August 15: Mikao Usui and the Search That Gave Origin to a Path

A date to remember a life dedicated to the search for knowledge and a path that, across generations, continues to be practiced around the world.

A Life Marked by the Search for Knowledge

On August 15, 1865, Mikao Usui was born in Taniai Village (谷合), a rural and mountainous region that is now part of the city of Yamagata, in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

His story has reached us through different paths. There are historical records, accounts passed down between teachers and disciples, and also passages that remain surrounded by doubts and mysteries.

There are references suggesting that Usui came from a family connected to the Chiba samurai lineage and that, from an early age, he showed an interest in martial arts, history, medicine, psychology, Taoism, and Buddhist and Christian scriptures.

But among the many accounts of his life, there is one element that seems to run throughout his entire journey:

the search for knowledge.

The Question That Guided His Journey

According to the Reiki tradition, Mikao Usui sought to understand how the healings attributed to Jesus could be performed again.

This question is said to have led him along different paths of study, through Christian and Buddhist knowledge and the search for ancient teachings related to healing practices.

Traditional accounts tell us that Usui studied ancient scriptures and sought to understand the teachings associated with the healing practices of Buddha.

During his journey, he is said to have found records and symbols related to ancient practices.

But finding the records was not enough.

He still needed to understand how to use what he had found.

From Knowledge to Practice

This search for knowledge and for an understanding of healing practices lies at the origin of the accounts that later associated Mikao Usui with the development of Usui Reiki Ryōhō, a method that would cross Japan and later reach different parts of the world.

More than a century later, Reiki continues to be practiced by people from different cultures and countries.

A Search That Crossed Generations

For this reason, remembering the birth of Mikao Usui also means remembering an essential characteristic of his journey:

the willingness to seek, study, and continue asking questions.

Perhaps this is one of the greatest ways we can honor him.

Not simply by remembering the man who stands at the origin of the method, but by recognizing the importance of the search that marked his life.

About the Author

Lucia Eda Simada is a physiotherapist with more than four decades of experience, holds a postgraduate degree in Acupuncture, and is a Reiki Master. Since 2000, she has also dedicated herself to the study and practice of Reiki and Integrative and Complementary Practices.

Lucia Eda Simada
Reiki Master · Physiotherapist · Acupuncturist

Lucia Eda Simada — Author Page

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Mikao Usui’s journey also invites us to reflect on what it means to receive, practice, and transmit Reiki. Throughout her collaboration with Mundo Reiki, Lucia Eda Simada has explored these themes in other articles:

Reiki Lineages: What They Are and How the Method Is Transmitted

An introduction to the transmission of Reiki teachings and the importance of understanding the path that connects teachers and practitioners.

Read the article — Reiki Lineages: What They Are and How the Method Is Transmitted

Reiki Lineage: Importance and Fidelity to the Method

A reflection on responsibility, continuity, and respect for the foundations of the Reiki path as it is received and transmitted.

Read the article — Reiki Lineage: Importance and Fidelity to the Method