Articles on Reiki Ryoho Page 10

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Why doesn't my Reiki Master know about the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and the Japanese Techniques Advantage of Multiple Attunements Symbols of Reiho and Reiki Further Exploration into the Roots of Reiki

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Why doesn't my Reiki Master know about the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and the Japanese Techniques? by Adonea

Published in the January 2001 issue of "The Messenger"

Following are a few possible reasons why:

1. The Gakkai is a closed organization which had to keep moving around during the war so it was not disbanded. They are very secretive and don't care to tell anyone about themselves or what they teach. There are only 500 members with 6 teachers. The Gakkai are the ones who erected Usui's memorial. Very clearly on the memorial it states a lot of information about Usui including when he founded the Gakkai. One of the reasons they do not tell people about themselves is the wrath and anger that so many Reiki teachers throw at others when their beliefs are shaken. Because Takata didn't teach it is not true!
2. Hayashi was not a member of the Gakkai at the time, so he may not have told Mrs. Takata about it.
3. Mrs. Takata it appears was faced with a dilemma, she began teaching a Japanese technique to Americans during WWII (she took master training in 1938, the war was not over until 1945). She was also faced with Christianizing a basically Buddhist teaching so it would be more readily accepted in the West. She was herself American and did not know all the nuances of the Japanese language, so I am sure that she was not offered the opportunity to copy Hayashi's notes as she would not have understood them. Her daughter Alice Takata Furumoto passed on to, we believe all of Takata's master students, a Gray book entitled "Reiki, a Memorial to Takata Sensei" which included Dr. Hayashi's manual in old Japanese kanji, with a translation. It was at the discretion of the 22 Masters what they did with this information. Most it seems, did not pass it on. I also believe that there was some ego involved on someone's part, saying that Mrs. Takata was the only surviving Reiki Master in the world (I believe that is the story). Well that made everyone in the world (other than in Japan) believe that all Reiki came through Takata. We know that simply is not true. Usui trained 17 masters, 3 were Naval officers (one was Hayashi), 5 Buddhist Nuns (Women), and 9 other people. Hayashi trained 13 masters students, Mrs. Takata was the 13th, Tatsumi san was 12th, and Mrs. Hayashi was 11th. So I would ask what happened to all those masters and their students? Many of these lineages are alive and well and continuing in Japan. Reiki did not die with the men during the war.

We have a copy of the Japanese version of Hayashi's Shoden (first degree) manual which was included in the gray book mentioned above. It appears that Tatsumi-san had this manual and also was allowed to copy Hayashi's notes, so he had all this and more. It was a common practice in Japan for the apprentice to copy their Sensei's (teacher's) teachings and notes. Doi Sensei tell us that the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai have Usui's original manuals and notes. They recently were kind enough to release a translated version of Usui Sensei's Shoden Manual (first degree) called the 'Usui Hikkei' in modern Japanese kanji. We have a copy of this manual as well and have compared it to Hayashi Sensei's, they are virtually the same. Hayashi Sensei's is a bit more technical in nature but he simplified the presentation of the hand placements for specific diseases.

So what happened to the Japanese Techniques?

• Hanshin Chiryo: As another method of treating the back. Most Reiki Masters do not teach this technique.
• Tanden Chiryo ho: As a quick energizer or energizing the solar plexus. She called the area 2" around the navel the solar plexus and said to keep it in 'A-one' condition. Plus she taught an emotional balancer as an additional position which is also part of Tanden Chiryo ho. This is still taught by Masters of the Radiance Technique.
• Seiheki Chiryo ho: As a mental/emotional balancing technique. Many Reiki masters in the west have either dropped this technique or changed it so it no longer resembles the original.
• Kokiyu ho: As a breath empowerment technique to her Master students (does not use the microcosmic orbit, is not the Breath of the Fire Dragon, Blue Kidney Breath or Violet Breath taught by most Reiki Masters today). This technique is still taught by Masters of the Radiance Technique and Masters of some Seichim lineages.
• Koki ho: As breath healing to level two students. Most Reiki Masters do not teach this.
• Ketsueki Kokan-ho (called Blood Exchange by Hayashi Sensei): as the Reiki Finish, Nerve Stroke or the Finishing Treatment. Most Reiki Masters do not teach this technique.
• Reiji: As listen to your hands and allow them to guide you. Most Masters teach a variation of this.
• Byosen Reikan-ho: As your hands will feel different sensations, treat the cause and the effect will vanish. Most Masters teach a variation of this.
• Shuchu or Shudan Reiki: As a group treatment, saying Reiki increases with each additional practitioner joining the treatment. Most Reiki Masters teach this technique.
• Reiki Mawashi: As the class holds hands in a circle and feels the flow of Reiki. Many Reiki Masters teach a variation of is technique.
• Reiki Teate: As hands-on self treatment. All Reiki Masters teach variations of this technique.
• Renzoku Reiki: As the Reiki Marathon, where people take turns over several hours or days, giving Reiki to someone. Some Reiki Masters teach this technique.

More similarities!

1. Usui and Hayashi said always start with the head, in the 'gray book' Takata says ' Kindly and gently apply the hands starting from the head downward'. Most Reiki Masters teach this.
2. Mrs. Takata gave the same 4 symbols taught by Usui and Hayashi Sensei; at least to Virginia Samdahl her first Reiki Master student. We have a copy of Virginia's master symbol and it is the same as the Japanese Symbol. We also have a copy of the second degree symbols in Takata's handwriting 'verified by Phyllis' which are the same as Usui and Hayashi Sensei's. There are only 4 symbols in Usui Reiki Ryoho, Reiki as taught by Usui, Hayashi and Takata Sensei's.
3. Takata called Reiki by the same name as Usui and Hayashi Sensei - Usui Reiki Ryoho. We have a copy of a tape with the history in Takata's own voice and she uses the words 'Usui Reiki Ryoho' not 'Usui Shiki Ryoho'. Interesting huh! Here is the definition of Usui Shiki Ryoho in Japanese: 'Usui style healing method' or 'Usui system remedy' - the word Shiki means, 'system, method, form, rite, ceremony or style' and the word Ryoho means, 'healing method, therapy, remedy, cure'. While Usui Reiki Ryoho in Japanese is 'Usui spiritual energy healing method' which makes more sense to me. The word Natural does not appear (as in Usui System of Natural Healing) and on Takata's certificate Hayashi called it 'Usui Reiki system of drugless healing'.
4. I believe that Mrs. Takata also taught eye healing to her Master students (I think Beth Gray made a reference to it) which is called Gyoshi ho in Japan.

Other points to think about.

1. Reiju: It is our understanding that Hayashi Sensei was not taught Reiju by Usui Sensei. Hayashi received Shinpiden in June 1925, Ushida and Taketomi received Shinpiden in September 1925, Usui Sensei made his transition on March 9, 1926. Not much time to properly train Shinpiden students in the Japanese way. We believe that these three men were given an attunement method which was in Tatsumi's (a Shinpiden student of Hayashi's) notes (copied by Dave King) to more quickly pass on the Reiki levels. So Takata learned this attunement method rather than Reiju. It is a much simpler attunement method then most of what is taught in Western Reiki; and very effective. Reiju is wonderful, and it feels similar to darshan (if you have ever received that), but it is a process that requires receiving it over and over. So it takes a commitment by teacher and students to meet monthly for additional Reiju, hands-on and training.
2. We know that Usui experimented with various hand positions, symbols and other techniques to find ones that conveyed his full intention. He did not get the symbols in bubbles, but it is possible that he saw 2 of them in the Japanese Buddhist sutras. Mr. Doi told us that in Usui Sensei's notes, now held by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, it shows this experimentation.
3. We also know that some of the story of the History of Reiki told by Mrs. Takata was fabricated. Most likely to make it more acceptable in America a mostly Christian country (stated earlier). We know that Usui was raised Tendai Buddhist from age 4, studied Shingon Buddhism at age 27 then began Zen Buddhist training in 1918/1919. He did not go the mountain to find a healing technique, rather to gain 'Satori' or enlightenment, which he did. He wanted to find the meaning of life and experience it, this was the reason for his search. His memorial says that on the last day of his fast he had 'one big Reiki over his head'; Reiki being the wisdom and knowledge of all the Universe. Reiki during Usui sensei's time and earlier meant (loosely translated) 'atmosphere of the Divine'. Mr. Doi says that Usui went to the mountain in 1921/22, if this date is correct Usui only had Reiki for 4-5 years before his death. He did not rediscovered it in the middle or even late 1800's. Usui was not born until August 15, 1865 which is the mid-1800's. Another interesting point: the Kuramadera on Mt. Kurama (Temple) was Tendai Buddhist until 1949 then it changed to the Kurama Sonten. So it was Tendai Buddhist during Usui's time.
4. The symbols come from Japanese Buddhism and Taoism (all are Japanese); two of them are Kanji, one is a variation of the seed syllable for Amida Buddha and one is readily done by Buddhist monks on the front/back of the body and during meditation.

This covers most of the techniques taught by Mr. Doi except a few he added and a few others taught by Usui. I think since Mrs. Takata, a lot has been left out and a whole lot has been added. Learning the Japanese information has really helped me to more fully appreciate and understand Reiho. Light and Adonea teach Usui Reiki Ryoho through teacher level, if you are interested in feeling the similarities/differences for yourself contact us to set up a class in person or online.

Advantage of Multiple Attunements by Light

Published in the April 2000 issue of "The Messenger"

As if it weren't apparent by our articles, we love Reiki! We talk about it to whomever we are with, at meals, in grocery stores, and on the internet. We want everyone to experience the relaxation and other benefits derived from treatments. And we want to share Reiju - the empowerment that Usui used on his students - with everyone who wishes to experience it. We also offer to do re-empowerments on practitioners so they can recall the first time they received the attunement to Reiki by their teacher. We just love sharing Reiki with everyone. But we began to receive rebuttals to our offers of re-empowerments from some practitioners and we were very surprised by the reasons expressed. The most-repeated reason was that one of F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real) that an attunement by another master might negate the teaching master's attunement. We then began to realize that this instruction came from the attuning master and the student was just repeating it. We also were told that only one attunement was necessary, and that additional ones would do nothing. And the third most-often repeated reason for not receiving additional attunements is that attunements might somehow weaken a student's connection to the Reiki energy stream.

In Japan, students and teachers get together once a month to practice Reiki techniques, to share experiences of doing self-treatments and giving treatments to others, to ask questions, and to receive additional empowerments. Empowerments, also called attunements, connect one to the high vibrational frequency of Reiki, and simultaneously open a student's energy channels to this flow of energy. But because most humans are not consciously aware of subtle energy flow, and not working on themselves to cleanse and keep open their meridians and nadis (channels), the amount of energy flowing might be quite small. Energy meridians are not dissimilar to a clogged water pipe. If hard water constantly flows through a pipe, there will be a build up of chemicals adhering to the inside of the pipe, slowing down the amount of flow, and eventually cutting it off altogether. Think of Reiki as a 'roto-rooter'; it cuts through some of hardened chemicals creating a small flow of life-force energy, and with the continued use of Reiki through self-treatments, we begin to experience more presence (Spirit consciousness) within our body. We do experience more sensation and emotion, as lifetimes of sludge (negative memories) are chipped away, brought to the surface and eliminated. Eventually, the energy channels are completely cleaned and free-flowing; how long that will take is determined by how much "excessive baggage" we have been dragging with us from one lifetime to another.

Returning to the pipe symbolism, one dose of 'drain cleaner' is not going to eliminate all of the chemical build-up, but repeated treatments will finally ensure full water pressure and flow. The same goes for our own body energy channels; one treatment by Reiki will not eliminate all of our issues/patterns/traumas and emotional reactions to them as they come to the surface of our conscious awareness. This process is on-going, continuous. A little at a time, so we are not overwhelmed energetically. The interesting thing about Reiki, is that after receiving one attunement, the purification process is started, and with daily self-treatment, we can eventually be clear and fully-opened channels for this energy. But to help speed up this same process, we can opt to receive additional re-attunements, and the purification process is intensified and quickened. This means that more 'stuff' will come up, sometimes several issues at one time, but the process is shorter than without the Reiki, and buffered by the on-going self-treatments. Our Spirit (driver of our body vehicles) will never dish out more than we can safely handle.

There is no danger that an attunement can ever be reversed, taken back or negated in any way by someone else. The attunement/empowerment is a technique that has us recall/remember the sensations of subtle fields of vibrations that our sensory organs could not otherwise register in our brain. And once remembered, we can frequently recall the sensations and strengthen the experiences with each additional attunement we receive. And our energy channels will be cleared, opened and expanded more widely to receive increasing amounts of energy. As we bring in more energy, we stretch our channels even wider in preparation for greater times of need. Eventually we integrate the Reiki into the many layers/fields that make up our total being - energetic and physical. And when that happens, we become 'Reiki' and everything that our expanded energy field touches will vibrate more quickly, seeking balance and equilibrium. When everything and everyone is vibrating to its/their maximum potential, then life will cease to be a struggle, and we will experience the fullness of Who We Truly Are, Spirit having a physical experience.

Symbols of Reiho and Reiki by Light

Published in the May 2000 issue of "The Messenger"

Have you noticed how many ‘systems’ of Reiki are being presented on the internet these days? Many contain ever-increasing numbers of symbols… one has 4500 symbols - one for every human disease. How can anyone possibly learn all of them or know when and under what circumstances to use a particular one? What is the origin of the Reiki symbols; how many are there, how did they come to be associated with Reiki, and are the symbols the power behind Reiki?

Recently, there has been an interest in Reiki information that has come out of Japan… the country where Reiki was re-discovered. Japan had been a closed country until the Meiji Empire started in 1868. And since then there has been a free exchange of goods and knowledge with the rest of the world. It was recently announced that Mikao Usui, founder of the Reiki System of Natural Healing, had a teaching manual and notes that expressed his understanding of Reiki. And Usui’s history has been pieced together, including details that had previously been scarce/non-existent outside of Japan. It has been discovered that in addition to Usui’s manual, Hayashi Sensei also had a manual that is readily available within the Reiki community. This information sheds new light and understanding on Reiki and we think it is time to aright some of the mis-information about Reiki.

The first is about the symbols of Reiki… they did not appear to Usui Sensei in multi-colored bubbles when he was knocked unconscious on Mt. Kurama Yama. In fact he never lost consciousness; he received Satori (Zen enlightenment) and had "one big Reiki over his head". He understood this energy that he knew to be "universal’ in nature, which he called Reiki. He received understanding of how Reiki could help to bring energy, vitality, joy and balanced health into his life and the lives of all humanity. He practiced using the energy on his family and friends and created a society of practitioners (Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai) to educate the masses on the use of this energy technique. But Usui soon discovered that others could not sense or feel the subtleties of the energy that he enjoyed because of his Satori. So Usui had to devise methods for his students to be able to feel the different frequencies contained within Reiki. He was a learned man, well studied in human diseases, and he drew upon this knowledge to create charts of common diseases and the organs that were adversely affected. This is the foundation of his manual. From this information, it was deducted that there were certain organs common to multiple diseases and when treated, energy and balance could be restored to organs and body systems. This is the origin of the hand positions that are taught in most Reiki classes. Usui did not intend for students to treat all people by strictly following the pattern of hand positions, but rather to use them as guidelines until practitioners could sense/feel imbalances (called Byosen’s) and work on them until the Byosen’s were no longer present in the body. In other words, the charts of disease and the concurring hand positions were only temporary tools intended to be dismissed as soon as a practitioner could sense subtle energies.

Similarly, Usui tried to help his students to feel different levels of energy that existed in the human energy field by using and/or creating symbols that represented frequencies similar to the physical, emotional and spiritual energies that make-up the essential nature of all humans. He only used four symbols to represent these energies… more than those were unnecessary. And like the hand positions, the symbols were also considered as temporary tools… to help practitioners to discern subtle energies. They are to be dispensed with when sensitivity is developed.

So how does a Reiki practitioner do a self-treatment or give a treatment to others without the use of symbols and hand positions? By practicing and developing the ability to discern subtle energy vibrations and what they represent. And by also developing the intuition so one’s hands are guided to an area(s) in the body that is out-of-balance or dis-eased. These abilities can only be developed with patience and lots of self-treatments. When working with Reiki on one’s self or on others, the practitioner needs to state the intent and desire to develop their sensitivity to subtle energies. Additionally, a practitioner also needs to experiment with sensing of energies…. develop energy games to help sensitize one’s receptivity to different vibrations. I will give examples of some games to experiment with in next month’s article. In the meantime… put your Reiki-empowered hands on yourself and Reiki….Reiki….Reiki. Namaste’ and Reiki ((((hugs))))).

Further Exploration of the Roots of Reiki by Adonea

Published in the February 2001 issue of "The Messenger"

From my research up to this point, Hayashi Sensei did not change the system much from how Usui taught Reiki. His clinic was a continuation of Usui Sensei's, which Hayashi and two other navel officers (Kanichi Taketomi and Jushaburo Ushida) took over upon Usui Sensei's transition in 1926. For about 8 years, the 3 naval officers ran it as a hospice and teaching center. Other information says that in 1931 there was a disagreement of sorts between the 3 navel officers which caused a break up. Hayashi Sensei left the Gakkai, but kept the clinic building; while Taketomi and Ushida Sensei's continued to run the teaching society (Gakkai). In 1936 when Mrs. Takata took her Reiki training, Hayashi Sensei's organization was called 'Hayashi Reiki Kenkyukai' translated 'Hayashi Reiki Research Society' and called what he taught 'Reiki Ryoho' (Reiki Healing Method), as Usui Sensei did. The name Usui Shiki Ryoho means 'Usui Style Healing Method'; I believe Hayashi might have casually referred to the method he taught as Usui Shiki Ryoho. There is a poor copy of a photograph of a 1937 Reiki Ryoho class taught by Hayashi Sensei (you can actually pick him out of the crowd ). The english title written at the top of the photo says 'Reiki Ryho ho Kai 1937'. At the bottom of the photo in Japanese Kanji are the words 'Reiki Ryoho Koushu Kai', which tranlates 'Reiki Ryoho Training Meeting 1937). I believe this might be the Okuden class that Mrs. Takata attended before she went back to Hawaii. In 1979 Mrs. Takata referred to the system passed on to her as Usui Reiki Ryoho in a audio recording by her, telling the history of Reiki. She also states on the tape that Hayashi Sensei passed on to her exactly what he learned from Usui Sensei, with no changes and she is passing it on the way she learned it from him [Hayashi] with no changes. So in 1937, Hayashi Sensei was calling what he taught Reiki Ryoho as Usui Sensei did and in 1979 Mrs. Takata was also refering to what she learned as Usui Reiki Ryoho. On Mrs. Takata's certificate it states the name of the system several times including: 'Usui system of Reiki healing', 'Usui Reiki system of drugless healing' and 'Dr. Usui's Reiki system of healing'. The first one would be 'Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho', second 'Usui Reiki Ryoho' and third 'Dr. Usui's Reiki Ryoho'; this coming from my limited understanding of Japanese. Here is a translation of words: 'Usui' = 'mortar + well', 'Reiki' = 'spiritual energy', 'Ryoho' = 'healing method or healing system, therapy, remedy, cure', and 'Shiki' = 'style, ceremony, rite, method, system, form'. It does not refer to 'Hayashi Shiki Ryoho' or 'Hayashi style healing method'.

If you compare Hayashi Sensei's Healing Guide and the Healing Guide section of Usui Sensei's Hikkei, they are virtually the same, even down to the name. Hayashi's manual is called 'Ryoho Shishin' or 'Healing Method Guideline' and contains disorders with therapeutic guidelines. This section in Usui Sensei's manual is also called 'Ryoho Shishin'; and if one compares the kanji for these words on both manuals, they are identical. Both contain a listing of diseases with areas of treatment. Hayashi Sensei's manual is simplified and does not contain the begining section on body parts with treatment areas; he only includes the head with the identical 5 treatment areas (i.e. 1. forehead, 2. temples, 3. occipital region or back of head, 4. back of neck and 5. top of head). Both Usui and Hayashi Sensei's say to begin on the head with all treatments. Hayashi's manual is more technical in nature, which makes sense to me, as he was a medical officer in the Navy and had studied Chinese Medicine. It doesn't seem that he changed much, but since he did have a Reiki Research Society, I am sure he was continuously experimenting with various methods of treatment (such as the 7 hand positions mentioned in Tatsumi's notes which could also have come from Usui Sensei originally). It appears that Usui Sensei did not have a set series of hand positions, as we are taught in the West. He wanted everyone to be as intuitive as he was with treatments. I believe when he found that many people did not have the same level of sensitivity that he did, he set forth the series of treatment areas for specific diseases. But these, like the symbols, were only intended to be temporary tools... with the ultimate goal of fully incorporating the energy of the symbols and treating each case intuitively. This is part of the enlightenment process that Reiki brings about - awakening our inherent intuitive (clairaudient, clairsentient, clairvoyant) abilities.

Usui Sensei only had Reiki for a short while; if Mr. Doi's dates are correct (March 1922 for Usui's satori), Usui Sensei only had Reiki for 4 years. If the date 1914 is correct (listed in several Japanese books), he still only had Reiki for 12 years prior to his transition in 1926... not a long time to develop a complete teaching system that worked for everyone. Usui Sensei had a definite advantage having gained enlightenment (satori); he had Universal awareness of how to treat and how to give an energy connection to Reiki... but not necessarily how to pass on the fullness of this knowledge in a simple way to others. Hayashi Sensei only worked with Reiki for 15 years (1925 - 1940) before he made his transition, and didn't have the advantage of satori, but his research gave him a greater understanding of what Usui Sensei actually experienced. During this time, I am sure he began to develop an understanding of how best to teach 'Reiki Ryoho'. Mrs. Takata benefited from Hayashi Sensei's research and experimentation, receiving thorough training. She was his 13th Shinpiden student, we know now that he did teach others to teaching level after Mrs. Takata. She had an advantage of working 'Reiki Ryoho' as a Master for 42 years (1938 - 1980), and I believe this was ample time to gain an understanding of the energy and to develop a style of teaching that worked for a majority of students. Perhaps this is why she began to teach a series of 12 basic hand positions; instructing her students to do a complete 1 to 4 treatment on everyone. She understood that the more Reiki one receives, the faster that changes would occur, and having students work on themselves daily would help them to become more intuitive, a clearer channel for greater Reiki flow and bring them into closer alignment with 'Creator/God' and their purpose for incarnating. I am sure she also knew that a one-hour treatment may be all a person is willing to devote to themselves or others.

I personally am happy to see the similarities between the teachings/teachers and to find that I and others have come to deeper understandings of Reiki through working the system.

  

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Webmaster Adonea / More Articles on Reiki Ryoho / adonea@msn.com / 10-14-02