origins of reiki
Reiki is
an ancient healing technique which historically has its roots in India,
Tibet and more recently in Japan. It is a powerful and transformational
system of healing, whose origins can be traced back to the sanskrit Buddhist
sutras in India, over 2,500 years ago. It is more likely the Reiki energy
healing system pre-dates Buddhism.
Reiki is a system of channelling universal life force energy for healing. In different cultures, this energy has been called;
Chi - by the Chinese.
Prana - by the Hindus.
Mana - by the Kahunas.
Ki - by the Japanese.
For over a thousand years, Tibetan Buddhist lamas and monks have possessed a deep understanding of the nature of spirit, energy and matter. They have used this knowledge to heal their bodies, harmonise their souls and lead their spirit to an experience of unity - at one with the source and eventually enlightenment.
Mahayana Buddhism incorporates the Vajrayana path or diamond/quick path, which derives from the Buddhist sutras and is the Boddhisattva way. It uses mantras, symbols and visualisations for spiritual awakening, for the benefit of all sentient beings. The recent history of Reiki - its journey from India and Tibet to Japan and, more recently to the west - is fascinating.
Dr Mikao Usui, a Japanese monk who lived in the late 19th Century, rediscovered the key which led to the recovery of the thousand year old tradition of healing in the 2,500 year old sanskrit sutras, and brought this healing system to the lay people of Japan.
Through his discovery of the Reiki healing method outside of Tibet, and his transmission by attunements to lay medical practitioners in Japan, Reiki was eventually brought to America and to Europe in the latter part of the 20th Century. Mrs Hawaya Takata, a student of Reiki in Japan, came to America and initiated the first of many Reiki Masters there. Reiki has an ancient and pure lineage that can be traced back to the Buddha and beyond, but, is timeless in its relevance and application in healing and transforming the human condition.
