The Murky Legend of Dr. Usui
The origins of Reiki, which came to the West from Japan and spread like wildfire in Europe and America, are kind of murky. For a long time, it wasn’t even clear when the fabled “Dr. Usui” was born and died.
When I was initiated as a Reiki practitioner, my Reiki master told me the following legend, which I later passed on to my own students once I became a Reiki master. As far as I know, it’s the standard origin story every Western Reiki student gets to hear.
Here it goes…
Dr. Mikao Usui (1865–1926) was the principal of the Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. Aside from being a professor, he was also a devout Christian preacher and missionary. One day, one of his students asked him, “If Jesus could heal by laying his hands on people, then why can’t we?”
After all, the Holy Spirit did give the disciples the gift of healing… and Jesus himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12)
This question threw Usui into a tailspin—and launched a multi-year quest for the secret of hands-on healing. He resigned his job at the university, but after many travels (which included intensive studies at the University of Chicago and at Buddhist temples in Japan, China, and India), he still only had pieces of the puzzle. Usui’s mentor, an old, wise Buddhist monk, suggested he should climb a mountain outside of Kyoto and fast and meditate there for 21 days. Note again the similarity to Jesus.
On the last day of this “vision quest,” Dr. Usui received the secrets of spiritual healing in the form of Reiki (ostensibly by God). He then came down from the mountain performing miraculous healings and set off into the world doing good works, teaching Reiki, and healing the afflicted with his newly given gift. And they all lived happily ever after.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Except that everything about it may be a lie.
I just recently learned that it’s not clear that this background story has any basis in fact. Supposedly, Reiki master Hawayo Takata, who in 1970 brought the technique from Japan to the United States, lied about the history of Reiki to make it more appealing to Westerners. Usui was never a Christian, nor the dean of a Christian school, and there is no record that he ever attended or received a degree from the University of Chicago.
To be honest, I’ve been questioning whether the famed Dr. Usui ever existed. I know there’s a grave with a tombstone in Tokyo, but is he in there?
In any case, there’s a good chance that Reiki may have really originated from Shugendo, a form of Buddhist ascetic shamanism, “whose goal is specifically to gain supernatural powers through religious training while treading through steep mountain ranges.” Shugendo practices allegedly include “festivals, fortunetelling, divination, prayers and incantations, spells, charms, and exorcism.”
Wherever it’s coming from, though, it is not the benevolent healing and relaxation technique it claims to be. It’s just one of the many snares of the devil designed to rope in unsuspecting spiritual seekers who believe it will enhance their personal power and turn them into healers. Of course, the “personal power” part is exactly where Satan is able to sink in his hooks.
As I noted in “Spiritual Dangers of Reiki, Part 1,” the first level is just the beginning.
With the second-level attunement, you receive several secret symbols, which, written down, vaguely resemble Japanese script. One of them enables you to send Reiki over great distances (aka, remote healing). The other “exponentially increases your power.”
You also receive the “Reiki guides,” supposedly the spirits of ancient healers who will from then on be with you to assist you and guide you in your healing journey.
Every Christian who reads this should be shuddering right now.
The New Age movement, which Reiki is an integral part of, is all about achieving enlightenment and personal godhood—a trap that is (quite literally) as old as the beginning of time.
“Oh come on,” hissed the serpent into Eve’s ear, “God didn’t really say you’d die if you ate from that tree? You see, He lied to you. What it will actually do is make you like Him... you’ll be your own God, powerful beyond imagination.”
That’s exactly what millions and millions of New Agers believe. It’s what they’ve been told for 100+ years by the demonic forces masquerading as spirit guides, ascended masters, benevolent aliens, archangels, and even Jesus and God Himself.
“You’re the master of your own destiny,” whisper those demons, “you can manifest whatever you want in your life. Your truth is your own, and no one can tell you otherwise. Tolerance is the highest value because there is no objective good or bad. Everything just is. There’s no sin, there’s no heaven or hell. Jesus was a great master, just like Buddha, and he loved and accepted everyone the way they were. God Himself is Love; He/She/It has no preference for what you do. The Ten Commandments and Satan are inventions of ancient people who wanted to oppress their fellow men by scaring them into obedience. You can transcend this fear-based lie. Let’s all work together, and we’ll create a utopian world where everyone lives in peace and harmony.”
Does this sound familiar? Catholics often make the mistake to believe that New Agers are a fringe group in society, but that’s not true. I would postulate that at this point, they’re the MAJORITY in North America (and most European countries).
Some of them have pink, purple, or blue hair and wear shirts saying, My body, my choice. Some of them are your kids’ teachers. Some wear business suits and ties. They’re your doctors, chiropractors, yoga teachers, and massage therapists. They’re your neighbors, coworkers, and family members. They read their daily horoscopes, grow organic vegetables, and vote Democrat because Democrats “are the nice people who care about others.” Some preach on TV that God wants you to be happy, that all nice people go to heaven, and that, as a child of God, you get to claim health, wealth, and good fortune.
Most of them are decent people. But all of them have fallen prey to the great satanic delusion that says the Bible doesn’t matter, God’s will doesn’t matter, Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross doesn’t matter.
YOU matter, and what you want for yourself.
It’s a trap that’s very hard to get out of.
[In the next couple of installments, I’ll talk about how I got into Reiki (it’s a wild story)… what I learned in hindsight… and Till next time!]
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