Much has been written about ReiKi, so much that it seems almost impossible to avoid being redundant. However, after years of practicing and teaching this wonderful system, a refreshed view on this method becomes capital.

We are so into the techniques and forms associated with ReiKi that sometimes we really need to go back into the philosophy of it, in order to penetrate the deeper levels of this onion-like approach to personal enlightenment – because ReiKi was not called a healing method until the death of its founder, Mikao Usui. The first written inscription saying “healing” is the one of the Master’s tomb stone, set in 1926… he never mentioned it during his years of practice.

Most of the practitioners in the world today are heirs of the Takata line. Some of the advanced masters, among which my master, felt something was missing. In the ’90’s, a Canadian origin master, Dave King, and his colleague, Melissa Rigall, researched the method with direct disciples of Usui: it looks like the original method was dedicated rather to spiritual evolution than to healing. In 2000, Chris Marsh, a British Master, got in touch with one of Mikao’s first students, a Buddhist nun, aged 106 at that time (it is known that his students lived for 95 years or more, which shows the effectiveness of this system in reprogramming all bodies), Chris got to know another 11 direct disciples of Usui, all over 100 years old…

Where is all this information coming from, and how is it possible that such essential , critical information could be so contradictory when we look at the “traditional” Takata descriptions?

I owe this to my beloved late master, Don Beckett, who showed me the most authentic version of Usui. I got several initiations from several masters, but Don was the one that stripped all the unnecessary form off the attunements and teachings and reloaded them with content. Rather than a therapy, Rei Ki, as the name says, is the connection between the divine energy (Rei) and the personal energy (Ki or Chi). An invisible channel of light that brings what we could call the Breath of God, flowing into the personal spark of divinity in each being, activating it and igniting an irreversible evolution process. Usui called it ” a method for reaching perfection”. Both Dave King and Chris Marsh confirm, after talking with direct disciples, that Usui never named the method Ryoho.

Another important piece of information comes, as well, from the first-hand students of Usui: the attunements were performed frequently in Usui’s dojo  – actually each time someone came to see Usui – through a method named ReiJu, The Offering of the Spirit. Again, I was fortunate to learn and be able to apply this method, taught by Don at the master level. It is a full energetic reprogramming of the bodies, bringing them closer to the original state of perfection, and the ideal support of the attunements for Shoden, Okuden and Shinpiden – the three levels that Mikao taught. It is like a carrier wave that implements precisely, gently and in a powerful way the light codes allowing the practitioner to connect to the Source, channel Light and work with various aspects of the frequency of the Source.

ReiJu is my favorite tool and when things are serious I am starting the session, like Mikao did a century ago, with a ReiJu, which works like an open attunement. I get myself ready for important days, such as teaching days, starting with a self Reiju: this technique that seems to come from the Tendai buddhist Qi Gong type practices is an all powerful procedure and its result fully depends on the intention.

So… the Gakkai was started by the group of Imperial Marine officers that were close to Usui and not Usui himself… there are magic, powerful techniques that should be taught in order to completely restore the potential of this method… and less drawing of symbols and more focus on intention are the way to practice this wonderful method Usui downloaded in his moment of satori, brief enlightenment, on Mount Kurama, after 21 days of fasting.

And ReiKi is actually the awakening and establishing of the connection between the human self and the Divine Self, Higher Presence, I AM presence – the superior component of the Being, known under so many names. The rest is just a pletora of positive secondary effects. 🙂

For those interested in exploring more this approach, Don’s book is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reiki-The-True-Story-Exploration/dp/158394267X