Reiki History

We have taken the approach of educating people in the hope of removing the confusion that abounds in the Reiki world today. Please take the journey with us and become an informed practitioner.

Usui Mikao was the founder of what is known as the system of Reiki today. No-one will ever know the full story of Usui's life. The remnants that still exist can be somewhat pieced together but they will never create a whole. We must satisfy ourselves with the knowledge that can be gained and take advantage of the practices that have been left for our spiritual development.

There are very few historical facts about Usui's teachings that can claim authenticity through verification. That is not to say that there aren't a great many stories told about Usui and his teachings - there are.

The most straightforward information to be found is that from Usui Mikao's Memorial Stone. This was written just one year after his death and therefore leaves little leeway for the historical information to have changed drastically. Recently it has been claimed that the students who wrote this information never consulted Usui’s family and therefore may have left out information that would be relevant in a truly comprehensive memorial to Usui.

Today, traditional Japanese teachers are offering new claims about the history of Usui and his teachings. The existence of some of these teachers and their information has yet to be verified. There are a number of groups presenting such claims to the Reiki community; some groups appear to be more consistent and reliable than others. Until this information has, to some extent, been verified it is best to view it with both interest and cautiousness.

Included in this section, apart from a historical look at Usui's life, is a translation of the memorial stone from 1927 that can be found in Tokyo. This translation was written by Japanese Reiki Master Inamoto Hyakuten. There is also information about the mountains where Usui did austerity practices. A list of some of Usui's students and their students with short biographies is also available. A few traditional practices are written up for your interest. Remember though that the system of Reiki is passed from teacher to student and cannot be learnt from reading a book (or website for that matter). If you are interested in some of the mythical claims that have, and are still, made about about the system of Reiki then make sure you don't miss the Historical Inconsistencies page.