In
the mid 1800’s Dr Mikao Usui was visiting the University of Kyoto
in Japan. A Christian minister was giving a sermon. Afterwards,
two seminary students asked the minister how Jesus performed the miracle
of healing. They also asked the minister if he could perform the
same miracles. The minister answered that, whilst he understood
the Bible intellectually, he did not know how Jesus performed the miracles,
nor was he able to perform them himself.
Dr Usui studied the Christian scriptures and tried to understand how Jesus performed the miracle of healing and transformation. However, he did not find the revelations for which he was looking. He then remembered that Buddha had performed the same sort of miracles as Jesus. Buddha also healed the sick and had great control of energy by channelling the power of God and the Universe.
Having returned to Tokyo, Dr Usui began to ask the different Buddhist sects if they could perform the miracles which Buddha had performed. Could they heal the body? The reply was that the Buddhists felt that the healing of the mind and the healing of the body were not always directly connected. They concentrated on the mind, believing it to be separate from the body and most in need of healing. They left the healing of the body to those of the healing arts.
Finally, Dr Usui went to the Zen Monastery. He asked the same question of the head monk, ‘Do the Zen know how to heal the body?’ The monk answered ‘Not any more’. The monk then explained that they had been concentrating so much on healing the mind that they had forgotten how to heal the body.
The monk stated that if Dr Usui’s destiny was to rediscover how Buddha had healed the body, then his destiny would unfold before him. Dr Usui asked if he might stay and study at the Zen Monastery. He was accepted, for all people who desire mastery are accepted in their quest.
After many years of study and meditation he started to read the teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist Sect. From these teachings, he discovered what he felt to be the keys to healing. When he realised this, he went to the Zen monk to tell of his exciting discovery and to ask his advice. ‘Now that I have found that for which I have been searching, how do I know that it is correct? If it is, how do I use it?’ Through meditation, Dr Usui and the monk were informed that he should go to a holy mountain near Kyoto, called Kuri Yama. On Kuri Yama he was to fast and meditate for 21 days. During that time he would receive enlightenment and spiritual clarity.
Dr Usui gathered up a few belongings and made his pilgrimage from Tokyo to Kuri Yama. He climbed the mountain and found a location at the summit facing East. Every morning he would waken before the sunrise and throw down one of the twenty one stones which he had placed in front of his meditation location to keep count of the days. Each day he meditated and fasted.
On the twenty first day, Dr Usui awoke to a darkened morning. It was like a day of the New Moon, when no light shines in the heavens before the breaking of dawn. He found his way to his meditation spot and picked up the last stone. He prayed, before throwing the last stone off the mountain. He asked God for the confirmation of his findings and that he be given enlightenment in how to use them. As he threw the stone off the side of the mountain, a light appeared far off in the East. It began to grow brighter and came towards him. He was afraid and wanted to run away. He heard himself say, ‘You have searched for twenty one years and you have fasted for twenty one days. You have asked for enlightenment and confirmation and now you want to run away from it?’ Dr Usui quietened his intellect and said, ‘No, if that light comes for me, I will not run away, I will accept the enlightenment’.
The light became very bright and streamed across the heavens to initiate Dr Usui’s Third Eye. Having never before found such a state of euphoria, he thought that he had died and ascended to heaven. His entire field of vision was a rainbow of colour. Out of the rainbow came bubbles of gold, white, blue and violet. Each of the bubbles contained a holographic image of each of the Sanskrit characters that he had found in the writings of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings. A voice said to him, ‘These are the keys to healing. Learn them, do not forget them and do not allow them to be lost’. Dr Usui watched the bubbles and listened to the voice until finally he said, ‘I have them, I will not forget them and I will not allow them to be lost’.
What is Reiki?
In Japanese, Reiki is actually two words, or symbols. Rei, meaning Universal, and Ki, meaning Life Energy. The use of the phrase in English is much the same as our use of the perhaps more familiar Chinese term, Qi Qung (in Mandarin) or Chi Gung, (in Cantonese). Reiki, or Universal Life Energy, is the vital force which flows through all matter. It can be activated to become a powerful form of healing. Reiki is not a healing system based upon faith. All that is required is the willingness to heal and be healed.
How Does it Work?
The Reiki therapist channels the Universal Life Energy, or Lifeforce as it is more usually called, through his or her hands, into your body. This process enhances the body’s own natural ability to heal itself. Reiki works on all levels of a person’s being, thereby reaching the cause of the illness as well as the physical symptoms. All illness and disease comes about as a result of the natural flow of the Lifeforce being impaired in some way. Reiki helps to reinstate and balance out the flow of the Lifeforce through the body. When the Lifeforce flows correctly, it is much easier to take up the task of living as we would desire. Attitudes change, tiredness recedes and our goals no longer seem impossible or so far away.
What is Disease?
Disease is a state of disruption within the physical, emotional or mental body of a person, caused by a blockage within the energy field of that person. The energy field is the vehicle within us that allows the Lifeforce to flow, thereby constantly building and maintaining our health and well being. Blockages in the energy field are caused by the circumstances which we encounter in our daily lives. However, the type of disease which manifests as a result of the blockage will be the product of our genes and character traits. Therefore, two individuals with the same sort of blockage might well have different sets of symptoms. The reverse is also true – two individuals displaying similar symptoms might be suffering from a different type of blockage. It is always important to remember that in using Reiki as a healing process, it is the blockage which is treated, not the symptoms.
The Treatment
Reiki is a simple but powerful process. The treatments and their frequency should be individually tailored to your needs and condition. In most cases, a single treatment lasts for about an hour. The treatment is carried out with you lying down on a comfortable treatment couch of the type used by massage therapists, osteopaths etc. You will remain fully clothed for the whole treatment. The therapist goes through a healing process which adheres to a set format. The format is discussed and agreed with you before the treatment commences. Reiki is not contra-indicated in any circumstances but may not be suitable for women in the early stages of pregnancy. Reiki can be used alongside any other form of treatment.
The Experience
In general, you will feel a pleasant sensation of warmth in the area being treated. Occasionally, the sensation can be felt as coldness. In any event the sensation will never be extreme. As the treatment progresses, stress is released and it is normal for a feeing of well being to occur. Chronic illnesses usually respond well to Reiki. In some cases, a slight feeling of discomfort may occur at the beginning of the session, but this will soon ease.
As the sessions progress, the low energy level which invariably accompanies the illness will begin to rise. Eventually the life energy will rise to a point where it is able to become self-supporting once more. When this happens, recovery starts and is easy to see. Not only will your physical symptoms go away, thus making you feel better, but your will to get better is strengthened. Self motivation becomes your best weapon in the fight for recovery. One in three patients become so relaxed after a couple of treatments that in further treatments they fall fast asleep within a few minutes of the treatment starting.