Reiki is basically a combination of two Japanese word "Rei" & "Ki". "Rei" stands for "Universal" and "Ki" stands for "Life Force Energy". The meaning of Reiki word is "Universal Life force Energy". The Divine life-giving Force.

In nowadays scientific world, Reiki comes under the classification of Alternative medicine. Some may also classified it under Holistic Healing Systems. It heals and balances Physical, Mental and Emotional Planes. Healing work based on Cosmic Life-Force Energy. Healing is generally given through touch. Reiki Promotes happiness, prosperity, and abundance for a long productive life. It also helps in Spiritual Upliftment, Meditations, Will Power, Pleasure, Patience and well being.

All over the world this Natural Energy-force has been described in various ways by the followers of various Religons. This is the same Positive Force which has been retained by Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha and many other Spiritual well-known persons.

The very first example of this Positive Energy can be seen in the Holy Bible and ancient Buddhist manuscripts where it has been described as "Miraculous Touch ". The Patient used to get healed by a mere touch of the Spiritual person.

In due course of time this ancient art of healing went under the layers of history in a hidden fashion due to the secrecy maintained by the spiritual persons who never forwarded it to others before their death.

The Japanese theologist Dr. Mikao Usui, after whom this system was named "Usui Shiki Royoho" meaning "Usui System of Natural Healing", rediscovered the long-forgotten art of healing by transferring Universal Life Energy after many years of intensive search in the few written ancient manuscripts of Lord Gautam Buddha Era in late 1800s.

After a subsequent 21-day period of fasting & meditations, Dr. Usui was given initiations into this art through the Nature itself. From this point of time Dr. Usui possessed the ability to transfer Reiki Energy.

Reiki was then brought to the Western World through Grandmasters in direct Spiritual succession, namely Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, Hawayo Takata, Phyllis Lei Furomoto and so on. ....

Every Reiki Practitioner or a person in the world who directly or indirectly experienced the Reiki healings pays thanks to Dr. Usui who imparted this knowledge to the world through his followers of the art and never kept it as a secret.

The Birth of the Ethical Principles of Reiki

Usui returned to his monastery but decided after a few days to go to the beggar City in the slums of Kyoto to treat the beggars and help them lead a better life. He worked for seven years in an asylum treating many illnesses. One day, however, he noticed the same people with the same old faces kept returning. When he asked them why they had not begun a new life, he was told working was too troublesome and that it was easier to go on begging.

Usui was deeply shaken, and he wept. He suddenly realized that he had forgotten something of great importance in his healing work, namely to teach the beggars GRATITUDE. In the following days he thought out the Reiki principles as follows:

• Just for today do not worry
• Just for today do not anger
• Honor your parents, teachers, and elders
• Earn your living honestly
• Show gratitude to everything

Soon afterwards he left the asylum and returned to Kyoto where he kindled a large torch and stood in the streets. When asked why he stood in the streets with the torch, he said he was looking for people in search of the TRUE LIGHT - people who were ill and oppressed and longed to be healed. This was the beginning of a new part of his life, which he spent traveling around Japan teaching Reiki.

Usui is now buried in a Kyoto temple, with the story of his life written on his gravestone. It is said that his grave was honored by the Emperor of Japan. One of Usui's closest collaborators, Dr. Chijiro Hayashi, took his place, becoming the second Reiki Grand Master in a line of tradition. He ran a private Reiki clinic in Tokyo until 1940, where unusually severe illness and disease could be treated with Reiki. This clinic was where Hawayo Takata of Hawaii first received Reiki treatments that would later lead her to study with Dr. Hayashi. Takata returned to Hawaii after her studies and was made a Reiki Master by Hayashi when he visited the Island in 1938. Upon his death in 1941, Takata succeeded Hayashi as Grand Master herself when she was about seventy-four years of age, initiating 21 Reiki Masters to carry on the great work. On December 11, 1980, Hawayo Takata passed to the higher side of life, leaving 22 Masters in the United Stares and Canada.