Mikao Usui, Founder of the System of Reiki
Mikao Usui, founder of the system of Reiki — Public Domain image.
Mikao Usui is the founder of the system of Reiki. He was born on August 15th, 1865. It is said that his family were hatamoto samurai of the Chiba clan, and that he was well versed in several martial arts. During his life he travelled to Europe and America, and studied in China. Usui was a lay Tendai (some sources say Jodo) Buddhist monk. Usui's remains rest at the Saihoji Temple in Tokyo where there is also an inscribed memorial stone erected by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, the society said to have been created by Mikao Usui in 1922.
Much of the information we know about Mikao Usui comes from the memorial stone which records his accomplishments, including his 21 day retreat on Mount Kurama where the Reiki spiritual method is said to have been revealed to him. According to William Lee Rand's History of Reiki, it is uncertain what the exact requirements were during the retreat, but it is likely that fasting, meditation, chanting and prayers formed a part of the practice.
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