I have been receiving quite a few questions about the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and thought I would take this opportunity to tell you what I can about it. I must, however, preface this by saying that I am not a very big fan of the Gakkai, as has been evidenced by several posts I have made where they have been mentioned, the reasons for which will become clear as you read on.
The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai… Then
The Gakkai (as it is known in Reiki circles here in Japan) was originally founded by Dr. Usui shortly before his death. As such, it is the original, and most authentic Reiki organization in existence. Rumors that it was wiped out during World War II were unfounded as the Gakkai has continued to operate without interruption since its creation.
The first President of the Gakkai, was Dr. Usui, followed in succession by three of his Shinpiden Masters … Juzaburo Ushida, Kan’ichi Taketomi and Yosharu Watanabe. Being students of Dr. Usui, and having studied with him for quite some time, these three were well versed in his theories and practices and carried on in his tradition. Having retired from the Japanese Navy, Admirals Ushida & Taketomi no doubt added a more regimental style to the mix while Mr. Watanabe, being a retired school teacher no doubt added his own educational methodology. It is said that these three, next to Dr. Usui, had the greatest impact on the development of the Gakkai which grew to several hundred members in a short time. Following the three Shinpiden Masters, were Houichi Wanami (a Vice Admiral of the Japanese Navy who was a student of Admiral Ushida), Kimiko Koyama (who was a student of Admiral Taketomi) and Masaki Kondo (a retired university professor who was a student of Admiral Wanami).
Vice Admiral Wanami had one of the top positions in the Japanese Navy during World War II and went on to serve as a military adviser until his death in 1975 while at the same time acting as Gakkai president (1960 – 1975). I have always found this somewhat amusing as it is quite difficult to reconcile the two positions. Following his death, Mrs. Koyama (Hisoshi Doi’s teacher) held the reins, and it was during this time that the Gakkai made some attempts (although rather feeble) to make Reiki at least partially accessible to the outside. As she grew older she was more inclined to share Reiki with the rest of the world and endorsed Doi Sensei’s establishment of Gendai Reiki as a bridge between the two, which is being torn down under current leadership.
The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai… Now
Actually the word leadership may be a bit optimistic, I see no qualities of leadership at all in the actions of the current Gakkai administration led by Masaki Kondo. In fact, his position is quite the opposite of leadership, unless you regard moving in a negative direction as some sort of leadership skill. At a time when the world is moving towards a more enlightened era, the Gakkai is selfishly and childishly acting like they have some God given right to keep Reiki all to themselves. Members have been ordered to not reveal or discuss any Gakkai information under penalty of excommunication, or whatever the corresponding disassociation is, and hence the society is becoming one of those secret sect societies you only see in movies.
I have several friends who are Gakkai members, a few of them really don’t care what Kondo thinks or says and they have continued to share with me the knowledge that they have gained. Hiroshi Doi, unfortunately does, and is abiding by the will of the current administration and he has stopped revealing anything further and has stopped the use of Gakkai practices in his Reiki gatherings. I will keep on pressing him though, as the other members I know are old and don’t have the abilities that he does to understand and explain such things. They have explained to me that there is fighting going on in the Gakkai now, and they are not at all happy with the situation Kondo has created and my own hope is that he will be forced into early retirement.
The current membership of the Gakkai is old (very old) and stale and with each passing year, the oldest and most knowledgeable members die so that soon there will be nothing left and they will fade away like so many cultures that have refused to change with time and have been buried by it as a result. I’m sure that when Kondo makes his transition, Dr. Usui will be waiting and will give him a good strong slap in the face for taking something so beautiful and potentially helpful to mankind and endeavoring to keep it all to himself.
For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!
11 responses to “The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai”
I”m curious. Just what Gakkai tecniques Mr. Doi has stopped teaching? My understanding is that the material in Gendai Reiki Ho was from techniques no longer in use by the Gakkai. I wonder if eventually Mr. Doi will just stop teaching Gendai Reiki.
That’s the million dollar question… whether Doi Sensei will stop teaching Gendai Reiki (which is what the Gakkai wants him to do) or if he will continue. He has already stopped doing Hatsurei Ho…
I may be repeating his training again next month (for the umteenth time) so it will be interesting to see what, if anything, has changed…
🙁
It would be a great loss to the Reiki community if Mr. Doi was to stop publically teaching, or if he were to try to direct his students not to teach Gendai Reiki Ho. Although I have not had the pleasure of studying with Mr. Doi, (I learned Gendai Reiki Ho from a Shihan named Tom Rigler) the material and techniques presented in Gendai Reiki Ho has been very helpful to my Reiki practice and spiritual growth. Please be sure to let us know on your blog your experience with Mr. Doi next month.
Tom is an excellent teacher, so you are in very good hands. I was lucky to meet him here in Japan when he attended one of Doi Sensei’s Reiki Shares a couple of years ago.
The Gakkai is having a fair share of internal problems nowadays with the East and West groups fighting over which way they should be heading. I really don’t think Doi Sensei will ever abandon Gendai Reiki but will be sure to keep y’all informed. Next month we will be trekking up Mt. Kurama with a group of Italian Gendai masters who are visiting Japan… that should be nice…
I have recently come across a book called: intuitive Reiki for our times, by Amy Rowland.
it has these following exercises:
Gasho
Kenyoko ho
connecting to reiki light
Hatsurei Ho
Reiki shower no Giho
Byosen Reikan ho
Reiji ho
Are any of these Gendai Reiki ho methods that Doi sensei has stopped teaching besides Hatsurei ho? because
they are quite amazing(even though im having an enrgy flow mental problem lately ever since a page in the shiki ryoho level 2 guide))
At his most recent Koryukai Doi Sensei once again taught Hatsurei Ho, so either the ban has been lifted or he is ignoring it…
😉
This whole Gakkai situation, has made me think they are like some “corrupted Corporation” or a bunch of old guys sittin around smoking cigars making backroom deals for delegates at the 1968 democratic convention.
makes me want to create a “Radical Reiki” group and infiltrate it to expose secrets (for the highest good)
this world needs more love and light. and if “some” of these exercises they hide are too dangerous, i’m sure if we were allowed to take a course to learn them thoroughly we would be fine
i sometimes feel gratitude for my 20 year old “renegade” type mind.
“change Doesnt come easy”-Barack Obama
so lets make some change through thick n thin!
-chris
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Hello, I am the president of the Gendai Reiki Kyokai in France (Gendai Reiki Network France). I had meet Doi Sensei 3 time in 2008, he never say there is any interdiction from Gakkai.
I think it is not good to say bad things about Gakkai. The situation of the worldwilde reiki movement is not so good, actualy.
Here in Europa, it is very difficult , or really impossible to teach seriously Gendai Reiki . Because there is such a confusion, and many false biography of Mikao Usui were write, than if we try to give an information on the Reiki story from the japanese point of view, we experiment a strong ostracism and anti japanese racism. The westerner reiki movement is under the power of the new Age marketing system, and he has developed a neo colonialist view on Reiki.
Behind the pretext of the universality of Reiki is in fact the neo colonialist spirit and desire for dominate and possess something from an other culture without any respect for the founder, and there is no hesitation to falsify his biography . All this is in fact for the purpose of financial control on Reiki.
They have an interrest to give a negative image of the Gakkai for this purpose. And the majority of people follow this way.( not me ).
I want to change this way , and because my wife is japanese, and try to teach something of the japanese culture in west (she is Gendai reiki Shihan and she has a traditionnal japanese knowledge), i am in way to create an organisation to spread the japanese culture (include japanese spirituality) . I am a member of a Shinto shrine in Japan, and want to developp a partnership with a japanese professor who has writen many books on japanese shamanism and japanese shinto. Japanese culture , not only Reiki, can have a great power to help humanity. look at this text wirten by th great english ethnologist Dr Carmen Blacker: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55a/558.html
If we see the things from an ethnological point of view, (and particularly on Claude Levi Strauss view http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_L%C3%A9vi-Strauss) it will be very dangerous if the Usui Reiki Gakkai open his doors now. There is no respect nor no understanding in the west for ancient traditions. (see the situation of indian americans and Australian aborigins) So Kondo Sensei is perhaps the man of the situation. I can’t think Mikao Usui enjoy the mondial situation, and the destruction of the nature and of all the olds traditions and primitive cultures.He had teach the way of to learn from nature.
On this blog of my wife, you can see the interwiew of Doi sensei we do in Japan in September 2008, in Ashiya: http://gendaireiki-shihan.seesaa.net/
So if you know Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai members, can you say to these members than in France , there is one association of Gendai reiki who respect the Gakkai, and who protect their memory, and the Usui Mikao memory, and they are welcome if they want to participate and help me to work together.
You are also welcome if you want to join to our work, and welcome in France, i invite you to visit us in France ; if you want to contact us in japanese, please use this mail adress: info@fdgr.org
thank you very much
CFY
Hi CFY!
Hello, it is not members of our association you had meet, perhaps some members of a group who existed before we create the association.Our association is the first official association of Gendai reiki in France, who is connected with Doi Sensei and the japanese association. It is Doi Sensei who had ask to create an official association.
I agree with you about the risk for the Gakkai to desappear because of the progressive disparition of the old members. Doi Sensei say the same thing. It will be good if they make a possibility for members to make a communication with the “external world”, but perhap’s there is some danger to do it. Perhap’s the direction of the Gakkai know that if they do an interdiction for members to communicate, some of them are going to not follow the order, and that is a non formal way of communication.
I think there is perhaps a reason for the attitude of the direction of the Gakkai to be prudent, because Doi Sensei had explain to us about a problem who happend . There was (recently) a member of the Gakkai who ask many money to permit people enter in the Gakkai.Perhaps it it the reason you had hear about a possibility The Gakkai make an interdiction on Doi Sensei teachings. Because one day , Doi Sensei had say to Kondo Sensei, there is many people who would pay many money to enter in the Gakkai. So Kondo Sensei become suspicious about Doi Sensei when he hear there is somebody who make enter people in the Gakkai with money !
I think he realise Doi Sensei had nothing to do with this personn !
CFY