Okuden
Reiki Level Two Course
Traditional Eastern Teachings of Founder Mikao Usui
by Daniel Krempa - Reiki Institute Master Teacher and Instructor
Okuden (奥伝): The Inner Teaching
  • Focus: Advanced techniques, including the use of Reiki symbols and Distance Healing.
  • Curriculum:
  • Students learned methods for addressing emotional and mental healing.
  • They were introduced to specific Reiki symbols and mantras, which enhanced their ability to channel energy.
  • Meditation practices, such as Hatsurei-ho, were taught to deepen their connection to universal energy.
Expectation: Students were encouraged to practice regularly, refine their intuitive abilities, and integrate Reiki into their daily lives.
The Secret Origins of Reiki
Reiki is a gentle healing practice originating in Japan, meaning "spiritual energy" or "universal life force energy." It involves channeling this energy through the hands to promote healing and balance. This practice began with Dr. Mikao Usui, born in Japan in 1865, who was a curious individual with Samurai roots, dedicated to spiritual practice and meditation.
Despite his extensive knowledge and travels, Usui felt a profound lack in his mid-life—he hadn't unlocked the mystery of hands-on healing as described in ancient traditions. This quest led him to a significant spiritual retreat in 1922.
Usui climbed Mount Kurama, a sacred mountain near Kyoto, to undertake a 21-day discipline of meditation and fasting. On the 21st day, a brilliant light or energy struck the top of his head, filling him with a powerful, warm energy. In this moment, Usui received what we now call Reiki, perceiving ancient sacred symbols and gaining a deep understanding of the universal life force energy gifted to him.
It's important to note that Usui didn't invent Reiki; rather, he re-discovered it. The term “Reiki” (霊気), meaning "spiritual energy" or "universal life force energy," was already a recognized concept in the Japanese language. When Usui encountered this potent new healing power through his hands, he adopted this familiar term, allowing others to readily understand and connect with his profound discovery.
Testing his new gift, Usui instinctively placed his hands on an injured toe while descending the mountain; the pain and bleeding reportedly stopped immediately. This marked the first hands-on healing of Reiki.
Usui did not keep this gift to himself. He opened a Reiki clinic in Tokyo in 1922 and began teaching others. A core part of his teaching involved a mindset for healing, encapsulated in the Five Reiki Principles:
  • Just for today, do not anger.
  • Just for today, do not worry.
  • Be grateful.
  • Work diligently (honestly) in all you do.
  • Be kind to every living thing.
These principles were meant to be recited daily, cultivating a calm, positive mind and open heart, essential for balancing the whole self—body, mind, and spirit.
Though initially met with skepticism, Usui's reputation grew as he treated many, including victims of the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, leading thousands to learn or receive healing. He trained prominent students, such as Chujiro Hayashi, and established the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society) to continue his work. Dr. Usui passed away in 1926 at the age of 60, having ignited a healing movement that would eventually spread globally.
Usui's journey teaches that profound answers often come from within, through dedication, faith, and openness to spiritual insight, making Reiki a timeless and universal practice.