Reiki was introduced by Dr. Mikao Usui, of Japan, back in the late 19th century. Usui was studying medicine when he was hospitalized with cholera. He was near-death when he had a profound spiritual experience, changing the course of his life. He left medical school and went to study as a Zen monk, becoming imbued in the ancient Buddhist teachings and texts.
Durning this time of study and reflection, he came across methods of healing that involved symbols and hands-on healing. Usui took leave and went up the holy mountain of Kurama to pray, meditate, sing, and read the Sutras for 21 days. On the last day, he asked God to show him the light. A bright light came rapidly toward him from the heavens and struck him between the eyebrows. This knocked him out, and while he was unconscious, he saw a vision of the same symbols he remembered seeing in the texts. He knew upon waking that these were the healing symbols used by Ascended Masters like Buddha and Jesus. Usui called this gift from God "Reiki," which in Japanese means, "universal life force."
Usui went on to initiate 19 students to Reiki Master Teacher level. One of these students, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, became the next Grand Master upon Usui's death in 1926. Hayashi created a set formula for Reiki training and wrote many reports on the systems he developed to treat a plethora of ailments. He discovered the importance of treating the whole body and how Reki will go wherever it needs in order to heal. He believed that the best way to do this was by performing full-body treatments to remove any emotional or physical blocks.
Reiki eventually made its way to the United States in the late 1930s, thanks to Madam Hawayo Takata. Madam Takata had suffered the death of her husband, extreme nervouse exhaustion, depression, and had recently been diagnosed with a diseased gall bladder before leaving her home in Hawaii to travel to Japan to deliver her parents the devastating news of her sisters death. Once in Japan, she was told she had a tumor and appendicitis to boot. When she went to the surgeon, he told her there was a clinic that provided Reiki as an alternative to surgery. She had Reiki treatments for four months and was completely healed. She persuaded Dr. Hayashi to let her train and after a year, she brought Reiki to the States where she lived in Hawaii. Soon after, Dr. Hayashi came to Hawaii to give Takata her Master level. Madam Takata becae the first woman AND the first foreigner to be given the honor of Reiki Master.
It is because of these three Masters that Reiki practitioners today are able to help so many people.
