The origins of Reiki - more "Japanese Whispers"?

Apparently:

"Reiki is the name given to a spiritual system of self realisation and healing which originated in ancient Tibet. Rei-ki (pronounced Ray-Key) combines two Japanese words. The first meaning free passage and the second meaning Universal Life Force (energy) so collectively ‘Rei-ki’ means the free passage of Universal Energy. It was popularised in the 1870s by a Japanese Monk named Mikao Usui. Sensei Usui was taught Reiki by the lineage bearer (soke dai) of an ancient Tantric Buddhist tradition - Reiki can be traced directly back to Buddha in an unbroken lineage of enlightened masters - if you know where to look!"

ttp://www.livingsynergy.co.uk/reiki.php
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did you mention Soke Dai! i've suddenly developed a flashback 'Freddie Kruger' nightmare!

Milarepa wrote:i've suddenly developed a flashback 'Freddie Kruger' nightmare!

"One, two, Freddy's . . ." oh, never mind.

Bruce

In the interests of fairness I thought maybe we should contact the website owners to determine where they've been looking and understand the quality of there evidence.

However, the best that can be said about the "contact us" page on the website is that it's not misleading...

http://www.livingsynergy.co.uk/reiki.php#contact.php

John

JohnC wrote:In the interests of fairness I thought maybe we should contact the website owners to determine where they've been looking and understand the quality of there evidence.

However, the best that can be said about the "contact us" page on the website is that it's not misleading...

http://www.livingsynergy.co.uk/reiki.php#contact.php

John

If anybody calls the phone number or sends a message to the e-mail address listed at the bottom of that page, and gets a response, please consider sharing the info. that you get about where they get their info.

Thanks.

Bruce

Oh no....

Chris...you may find this as illuminating as Wayne did!

http://www.reikicouncil.org.uk/AboutReiki/ReikiFAQs/tabid/87/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

And this is the UK Reiki Council Website?

Ai to Hikari
Colin

thanks Colin, havn't read it yet, wil now. I need a laugh tonight.

He has been on the RRWG from the start, which is now the 'Reiki Council', it's no wonder his stuf is on there.

Robert Jefford wrote:
In order to clear up any confusion, an Eastern lineage is a Reiki lineage that does not include Chujiro Hayashi or Hawayo Takata. It will only contain the names of Usui’s other Shinpiden students, those that were neither associated nor teaching with Chujiro Hayashi....

http://www.reikicouncil.org.uk/AboutReiki/ReikiFAQs/tabid/87/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Huh ?!!

so, that means that none of Hayashi-sensei's Japanese students, eg:
Shou Matsui
Tatsumi-san
Wasaburo Sugano
Chiyoko Yamaguchi [and therefore Tadao Yamaguchi & all Jikiden folk]
Chiyoko's sister Katsue
Chie Hayashi (Chujiro's wife)- and therefore all her students....

are to be considered 'Eastern lineage' Reiki folk ??





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Oh it get's better! How about Hayashi sensei introducing the chakras! And me saying, well if that's the case, Chiyoko Yamguchi would have been taught them, and passed it onto Jikiden. And i said this wasn't the case, that Jikiden taught chakras.

To which the reply was, the Yamaguchi family do change things within Jikiden, and 'remebmer, i'm level 2 with Jikiden'. Implying...?

I contacted Jikiden about this, and of course, they were able to tell me that chakras aren't a part of their training. It may come up in conversation at times in a class, but they aren't taught.

Take care
Wayne

Colin wrote:Oh no....

Chris...you may find this as illuminating as Wayne did!

http://www.reikicouncil.org.uk/AboutReiki/ReikiFAQs/tabid/87/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

And this is the UK Reiki Council Website?

Ai to Hikari
Colin

Aiya. "Explanations" there are gobbledygook. Here's just one example: the site says, "Reiki, in contrast, is not physical energy. Physical energy is measured as a wave length (ie polarised) whereas Reiki energy is of a far higher frequency not usually active within the human body and does not have a wave length as do grosser (less subtle) energies (ie it is unpolarised)."

The site says reiki has a frequency but not a wavelength, and that the distinction determines whether the energy is polarized. Huh??? This is the sort of pseudo-science that damages the credibility of practitioners.

Wave length refers to the distance taken up by one cycle of the wave form. Frequency -- number of cycles per second -- is a measure of how many wavelengths fit within a unit of time. In wave mechanics, polarization refers to transmission of a wave in one plane only. Some waves are polarized. Some aren't. The distinction between polarization and non-polarization doesn't have anything to do with whether a wave's frequency is high or low. (Ordinary sound is an example of non-polarized wave form, regardless of the frequency of the particular sound. Contrary to the above-noted site's assertion, non-polarization doesn't have anything to do with whether sound is a grosser energy or a more subtle energy.)

Bruce

Just to confuse things even more, it looks like the/a Medicine Dharma Reiki website is still active, complete with some of the "translated notes" from "Dr Usui", his autobiography and some of his lecture notes!

For those who may not be aware, all of this caused quite a stir in the Reiki world when Richard Blackwell, aka Lama Yeshe, published his book Medicine Dharma Reiki, purporting to contain translation of Usui's Diary and Course Notes with lots of "information" about Usui's early life. This seems to be one of the sources used by the author of the Reiki FAQ on the UK Reiki Council Website.

The problem is that, due to continued delays in Lama Yeshe producing promised authentication and various "discrepancies" found in both Lama Yeshe's story and Usui's story, eventually it was found that most if not all of the Usui material had been channelled and there probably never was a real lacquered box containing the Tantra of the Lightning Flash, said to have been used by Usui to re-construct the ancient healing system said to come from the Medicine King Buddha.

If you have some time on your hands and did not buy the book, there is quite a lot of the supposed Usui material on this website;

http://www.medicinedharmareiki.co.nz/news.html

If any of this has actually been substantiated, I would be very interested. Have you any updates to add, James?

Ai to Hikari
Colin

yeah, really weird that though. both him & I had a long conversation bout Richard. Robert knew full well of all this stuff, and Robert told me that Richard actually fooled many people of the day.

James might know more up to date info, but as far as i'm aware, and you prob are of the same view Colin, richard's stuff has long had serious doubts on it.

Colin wrote:Just to confuse things even more, it looks like the/a Medicine Dharma Reiki website is still active, complete with some of the "translated notes" from "Dr Usui", his autobiography and some of his lecture notes!

If any of this has actually been substantiated, I would be very interested. Have you any updates to add, James?

No updates [to be honest, I gave up following the Blackwell-saga a few years ago], though just a reminder that some six years back, a website was set up to provide a a different perspective on the claims being made by Richard Blackwell

As the site: http://www.geocities.com/drukmar/ states:

The purpose of this Medicine Dharma Reiki Web Page is to help the public have a better understanding of Men Chhos Rei Kei, based on information available in April 2003, so that anyone considering studying the MDR material realizes the truth of the origins of the material, and can make the decision of whether to pursue such studies adequately informed...

It is still active -THOUGH PROBABLY ONLY FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS (it is free-hosted on Geocities, and Geocities is closing down all free-hosted sites at the end of this month)
So I suggest anyone interested in reading it, should do so now - or at very least, save the pages (and the .wav files of Blackwell 'channeling' Usui-sensei ) to their PC!


BTW, Richard, a.k.a.Yeshe Drugpa Trinley Odzer - while often referred to simply as 'Lama Yeshe' should not be confused with the real Tibetan-born Spiritual Teacher of the same name.

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I missed this on first reading of the Reiki Council FAQ's page:

How many symbols are there in Western Usui Reiki?
Traditionally Western Usui Reiki has three symbols at Reiki 2, One at Reiki 3 and a Masters’ master symbol.

- making FIVE symbols in total?


Now as to this: Masters’ master symbol?

I'm wondering if there is any 'Radiance Technique' Reiki influence here?

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'no comment'.

Rlei_ki wrote:I missed this on first reading of the Reiki Council FAQ's page:

How many symbols are there in Western Usui Reiki?
Traditionally Western Usui Reiki has three symbols at Reiki 2, One at Reiki 3 and a Masters’ master symbol.

- making FIVE symbols in total?


Now as to this: Masters’ master symbol?

I'm wondering if there is any 'Radiance Technique' Reiki influence here?

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Or maybe it is a special symbol only for the Masters' master?

Another interesting thing is that the Soke Dai's name appears to be Yoshiharu - maybe a common name in Reiki in Japan but Yoshiharu Watanabe was the 4th President of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai! Unfortunately, he died in 1960 Maybe he is still continuing to teach from the other side?

Another Watanabe (and another common name in Japan!) in Reiki is, according to Lama Yeshe's book, Usui's boyhood friend and student, Kioshi Itame Watanabe - who is quoted here:
http://www.reikihealingindia.com/article3.html
as being in the Lineage of Lama Yeshe (Usui - Watanabe - Lama Yeshe) aka Richard Blackwell - not the Tibetan Lama Yeshe.

Just playing with names here

Ai to Hikari
Colin

Our intrepid Brigadier of our black ops section (you know whom you are) has passed us some fantastic intel!

Let's hear Usui sensie speak!

http://www.geocities.com/drukmar/rb-tape1-2.mp3

through richard of course..

Rlei_ki wrote:I missed this on first reading of the Reiki Council FAQ's page:

How many symbols are there in Western Usui Reiki?
Traditionally Western Usui Reiki has three symbols at Reiki 2, One at Reiki 3 and a Masters’ master symbol.

- making FIVE symbols in total?


Now as to this: Masters’ master symbol?

I'm wondering if there is any 'Radiance Technique' Reiki influence here?

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Actually, this is beyond a joke now! He only taught me FOUR symbols, in his 'western Reiki'!

Milarepa wrote:Our intrepid Brigadier of our black ops section (you know whom you are) has passed us some fantastic intel!

Let's hear Usui sensie speak!

http://www.geocities.com/drukmar/rb-tape1-2.mp3

through richard of course..

All I can say is WOW after reading this thread...Always wanted to here Usui speak... er Richard er whoever...lol
What some people will do for a little attention....Thanks for the info guys.

RJ

Reikijim wrote: All I can say is WOW after reading this thread...Always wanted to here Usui speak... er Richard er whoever...lol
What some people will do for a little attention....Thanks for the info guys.

As it states on the Drukmar site, mentioned in my previous post:
http://www.reikilearninglounge.com/reiki-general-f1/the-origins-of-reiki-more-japanese-whispers-t438.htm#4106

Medicine Dharma Reiki (Men Chhos Rei Kei) was ...said by its head, Richard Blackwell, to be based on ancient Buddhist texts and the actual written notes of Mikao Usui. The book Medicine Dharma Reiki, written by Richard Blackwell, states Mikao Usui's notes were rediscovered in 1994 among other Buddhist texts purchased by Richard Blackwell's father in Japan after World War II.

The important point about the tapes from Richards 'channeling' of Usui-sensei is that 'Usui-sensei'/Richard:

... clearly states that the "original papers" were "destroyed in the burning of Tokyo", ... and that the channeling is a reproduction of the material that was contained on those papers.

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Rlei_ki wrote:

Reikijim wrote: All I can say is WOW after reading this thread...Always wanted to here Usui speak... er Richard er whoever...lol
What some people will do for a little attention....Thanks for the info guys.

As it states on the Drukmar site, mentioned in my previous post:
http://www.reikilearninglounge.com/reiki-general-f1/the-origins-of-reiki-more-japanese-whispers-t438.htm#4106

Medicine Dharma Reiki (Men Chhos Rei Kei) was ...said by its head, Richard Blackwell, to be based on ancient Buddhist texts and the actual written notes of Mikao Usui. The book Medicine Dharma Reiki, written by Richard Blackwell, states Mikao Usui's notes were rediscovered in 1994 among other Buddhist texts purchased by Richard Blackwell's father in Japan after World War II.

The important point about the tapes from Richards 'channeling' of Usui-sensei is that 'Usui-sensei'/Richard:

... clearly states that the "original papers" were "destroyed in the burning of Tokyo", ... and that the channeling is a reproduction of the material that was contained on those papers.

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Hi James,


So first Richards daddy has possession of the writings.....Then through channeling (doubtful it appears in this claim anyway) we conveniently discover that the papers were destroyed in the Tokyo fire, and, once again rediscovered by Richard through channeling....very handy for Richard and totally questionable....I really know nothing of this drama. At first glance there would seem to be no credibility available here regarding Richards claims....Never met the guy, don`t like running him down...but really folks...I listened to the recording....give me a break....



RJ


Hi Guys,

I just spent 30 minutes reading some of the stuff Offered at the "Medicine Dharma Reiki" web site. Do you guys feels that there is actually anything there worth reading? I`m guessing you had a peek... Save me the expense of wasted time maybe?

RJ

Reikijim wrote:

Hi Guys,

I just spent 30 minutes reading some of the stuff Offered at the "Medicine Dharma Reiki" web site. Do you guys feels that there is actually anything there worth reading? I`m guessing you had a peek... Save me the expense of wasted time maybe?

RJ

Short answer is NO.

Of course, if you like reading quite entertaining fiction then maybe YES. I, for one, found Blackwell's book quite fascinating when I first read it - it was SO different to anything I had heard about Mikao Usui and the development of Reiki, and some of it actually seemed quite believable.

I showed it to a Japanese Reiki teacher, who I had met locally in the UK (a member of the Vortex Reiki School) who was also interested in the history and development of Reiki and she contacted Richard Blackwell to offer her help in getting some of the untranslated text translated into English. It never materialised of course in spite of several emails back and forth. However, what she did find, when she actually read the book properly, was that several things didn't seem to add up, including some of the names of people mentioned. She never got any satisfactory answers to her questions.

As deadlines for promised authentication and production of evidence passed, more people came to the same conclusion and, well, you know the rest.

As a result of what I have read on the UK Reiki Council site, the "Lead advisory body for Reiki Practitioners in the UK" I thought I would write to ask whether they were aware of the Richard Blackwell saga and the unreliability of the information posted on their website, which borrows heavily from this. However, looking at their snail mail address, I spotted something familiar.

The address of the UK Reiki Council is:

Reiki Council
PO Box 1877
Andover
SP11 9WT

The address of the UK Reiki Federation is:

UK Reiki Federation
PO Box 71
Andover
SP11 9WQ

So, I decided what's the point? It looks like I might as well be asking the UKRF or Robert Jefford himself since it appears that the UKRF and the Reiki Council are VERY close neighbours!

A look at the minutes of a meeting of the Reiki Council on Jan 15th 2008, showed members from the following organisations were in attendence:

British Complementary Medicine Association
Federation of Holistic Therapists
Open Reiki Group
PFIH
Reiki Healers & Teachers Society
The Reiki Alliance
The Reiki Association
The Tera-Mai Association
UK Reiki Federation
United Kingdom Reiki Alliance
Lay Representative
GRCCT

I can't believe that no one from these societies has queried the contents of the Reiki FAQ or Reiki History on the new Reiki Council Website!

The full claim on their website says:

Welcome To The Reiki Council


We are the lead advisory body for Reiki Practitioners in the UK. Through our member associations we represent the views of people giving Reiki to the public across the four countries of the UK We are a non profit-making body that sets standards and guidelines and provides information and advice.

If the quality of their Reiki information is anything to go by, I wonder what their standards and guidelines will be like - we are still wait for the Core Curriculum to be made available after more than a year!

If you click on the 'Reiki practitioners and masters click here for information and standards on the Reiki Council..'

This is what you get:

'What Reiki Council Can Offer You'

Hover here, then click toolbar to edit content

So, maybe it is "make it up yourself time!"

Oh and by the way, Jim, that was the long answer!

Ai to Hikari
Colin

what colin said.