Interview with Dr. Mikao Usui

This interview of the founder of Reiki method Mikao Usui, was originally published as a part of Usui Reiki manual (Usui Reiki Hikkei). Interview was made sometime between 1922 and 1926.

What is Usui Reiki Ryoho (Usui Method of Natural Healing)?

Mikao Usui: "Graciously I have received Meiji Emperor's last injunctions. For achieving my teachings, training and improving physically and spiritually and walking in a right path as a human being, first we have to heal our spirit. Secondly we have to keep our body healthy. If our spirit is healthy and conformed to the truth, body will get healthy naturally. Usui Reiki Ryoho’s missions are to lead peaceful and happy life, heal others and improve happiness of others and ourselves."

Is there any similarity to hypnotism, Kiai (sound/voice) method, religious method or any other methods?

Usui: "No, there is no similarity to any of those methods. This method is to help body and spirit with intuitive power, which I’ve received after long and hard training."

Then, is it psychic method of treatment?

Usui: "Yes, you could say that. But you could also say it is physical method of treatment. The reason why is Ki and light are emanated from healer's body, especially from eyes, mouth and hands. So if healer stares or breathes on or strokes with hands at the affected area such as toothache, colic pain, stomach-ache, neuralgia, bruises, cuts, burns and other swellings with pain will be gone. However a chronic disease is not easy, it's needed some time. But a patient will feel improvement at the first treatment. There is a fact more than a novel how to explain this phenomenon with modern medicine. If you see the fact you would understand. Even people who use sophistry can not ignore the fact."

Do I have to believe in Usui Reiki Ryoho to get better result?

Usui: "No. It’s not like a psychological method of treatment or hypnosis or other kind of mental method. There is no need to have a consent or admiration. It doesn’t matter if you doubt, reject or deny it. For example, it is effective to children and very ill people who are not aware of any consciousness, such as a doubt, rejection or denying. There may be one out of ten who believes in my method before a treatment. Most of them learn the benefit after first treatment then they believe in the method."

Can any illness be cured by Usui Reiki Ryoho?

Usui: "Any illness such as psychological or an organic disease can be cured by this method."

Does Usui Reiki Ryoho only heal illness?

Usui:"No. Usui Reiki Ryoho does not only heal illness. Mental illness such as agony, weakness, timidity, irresolution, nervousness and other bad habit can be corrected. Then you are able to lead happy life and heal others with mind of God or Buddha. That becomes principle object."

How does Usui Reiki Ryoho work?

Usui: "I’ve never been given this method by anybody nor studied to get psychic power to heal. I accidentally realized that I have received healing power when I felt the air in mysterious way during fasting. So I have a hard time explaining exactly even I am the founder. Scholars and men of intelligence have been studying this phenomenon but modern science can’t solve it. But I believe that day will come naturally.

Does Usui Reiki Ryoho use any medicine and are there any side effects?

Usui:"Never uses medical equipment. Staring at affected area, breathing onto it, stroking with hands, laying on of hands and patting lightly with hands are the way of treatment."

Do I need to have knowledge of medicine?

Usui: "My method is beyond a modern science so you do not need knowledge of medicine. If brain disease occurs, I treat a head. If it’s a stomach-ache, I treat a stomach. If it’s an eye disease, I treat eyes. You don’t have to take bitter medicine or stand for hot moxa treatment. It takes short time for a treatment with staring at affected area or breathing onto it or laying on of hands or stroking with hands. These are the reason why my method is very original."

What do famous medical scientists think of this method?

Usui: "The famous medical scientists seem very reasonable. European medical scientists have severe criticism towards medicine.

To return to the subject, Dr. Nagai of Teikoku Medical University says, "we as doctors do a diagnose, record and comprehend illnesses but we don’t know how to treat them." Dr. Kondo says, "it is not true that medical science made a great progress. It is the biggest fault in the modern medical science that we don’t take notice of psychological affect.

Dr. Kuga says, "it is a fact that psychological therapy and other kind of healing treatment done by healers without doctor’s training works better than doctors, depending on type of illnesses or patient’s personality or application of treatment. Also the doctors who try to repel and exclude psychological healers without doctor’s training are narrow-minded."

It is obvious fact that doctors, medical scientists and pharmacists recognize the effect of my method and become a student."

People would think that this kind of healing power is gifted to the selected people, not by training.

Usui: "No, that isn’t true. Every existence has healing power. Plants, trees, animals, fish and insects, but especially a human as the lord of creation has remarkable power. Usui Reiki Ryoho is materialized the healing power that human has."

Then, can anybody receive Reiju (Reiki attunement) of Usui Reiki Ryoho?

Usui:"Of course, a man, woman, young or old, people with knowledge or without knowledge, anybody who has a common sense can receive the power accurately in a short time and can heal selves and others. I have taught to more than one thousand people but no one is failed. Everyone is able to heal illness with just Shoden. You may think it is inscrutable to get the healing power in a short time but it is reasonable. It’s the feature of my method that heals difficult illnesses easily."

If I can heal others, can I heal myself?

Usui: "If you can’t heal yourself, how can you heal others."

How can I receive Okuden (second degree Reiki)?

Usui: "Okuden includes Hatsureiho, patting with hands method, stroking with hands method, pressing with hands method, telesthetic method and propensity method. I will teach it to people who have learned Shoden and who are good students, good conduct and enthusiasts."

Is there higher level more than Okuden?

Usui: "Yes, there is a level called Shinpiden (third degree Reiki)."