suzuki, who bore children by the names of Fuji and Toshiko. Fuji (1908–1946) went on to teach at Tokyo University, and Toshiko lived a short life, dying at the age of 22 in 1935. The entire family's ashes are buried at the grave site at the Saihō-ji Temple in Tokyo.[7]
According to Japanese Reiki Master and monk Hyakuten Inamoto, Usui was a Pure Land Buddhist. As an adult, he travelled to several Western countries, including Americas, Europe, and China as a part of his continued life long study.[6] His studies included history, medicine, Buddhism, Christianity, psychology, and Taoism.[4][7][8]
Usui's ancestors were the once influential Chiba clan and were Hatamoto samurai. Usui was raised as a samurai from childhood, specifically aiki jutsu (合氣 術).[4] According to the inscription on his memorial, Tsuentane Chiba,[6] a military commander during the end of the Heian period and the start of the Kamakuru period (1180–1230), was one of Usui's ancestors. In 1551, Toshitane Chiba conquered the city Usui and thereafter all family members acquired that name.[7]
Usui founded the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai (臼井靈氣療法學會 in Traditional Mandarin, meaning "Usui's Spiritual Energy Therapy Society"),[4] a society of Japanese Reiki masters. His style is assumed to have survived to the present day (assumed as no-one knows exactly how the Gakkai practises nowadays), with Ushida being the one who, upon death, substituted the presidency of the association. This society remained secret for many years and at present, the shihan (master), Masaki Kondoh, is the president of the Gakkai. Though many of their teachings still remain secret, little by little, members of this association – such as Master Hiroshi Doi – have been sharing their knowledge with the rest of the world. In spite of this, it continues to be a hermetic society, nearly impossible to access.
Recent discoveries by Reiki Masters and practitioners have revealed the story of Reiki's history and travel to the West as false.[9] Hawayo Takata, a Reiki Master attuned by Chujiro Hayashi (林 忠次郎, 1880–1940), changed Reiki's history of development in order to make Reiki more appealing to the West.[9] In one of their books, Frans and Bronwen Stiene claim that a Tendai Buddhist nun by the name of Suzuki San, allegedly studied Reiki with Usui from 1915 until his death in 1926. [4] They further claim that , "There was no fixed point at which he began to teach. People were drawn to him because of his charisma and wisdom, and asked him to teach them, he never placed himself in the role of teacher."[4]
The alleged Suzuki San is supposed to have listed Mount Hiei (比叡山, Hiei-zan), a famous Tendai mountain, as one of the mountains where old Sūtra copies exist with Usui's Buddhist name of Gyoho or Gyotse on them. Mount Kurama (鞍馬山, Kurama-yama) is the other.
What Usui Mikao taught may have simply been called 'Usui do' – 'the way of Usui', and what he practiced on people could have been referred to as 'Usui teate' – meaning 'hands-on'. The teachings and tools provided were usually customized to the student, since each student learns differently. It was the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai which formalized the teachings. The hand positions were added for the students who found it difficult to work intuitively. Early students are supposed to have never heard of the word Reiki in relation to the entirety of Usui Mikao's teachings. Usui's memorial stone uses the name Usui Reiki Ryoho to refer to Usui Mikao's teachings ('Usui's healing method based on spiritual energy'). Once it came to the West, the name of the system was abbreviated to 'Reiki'.
It is believed that the aim of Usui's teachings was to provide a method for students to achieve enlightenment. Unlike religion, though, there was no belief system attached. Though enlightenment was the aim, the healing that was taking place for students was a wonderful 'side effect'. What sets Usui Mikao's teachings apart from other hands-on healing methods is his use of reiju or attunement to remind students of their spiritual connection. It seems that all students of Usui Mikao received reiju and the 5 precepts and those with a further interest in the teachings became dedicated students. There does not appear to have been a distinction between clients and students in the beginning though this may have changed at some point. People began coming to Usui Mikao possibly for different purposes – some for healing and others for the spiritual teachings.
During the early 1920s, Usui did a 21-day practice on Mount Kurama called Kushu Shinren, (which is a form of shugyo, also known as discipline or training) according to translator Hyakuten Inamoto. Common belief dictates that it was during these 21 days that Usui developed Reiki. As Mount Hiei is the main Tendai complex in Japan, and is very close to Kyoto, it has been surmised that Usui Mikao would also have practiced there if he had been a lay priest. A Zen meditation practice called Zazen Shikan Taza may well have inspired him and his teachings on Mt Kurama.
There was a great deal of poverty in Japan at that time due to the depression. After the earthquake Usui Mikao moved his home and place of teaching to Nakano ku, outside of Tokyo, in 1925.
Mikao's memorial stone is located at the Saihoji temple in the Suginami district of Tokyo. Reiho Choso Usui Sensei Kudoko No Hi, in English this means: Memorial of the merits of Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiho (Reiki Ryoho). The inscription on the Usui memorial was written in old Japanese by Mr. Okata, and Mr. Ushida. The memorial stone was erected by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in Japan one year after Usui Mikao's death.