Usui Sensei

Mr Mikao Usui is acknowledged as the founder of Reiki. His story is difficult to publish accurately because it has been passed down verbally and with many chances for embellishment. The key elements on which most historians seem to agree are:

Usui Sensei was born in Japan on August 15th in 1865

He was a practicing Buddhist and a successful businessman

He became concerned that we had lost the techniques for healing that holy men such as the Buddha had practiced

He resolved to rediscover these techniques and spent many years studying and searching

At the end of this process of discovery he went to a mountain top and meditated and fasted for 21 days during which the symbols and process of Reiki were revealed to him.

After many years of healing the sick in body Mr Usui realized that Reiki had to deal with the whole being and that the client had to desire change in order for the process to be successful. He also realized that the healing process was a body, mind and spirit process and so he developed the Reiki Ideals as a guide to those actively seeking the path of grace.

For a wonderful description of Mr Usui's life
Visit the translation of his Memorial in Japan here