| Mikao Usui was born on the 15th of August in 1865 in | | | | addition to Tendai Buddhism. Shugenja is a Japanese |
| the village Taniai in Japan, not fare from where | | | | mountain asctic shamanism which incorporates Shinto |
| Nagoyo is today. His family had lived here for eleven | | | | and Buddhist practises. |
| generations and Mikao was born into the Tendai sect | | | | Around 1900 Mikao fell very ill as an epidemic swept |
| of Esoteric Buddhism. At a very young age he was | | | | trough Kyoto. He had a near death experience in |
| sent to a Tendai monastery to receive his primary | | | | which he had a vision of, and instruction from, the |
| education. He continued his Buddhist education until he | | | | Mahavairovana Buddha. This was a very important |
| became a lay Tendai priest. | | | | experience for Mikao and it caused him to rethink his |
| The Tiantai teaching was first brought to Japan by | | | | life. He turned his mind to the esoteric science of |
| Chinese monks in the 8th century. Shortly it | | | | healing as thought by Buddha, and he developed the |
| developed into what became Japanese Tendai. The | | | | compassionate wish that he may learn the methods |
| Japanese Tendai did not deviate substantially from | | | | of healing in order to benefit mankind. |
| the beliefs created by the Tiantai school in China. | | | | Mikao went on to study Shingon Buddhism in order |
| The Tendai sect flourished under the patronage of | | | | to find explanations to his vision. This lead to a |
| the imperial family and it became the dominant form | | | | confrontation with his family who declared him a |
| of main-steam Buddhism in Japan and it also was the | | | | traitor to the family and ancestors. |
| foundation for most of the developments in later | | | | He spend much time and money studying Buddhist |
| Japanese Buddhism. | | | | scriptures, in particular the once about healing |
| Mikao Usui was also influenced by Shintoism, the | | | | techniques and energy disciplines. For many years he |
| traditional faith of the Japanese people prior to | | | | continued to study and practice the Buddhist |
| contact with China. The original shintoism was a very | | | | teachings. Over time he became a respected and |
| simple religion and it had only one command: the | | | | learned Buddhist teacher with a following of students. |
| necessity of being loyal to one's ancestors. Its early | | | | In 1914 he undertook a meditation retreat at the |
| aspects were naturalistic, which includes spiritism, | | | | monastery Kurama-yama. It is believed that during |
| totemism, and nature worship. Early Japanese | | | | this retreat he was able to melt together all his |
| worshiped the sun, thunder, earth, tigers, serpents, | | | | knowledge and come to the realization of how he |
| threes, stones etc. A later stage is more intellectual | | | | could work with the divine life energy. |
| and ethically oriented. | | | | He first practiced the new healing technique on |
| As Mikao was growing up the Japanese society went | | | | himself and his friends before he, at a later stage, |
| trough gross changes. It was now starting to open | | | | offered his healing to the residents of Kyoto. This |
| up to the west again. For the first time since the | | | | gave him the opportunity to perfect and refine the |
| 1640's foreigners were allowed in the country, the | | | | healing method - later known as Reiki healing. |
| ban on Christianity was lifted in 1873 and the country | | | | In 1922 he moved to Tokyo and opened up a Reiki |
| abandoned a feudal society and adapted to an | | | | clinic where he practiced and also taught the system |
| industrialized society instead. | | | | of Reiki to his students. He founded the Usui Reiki |
| Mikao was an eager student and he received a | | | | Ryoho Gakkai, meaning Usui's Spiritual Energy |
| doctorate in literature, he spoke several languages, | | | | Therapy Society, which is a society of Japanese Reiki |
| and studied the western medicine, theology and | | | | masters still existing today. |
| philosophy. He had the opportunity to travel to China, | | | | After the Kanto earthquake in 1923 in Tokyo where |
| USA and Europe where he could elaborate on his | | | | over 140 000 people were killed and over three |
| studies. | | | | million people found themselves homeless over night, |
| Early in his adult life Mikao lived in Kyoto with his wife | | | | Mikao and his students went out in the streets and |
| and two children. He had various carriers as a | | | | offered Reiki healing to countless of victims. |
| businessman, and at one time he was also the | | | | His fame spread quickly all over Japan and he began |
| private secretary to Count Shinpei Goto. At the | | | | receiving invitations from all over the country. His |
| same time he continued his spiritual studies and | | | | schedule grew tight as requests for teaching |
| became involved with a group named Rei Jyutsu Kai. | | | | continued to increase. He travelled throughout Japan |
| This group had a temple (Kurama-dera) at the base | | | | giving healings and teachings. On March 9th in 1926 he |
| of the mountain Kurama-yama. | | | | unexpectedly died of a stroke 62 years old. |
| Mikao Usui is also said to have practices Shugenja in | | | | |