Reiki, Who Is In Charge ?

For many years we all have been looking at Reiki history from a Western point of view. Because of the cultural and language barriers between Japan and the West not many facts were known.The life of Dr. Usui or Usui Sensei, as he is called by his followers in Japan was one clouded in mists of a mystical character.

Recently the question of who the true successor of Usui Sensei is has come up again, and for that reason I would like to make things clear once and for all.

Since Usui Sensei died on March 9th 1926, the Usui Reiki Gakkai, which he founded and presided over has had six sequential presidents - the true and only successors of Mikao Usui. The first successor was a Mr. Ushida, who took over the responsibilities after Usui Sensei’s death. The second successor was Mr.Taketomi, the third Mr.Watanabe, the fourth Mr.Wanami, the fifth a Mrs. Koyama who retired due to her age in the beginning of 1998 and the present successor is a Mr. Kondo.

The titles "Grand master" or " Lineage Bearer" were not and are not in use in the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. Consequently this title was never passed on to Mr. Chujiro Hayashi as is currently believed. The only successor to Usui Sensei was Mr. Ushida in 1926.

Mr. Hayashi was one of many respected disciples of Usui-Sensei, but not more and not less than that. In the old days disciples like Mr. Hayashi who were granted the teacher status by the president often had their own disciples.This is why there are so many different Reiki streams flowing all over Japan. However there is no question about Mr. Kondo’s leadership today.

The reason that the truth about the real successor of Usui-Sensei never came to the light in the West is rather simple. Years ago we heard on the phone from a Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai member that they were not interested in "Reiki that comes from a foreign country". This attitude explains why the record was never officially set straight. Japanese people in general are very accepting, much more so than Westerners. When it rains it rains and when the sun shines, the sun shines. Regarding things that are happening abroad the Japanese interest is usually nil. This goes for environmental destruction, international wars and politics and of course, Reiki and the untruths that are circulated about it.

So much abuse has been perpetrated in the name of Reiki,that it is hardly surprising that the Japanese Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai keeps its knowledge to itself. They just don’t want to be involved.

However, I am neither Japanese nor of a passive character and I have a passion for the truth. That is why I would like to share the above with all of you. Reiki is pure energy no matter what label we put on it. There is neither a right nor a wrong Reiki. Energy does not have moral attributes and can never be owned by anyone. It is our human birthright and therefore free as the wind. In this spirit, the spirit of love, light and one-ness I wish you all the best on your path to the light, from Japan with love

Frank Arjava Petter, author of the books ‘Reiki Fire�?and ‘Reiki, the Legacy of Dr. Usui�?published by Lotus Light Publications, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin , USA.