Dr. Mikao Usui, or Usui Sensei, as his students in Japan called him, rediscovered the lost art of Reiki and founded the Usui System of Reiki. He was born August 15, 1865 in the village of Yago in the Yamagata district of Gifu prefectute, Japan. He entered a Tendai Buddhist school on or near Mt. Kurama at age four. He studied kiko, the Japanese version of qigong, which is a health and healing discipline based on the development and use of life energy. As he would build up and deplete his own energy when giving treatments, he wondered if it was possible to do healing work without depleting one’s own energy. He studied medicine, psychology, religion and the science of divination and physiognomy, which Asians have long considered a worthy skill not only in Japan, but also in China and Europe. Thus, it is believed that his family was wealthy because only the wealthy in Japan could afford to send their children to school. He became the secretary to Pei Goutoushin, head of the department of health and welfare who later became the Mayor of Tokyo. Dr. Usui developed many political friendships, which helped him to become a successful businessman. He was also a member of the Rei Jyutu Ka, a metaphysical group dedicated to developing psychic abilities. Following years of scholarly study and learning Sanskrit to study the sutras, Dr. Usui received the Reiki attunements after a 21-day meditation retreat on Mt. Kurama. He taught Reiki to over 2,000 people and initiated sixteen Masters. The Japanese government issued him a Kun San To award for doing honorable work to help others. He died on March 9, 1926 at the age of 62. His body laid in state for one week, and people from all over Japan came to pay their respects.
