STORY OF HAYASHI AND TAKATA
One of Usui's students was Chujiro Hayashi. Hayashi was a former naval officer. He was attuned as a Reiki Master in 1925 and in the 1930s, he opened up his own reiki clinic, Hayashi Shiki Reiki Ryoho. According to Takata's story, prior to his passing on, Usui asked Hayashi to be the next "Grandmaster" of reiki. It was in 1935 when Hawayo Takata first made contact with Hayashi at his clinic asking for treatment. Takata was impressed by the healing she received and asked that she be trained in the method. At first, Hayashi refused, but eventually he changed his mind. It is said that Hayashi predicted Japan's part in World War 2 and not wanting to be drafted and having to fight (as he was now a healer and medic), he decided to take his own life. Since Takata was the only woman to be trained in reiki, Hayashi believed that she would be the only one to teach it. All the men he trained in reiki would be called to service in the war. Therefore, he asked that Takata be the next "Grandmaster" of reiki after his death.
More on Chujiro Hayashi
Hawayo Takata was born Hawayo Kawamuru in 1900 in Hawaii, her parents being of Japanese descent. She married Saichi Takata in 1917 and they had two daughters. Her husband died young in 1930 and she was left to raise her two children on her own. In 1935, Takata was suffering from many different ailments, including depression from the loss of her husband. She took a turn for the worse while on visit with her parents in Japan. She was to undergo a surgery, but something told her not to proceed and she asked for an alternative method of healing. She was told about Hayashi's clinic. As mentioned she was healed by Hayashi and was impressed by the treatment she received that she asked to be trained. In 1938, Takata was attuned as a Reiki Master. Takata returned to Hawaii and kept her knowledge secret. She began training others in reiki in the 1970s. She attuned a total of 22 Reiki Masters.
More on Hawayo Takata
LIST OF SOURCES
Empowerment Through Reiki by Paula Horan
The Power of Reiki: An Ancient Hands-on Healing Technique by Tanmaya Honervogt
Reiki: A Piatkus Guide by Penelope Quest
Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art by Diane Stein
The Spirit of Reiki: The Complete Handbook of the Reiki System by Walter Lubeck, Frank Arjava Petter, William Lee Rand
Reiki Level 1 Training Manual given to me by Nancy Peel
http://angelreiki.nu/level1/level1.htm
http://www.reiki.org/FAQ/HistoryOfReiki.html
Copyright C.J. Chow October 2004
