Accuracy of Usuis memorial stone?

I've been printing just about every page i could find over at AETW, and am wondering if anyone here knows how accurate the information given om Usui senseis memorial stone is. Is it worth taken it into consideration, or should one assume that it is strongly biased as his students wrote it?

Anyone have any ideas?

Erik Jögimar wrote:I've been printing just about every page i could find over at AETW, and am wondering if anyone here knows how accurate the information given om Usui senseis memorial stone is. Is it worth taken it into consideration, or should one assume that it is strongly biased as his students wrote it?

Anyone have any ideas?

Hi Erik

I think one of the main "problems" with the Usui Memorial stone is that it is inscribed in Old Japanese, which makes it difficult for many people to translate into modern Japanese let alone into English! I would imagine it is a bit like trying to translate Shakespeare (or maybe even Chaucer) into modern English and then into another modern language...not easy to do an accurate job unless you are a trained scholar!

Also, yes, I think the information on the stone may be biased towards the work Usui did with his later students - the ones who were actually around when the Gakkai was formed. I believe the stone was erected against the wishes of the remaining Usui family and this is what actually caused, or contributed to, the rift between the Usui family and the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (which resulted in his descendants not wanting talking about Mikao Usui and Reiki).

However, it is really the only concrete evidence we have about the life of Mikao Usui, so until some other real evidence appears which contradicts what is said on the memorial stone, I feel happy to believe what is written there - perhaps allowing for some exaggerations and flattery by students for their sensei!

Unless, of course, you are one of the Reiki conspiracy gang, who believe that the Usui memorial is a hoax and was erected in the 1980s by a certain Reiki school in Japan that wanted to "prove" their particular version of the history of Reiki!



Ai to Hikari
Colin

Colin,

Thanks for your reply! I had never considered the memorialstone as a cause of rift between Usui family and the Gakkai. I have another question however regarding one of the accomplishments of Usui-sensei. The stone says that he assisted after a great earthquake. Are there any proof for this taking place, or another smaller exaggeration?

Arigatou Gozaimashita

Erik

Erik Jögimar wrote:Colin,

Thanks for your reply! I had never considered the memorialstone as a cause of rift between Usui family and the Gakkai. I have another question however regarding one of the accomplishments of Usui-sensei. The stone says that he assisted after a great earthquake. Are there any proof for this taking place, or another smaller exaggeration?

Arigatou Gozaimashita

Erik

Hi Erik

Well, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 certainly took place! You can see lots of photographs here,

http://www.japan-guide.com/a/earthquake/

showing the utter devastation and loss of life - much of which was aggravated by the use of wood burning hibachi stoves, which created lots of fires.

As to whether Usui sensei went to help? Well I can't imagine a man such as him not helping! I am sure he would have felt compassion for the people affected by this terrible event and would have offered to help in whatever way he could.

There are stories of him healing five people at once (one person with each hand and foot, and another using his eyes to give Reiki!) Now that may (or may not!) be a slight exaggeration!

It is also possible that his experience of treating so many homeless and sick people eventually became the story/parable which Hawayo Takata set in the Beggar's Quarter, in Kyoto.

Ai to Hikari
Colin

Colin wrote:

Unless, of course, you are one of the Reiki conspiracy gang...

you mean there's more than one! jeepers! send me the membership forms please!