| USUI-DO |  |
USUI-DO |
Further Questions
| USUI-DO | |
USUI-DO |
Usui-Do is a viewpoint of Usui's system as taught to us by Yuji Onuki, a student of Toshihiro Eguchi who gave training to Dao Shen-Lissa, Tan-Lin (George) Mullen and Dave King in Morocco in 1971. Additional information was provided by several surviving students of Usui including a Buddhist nun who was born in the 29th year of Meiji (1897) and who had trained with and assisted Usui-sensei from 1920 until 1926. The nun remembers Usui's departure for Fukuyama in 1926 and confirmed that Usui had received Tendai Buddhist training at an early age and remained Tendai all his life. In 1995 Shen-Lissa and Dave further studied with Tatsumi, a student of Hayashi from 1927 to 1931. Tatsumi owned notes copied from those of Hayashi some of which were created by Usui himself. Here is a brief history:
Mikao Usui
was born on August 15, 1865 in the village of Taniai
in the Gifu district of Japan. In the 1920s he developed a spiritual system based on ancient Taoist practices but uniquely Japanese in style. Usui died on March 9, 1926 in Fukuyama.
Toshihiro Eguchi
presented a te-no-hira
(palm) healing system at Usui's dojo in 1925 despite the high fees. Around 1929 Eguchi went on to teach his system at a religious commune in Kyoto called Ittoen. It was learned by many thousands of students. Yuji Onuki
was born in the 30th year of Meiji (1898) and had studied with Eguchi from 1926 until 1930. Onuki later travelled the world dressed in a simple robe and sandals to pass on his knowledge. Onuki spent almost the entire month demonstrating the teachings to Dave and Shen-Lissa. Recently the notes made by Shen-Lissa during that time were rediscovered and we are better able to separate material originating from Usui from that of Eguchi.
Captain Chuujirou Hayashi
was one of three senior naval officers who studied with Usui. He attended from May 1925 to Usui's death in 1926. He took over Usui's school and continued to present the system as it was given to him by Usui to several students including Tatsumi. Around 1931 Tatsumi noted that Hayashi, as well as changing the focus of the system to fit a 'medical' model, also introduced a system of 'degrees' in his classes which only covered the levels up to nidan. At around this time Hayashi introduced a complex system of hand positions based on the application of KI to the recipient but later replaced them with the idea of free positioning. Several students of Hayashi taught between 1937 and 1939 and still living in the Kyoto area confirm this change. The new system was called Hayashi Reiki Ryouhou Kenkyu-kai
which can be translated as "Hayashi Reiki Research Society". Hayashi died in 1940.
Rear Admiral Juusaburou Ushida (or Gyuda), Rear Admiral Kanichi Taketomi and a group of 18 junior naval officers joined Usui's school in November 1925. By this time a variety of systems were being taught including that of Eguchi (see above). Ushida later formed a society in memory of Usui and erected a monument in the grounds of Saihoji Temple (in what is now a Tokyo suburb).
Usui-Do
has no connection with any other interpretation of Usui's teachings.
There is no Indo-Tibetan or Vajrayana Buddhist content and no rituals, qigong
exercises or Japanese terms to learn in order to be a doka (practitioner)
of the system.
|
Level
|
Name |
|
Milestone | |
1925 level |
1926 level |
Western |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th grade | rokyu | 
 |
first transformation | shoden  |
dai roku tou 
|
shoden |
first degree |
|
| 5th grade | gokyu | 
|
second transformation | dai go tou |
||||
| 4th grade | yonkyu | 
|
third transformation | dai yon tou |
||||
| 3rd grade | sankyu | 
|
fourth transformation | chuuden |
dai san tou |
|||
| 2nd grade | nikyu | 
|
fifth transformation | okuden |
|
okudenzenki |
second degree |
|
| 1st grade | ikkyu | 
|
sixth transformation | |||||
| 1st dan | shodan |
 |
seventh transformation | |||||
| 2nd dan | nidan |
|
eighth transformation | kaiden |
|
okudenkouki |
master |
|
 |
shinpiden |
|||||||
A practitioner (or student) of the system is called an Usui doka. Normally a doka would attend regular dojo meetings and progress through the lower levels (rokyu through shodan). These levels would be revisited many times through regular attendance. At a certain point the doka might find themselves ready to progress to nidan.
The system is concerned with self-development. It is not about healing others, teaching or "becoming a master".
However, a holder of level 5, godan, may use the title shihan 
and present the system up to nidan. There are no "masters".
A transformation is a simple ceremony offered to each doka as a
'rite of passage' at each of the lower 8 levels of the system. The doka is
not being attuned, initiated or transformed by this ceremony.
Usui is known to have studied the sect of Buddhism known as Tendai. This
came from China where it is known as Tian Tai 
. There are a number of closely related sects such as the Shingon. Tendai
makes use of vipassana style meditation as well as holding Amida Norai (Amitabha
Tathagata) as its principal deity. It was Tendai Buddhism that was practiced
at the Kurama temple until 1949 when it was taken over as the headquarters
of the Kokyo sect. Usui's teachings make use of the Amida Sanzon (Seishi, Amida and Kannon)
and so must have been influenced by Tendai Buddhism to some degree..
Taoist qigong was developed in China thousands of years ago. One of its
principles is that of wei-wu-wei
literally 'do by not doing' but is beautifully described by John
Blofeld in "The Secret and the Sublime" as acting in a manner that entails
the least involvement and proceeds from the stillness of the heart.
This principle is an important part of Usui's system where it presents itself
as a form of the uniquely Japanese concept of wabi-sabi 
.
Although Usui's system is not an oral tradition, it was was documented
in some detail by Usui himself. It was a requirement in his day that each
doka at the shihan level copy the notes made by his shihan; these
were carefully checked for accuracy. Considerable teaching practice was
also enforced before the new shihan could operate on his own. This method
of presentation is kept as part of Usui-Do.
Within these notes is a description of the system's origins.
The Kurama temple was founded in 770 as the guardian of the northern quarter of the capital city (Heiankyo), is located halfway up the mountain. The original buildings, however, were repeatedly destroyed by fire. The Main Hall was last rebuilt in 1971.
The temple formerly belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but since 1949, it has been included in the newly founded Kurama-Kokyo sect as its headquarters.
More than six million years ago, Mao-son (the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the earth) descended upon Mt. Kurama from Venus, with the great mission of the salvation of mankind. Since then, Mao-son's powerful spirit governing the development and the evolution not only of mankind but of all living things on Earth has been emanating from Mt. Kurama, and a priest named Gantei received the spiritual transmission.
In the first year of Hoki (A.D. 770), Gantei, who was the best pupil of High priest Ganjin, the founder of the Toshodaiji Temple in Nara, led by a white horse, climbed up to this holy place. His soul was enlightened with the realization of Bishamon-ten (the protector of the northern quarter of the Buddhist heaven and the spirit of the sun). Following, he founded the Buddhist temple on Mt Kurama.
Later, in the 15th year of Enryaku (A.D. 796), the chief officer in charge of the construction of the Toji Temple, saw a vision of Senju-kannon (the thousand armed Kannon and the spirit of the moon) and built temples and pagodas on the mountain. Mao-son. Bishamon-ten, and Senju-kannon are the symbols of the universal soul, forming a Trinity known as "Sonten" or the "Supreme Deity". Sonten is the "Living Soul", the "Supreme Soul of the universe", the "Glorious Light", and the "Activity of the Soul". These three are the symbols of power, light, and love.
The temple has a 'prayer' that is chanted at one of the shrines that calls upon these three deities to grant that peace may defeat discord, unselfishness may conquer greed, sincere words may overcome deceit and that respect may surmount insults. This reflects the true spirit of Usui's system and an important part of Usui-Do.
The same prayer calls upon the "Great Light" which has the same name as the fourth symbol of Usui's system, that of empowerment. This prayer was in existence in Usui's day and may be the source of the "sutra" story that is part of the oral tradition of Western Reiki! However, the empowerment symbol does not originate from the prayer at all; Usui describes its source in the notes that were passed on to Hayashi and on to Tatsumi One of the Buddhist deities worshipped at Kurama is known as Fudoo. This is one of the Five Great Vajra Kings, Acala.
There is an annual fire festival each October at the temple that is dedicated
to Fudoo.
The mountain has powerful 'energy hotspots' and is a good place in which to meditate but it is unlikely that Usui received his system at the Kurama temples! It is more likely that neighboring Hieizan was the source of his inspiration. There is more information on the deities of Kurama here.
Origins
The system is Usui's own application of Usui-Do. It was practised in Usui's dojo during 1925. It does not contain any of the material introduced by Hayashi, Eguchi or Ushida. The true origins are rooted deeply in Japanese tradition that has existed for thousands of years. The teachings are presented exactly as passed on by a student who studied directly with Usui from 1920 until 1926. They are not interpreted through a Buddhist lens or by a post-Meiji Japanese viewpoint.
Aim
The aim of the system is to achieve unity of self through harmony and balance. This is approached through a set of simple yet powerful exercises that are practised unconditionally. It is principally intended for use on the self. The system does not directly make use of any form of bio-energy (KI in Japanese).
Environment
The system was originally presented in a formal dojo. Interactions between doka (student) and shihan (facilitator) follow a prescribed manner. The system is passed on through the dojo presentations which permit the doka 'experiencing' the system rather than 'learning' it. There are no descriptive handouts or manuals and no automatic movement up the levels of the system.
Levels
The information presented in Usui Teáte has been broken down into six levels named after the ancient Menkyo grading system used by the Samurai. The transition to each level is marked by a simple ritual that is not an 'initiation' or an attunement' and does not directly make use of any form of bio-energy (KI in Japanese).
The first four levels are used by practitioners:
Shoden(first teachings) and Chûden (middle teachings) contain material equivalent to that taught in the first degree of Usui Shiki Ryoho.Okuden (deeper teachings) contain material equivalent to that taught in the second degree of Usui Shiki Ryoho.
Kaiden (complete teachings) contain material beyond that taught in the third degree of Usui Shiki Ryoho. It is not connected with teaching the system or being a master.
The remaining two levels are described as Shinpiden (teaching of the mysteries). They take the form of an apprenticeship. A holder of these levels should be addressed as 'sensei' .
Menkyo Kaiden (facilitator) contains material required to become a shihan (facilitator) of the system. It enables a student to pass on the practitioner levels (shoden through kaiden) but not to create another menkyo Kaiden.
Soke This level leads to dai shihan (senior facilitator) and contains additional material required to enable a student to pass on the complete system.
Certification
A certificate is issued for each level up to kaiden by filling in and stamping designated sections on a single sheet of paper. Higher levels are certified on a formal menjyo.
It is this system that we are currently presenting in our dojo.