by Frans Stiene.
On Mikao Usui’s memorial stone, erected by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, we see that Mikao Usui attained enlightenment, or anshin ritsumei in Japanese.
“One day, he climbed Kurama-yama and after 21 days of a severe discipline without eating, He suddenly felt One Great Reiki over his head and attained enlightenment and he obtained Reiki Ryoho.”
Now ask yourself: If Mikao Usui attained enlightenment would he have only taught hands on healing or also a path to attain enlightenment? Of course it makes sense that he would have taught a path to attain enlightenment as well. Why? Because the kindest and most compassionate thing to do is teach someone a path to release themselves from suffering. Plus real teachers teach from their own direct experience, hence Mikao Usui would have taught from his own enlightened experience.
Mikao Usui’s memorial stone also points this out.
“Reiho puts special emphasis not just on curing diseases but also on enjoying wellbeing in life with correcting the mind and making the body healthy with the use of an innate healing ability.”
To really enjoy life and be free of suffering we need to remember our true nature, enlightenment. Unfortunately, the word enlightenment is a bit of a tricky word. Some people are even scared of it, thinking that to remember their enlightened nature they must give up their lives to become a monk or a nun. But Mikao Usui described the enlightened state of mind in the Reiki precepts. Let’s have a look:
Living from an enlightened state of mind means that today, in all we do, we can lead a life without anger and worry, that we are grateful for whatever comes our way, that we can be true to our way and our being and that we can have a compassion which does not change according to circumstances. This is the mindset of enlightenment. It’s nothing special; just be kind and compassionate to everyone and everything. And imagine: if we all could do that, then we would live in a world full of love and peace.
“Anshin ritsumei is the state of seeing one’s true nature thoroughly and being unmoved by anything.” – Zen Master Harada Daiun Sogaku.
The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai also states very clearly that Usui Reiki Ryoho is a practice to attain enlightenment:
“Usui Reiki Ryoho is a noble practice (“Gyo”) through which Usui Mikao Sensei attained enlightenment.” – from a letter given to each new member of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai.
Some people say that the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai does not mention Mikao Usui’s enlightenment, but as we can see that is not true. They even point out that Usui Reiki Ryoho is a practice for remembering our enlightened state of mind.
We can also see this state pointed out within booklets handed out by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. Here is a wonderful example:
Within the booklet Reiki Ryoho no Shiori we see a section called “Strict Teachings of Mikao Usui.” Within this section we find a wonderful poem, which encapsulates Mikao Usui’s teaching about the state of mind of enlightenment.
“Kumo wa harete nochino hikari to omounayo Motoyori sorani ariake no tsuki”
“Do not think that the light appears only after the clouds [confusion, thoughts, ego] have cleared. The light of the moon [Great Bright Light – that we are Reiki, our enlightened state of mind] has been shining in the sky from the very beginning.”
And here is yet another one which can be found in the same booklet:
“One of the most strict rules which he taught us is that your spirit as a small universe has to be always united with the spiritual power of the whole universe as one. In other words, you lie in the universe and the universe lies in you.”
When we have the direct experience that I am the universe and the universe is me, we have rediscovered our enlightened nature.
So again and again we find pointers, even within the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, which points to Mikao Usui’s enlightenment and his teachings about it.
“Dento Reiki as it was practiced by members of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai before Usui sensei’s death drastically changed after his passing and even more after the end of World War II.” – Hiroshi Doi.
One of the major reasons the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai focuses on hands on healing is that none of its teachers had the enlightened experience that Mikao Usui had. If we haven’t had those kinds of direct experiences, we also cannot teach it. I can not give you a cup of tea if I do not have it.
“The content of Shinpiden’s instruction did not exist as a curriculum. As a result, following Usui sensei’s death, instruction regarding the maximum state of Anshin Ritsumei became difficult.” – Hiroshi Doi
We cannot help others remember their enlightened nature if we have not had this direct experience ourselves.
Many Reiki researchers point to this same truth in Mikao Usui’s teachings.
Within the booklet Shin-Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho Kokai Denju Setsumei and the Usui Reiki Ryoho Hikkei, two booklets handed out by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, we find an interview with Mikao Usui. His answer to one of the questions is a very important pointer to Mikao Usui’s teachings about the state of mind of enlightenment.
“Q. Does Usui Reiki Ryoho only heal illness?A. No. Usui Reiki Ryoho does not only heal illness. Mental illnesses such as agony, weakness, timidity, irresolution, nervousness and other bad habits can be corrected. Then you are able to lead a happy life and heal others with the mind of Kami or Hotoke [Buddha]. That becomes the principal object.”
Here Mikao Usui clearly states that to help others we must have the mind of kami or hotoke, this is, in fact, the principal objective.
What is the state of mind of kami or hotoke?
“A mind that is pure and undefiled, free of contrivances of any kind, impartial and selfless as a mirror—this is the meaning of kami, and also the meaning of Buddha.” – Hakuin’s Song of Zazen by Yamada Mumon Roshi.
Zen master Yamada Mumon points it out very beautifully: a pure mind, thus a mind which embodies the Reiki precepts in all we do, an enlightened state of mind.
In fact, a student of Mikao Usui pointed this out too in his book written in 1933.
“Its essence is seeking the harmony of body and mind. When engaged in self-cultivation by doing seiza, forgetting the “self” is of utmost importance. When it comes to self-cultivation, one must discard all thoughts.” – Tomita Kaij, Reiki and the Benevolent Art of Healing.
To forget the self and adopt the mindset of kami and hotoke represents Mikao Usui’s strictest teaching—a state of enlightenment in everything we do today.
Thus if we want to have the same direct experience as Mikao Usui on Mt Kurama we need to apply his teachings: not just hands-on healing, but the integration of the meditation practices, the symbols and mantras, and the Reiki precepts. If we remember that enlightened state of mind, we can help others from that state mind of kami or hotoke. Now ask yourself: if we can help others from the mindset of, “I am the universe and the universe is me,” what happens to our energy then? It flows…unlimited, uninterrupted, free with unlimited possibilities. So why limit yourself? Start the right practice and free yourself from your own limitations.
