Reiki is an ancient healing method which was re-discovered by Mikao Usui in Japan in the late 1800's.There are many books that tell us he was a Japanese Christian Minister and Doctor of Theology however, there are no records to support this. The story goes that he spent many years studying religions and searching the ancient writings in Japan, India, Tibet, China and America in a quest to discover how the Ancients healed the sick. He found the ancient symbols of healing in the Sanskrit writings but did not know how to use them. Eventually after many years he went to Mt Kurama, a holy mountain in Japan, and fasted for 21 days in prayer and contemplation, he then met with this cosmic experience that clarified his learning beyond his imagination giving him the Reiki system in a mystical vision.

Whatever the truth of his origins, he gave to the world the healing system and guiding principles for Reiki and he practised them for the rest of his life. He also gave the world his five spiritual precepts. Today there are many variations of these precepts.

Just for today, I will let go of worry
Just for today, I will let go of anger
Just for today, I will count my many blessings
Just for today, I will do my work honestly
Just for today, I will be kind to every living creature

Usui died on 9th March, 1926 and there is a memorial for him at Saihoji Temple in the Toyotama district of Tokyo. The memorial inscription describes the life and work of Usui Sensei. (See the book "Reiki Fire" by Frank Arjava Petter).
More on the Updated History of Reiki & the Saihoji Temple

 

Before he died, Usui passed on his knowledge and the power he had received to his disciples (there are some Reiki lineages passed down in Japan from Dr Usui's other disciples). One of these was a Dr Chijiro Hyashi (died 1941) who developed a Reiki clinic in Tokyo. We are told that just before the second world war, Dr Hyashi chose Hawaya Takata (1900-1980),

a Japanese woman from Hawaii, to receive the Grand Mastership of Reiki. He charged her with the responsibility of training others to the master level in Reiki so that it would not be lost to the world again. Mrs Takata is believed to have initiated at least 22 Reiki masters in Japan, Hawaii and the United States of America. Since then Reiki has spread throughout the world.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kathleen Milner & The Development of Tera-Mai
About Kathleen Milner & Tera-Mai Reiki (the following italicized information was taken from Rick Rivard's site The Reiki Threshold)
In her book "Reiki & Other Rays of Touch Healing", Kathleen relates the story that a friend and fellow Reiki Master, Marcy Miller, had travelled to India in January 1991, to see the Indian avatar, holy man and guru, Sathya Sai Baba. He is reported to have many psychic abilities including incredible healing skills, the ability to bi-locate and multi-locate, and the ability to manifest holy ash. Marcy stayed at his ashram and in a meditation a "highly evolved being" appeared to her. He told her that over half of the initiation procedure, as well as a symbol had been left out for each of the Reiki initiations. He said he would go into the "inner planes" to retrieve them.

Marcy came back to Los Angeles and met Kathleen at a conference in February, 1991. During this time, the "highly evolved being" appeared to them "as brown skinned, dressed in orange, and wearing an Afro hairstyle". Kathleen believes that he "had found the same Universal Empowerment, Universal symbols and Universal knowledge that Dr Usui had when he made his conscious raising journey into the inner planes". This Being taught them the complete Reiki attunement system and gave them the missing symbol, Zonar. He then instructed them to initiate each other. Kathleen went back to her home in Winconsin and re-initiated all of her interested students.

In May, 1991 he appeared again to Marcy and Kathleen and told them that the guides wished to increase the vibration of the Reiki ray. To this end, the Spirit Being gave them two more symbols Harth and Halu, and told them how to add them to the attunements. Kathleen again re-initiated all of her interested students. After each of these attunements, her students experienced an increase in their healing abilities. In 1995, her guides suggested that she call her Reiki training Tera-mai Reiki. According to Kathleen's guides, Reiki is but one of the elemental healing rays, the earth ray.

Gradually, over a period of months,spirit guides and the higher Being taught Kathleen the other elemental healing rays; Sakara (fire) and Sophi-El (water), which are also found in Buddha's original Sutras, and Angeliclight (air). These are presented in 3 sets of additional attunements that make up a system Kathleen calls Tera-Mai Seichem. The first set of attunements are available from those who have taken all 3 levels of Tera-mai Seichem which passes on Sakara I, Sophi-El I and Angeliclight 1-66. Kathleen is the only person who can initiate people into the higher levels of Sakara, Sophi-El and Angeliclight.

The spirit guides told Kathleen that when Hawayo Takata learned Reiki, there was the Oriental tradition of the Master withholding from his students. In addition to this problem, Takata was a woman, and considered an American (as opposed to Japanese). She was fully initiated into Reiki, as well as Sakara and Sophi-El, but they did not tell her. Kathleen now teaches these additional energies in what she calls Tera-mai Seichem. When she opens up her formal school, she will then teach others to pass on the complete system.

Kathleen says she has been able to verify all that her guides have taught her. It is interesting to note that her guides have told her that the same energies will be presented to two others on the planet in different forms, so that the teaching will not be lost. "Spiritual forces led by the one dressed in orange" led Kathleen to legally trademark the name Tera-mai. She has been shown a vision of the golden ray separating itself from another mass. She has been told that Tera-mai practitioners will continue to observe an increase in their healing abilities. In addition the higher being and other spirit guides continue to work with Kathleen in additional frequencies of energy.