The Journey to Satori: Discovering Interconnectedness through Reiki

An exploration of the founder of Reiki's journey to enlightenment and how a significant experience of satori shaped Reiki's foundational teachings.

Understanding the Life Changing Experience of Satori

In Japan, spiritual awakenings are referred to as Satori. These experiences are profound yet fleeting moments that bless us with pure clarity of mind, where we catch a glimpse into the true nature of ourselves and of reality. This clarity can lead to a deeper understanding of our existence, revealing our interconnectedness to all of life and reshaping our ideas and behaviour.

A Satori experience is typically sudden and transformative, often occurring unexpectedly during meditation or in moments of intense focus or emotional release. It can manifest as a profound realisation, a deep sense of peace, or an overwhelming feeling of unity with the universe. Some describe it as a flash of insight that illuminates the mind, while others may experience it as a serene stillness. No matter what you may feel in that moment, the effects of satori are often life changing, instilling a sense of peace and clarity that persists long after the initial experience.

The effects of satori ripple through all aspects of our lives. We find we become more compassionate, mindful, and present in our interactions. We develop a greater appreciation for life and find beauty in everyday moments. Most importantly, we develop a deep desire to live in alignment with our higher values.

Repeated experiences of satori help this enlightened state of mind become more ingrained and lasting.

Each experience of satori builds upon the last, gradually reinforcing the insights gained and making them more ingrained in our consciousness. As we continue to experience these moments of clarity, we find that our understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe deepens. This cumulative effect creates lasting changes in our behaviour, thought patterns, and emotional responses.

The experience of satori was so profound to the founder of Reiki, that Reiki Practitioners are taught principles and practices to cultivate our own spiritual awakening. Through these practices we develop a compassionate, enlightened mind, and we find true healing as we remember our interconnectedness with life, through Reiki.

Mikao Usui's Spiritual Awakening on Mount Kurama

Mikao Usui is the Japanese founder of Reiki. His experience of satori greatly influenced what would become the system of Reiki.

His satori happened after many years of dedicated spiritual study and practice. After much training and at the suggestion of a Buddhist monk, he climbed Mount Kurama to engage in a spiritual journey involving 21 days of fasting and meditating in the wild.

Mount Kurama is a very sacred mountain, said to be alive with spiritual energy. Combined with Mikao Usui’s unyielding quest for truth, it brought together the perfect conditions for his enlightenment to occur.

Mikao Usui described his moment of satori as a great light that struck him in the forehead like a lightening bolt and caused him to fall unconscious. When he awoke, he felt complete peace and rejuvenation and was able to bring this great spiritual energy of the universe through his hands for healing.

His satori offered a moment of intense clarity and presence, where he intuitively understood his true nature, the nature of the universe and the interconnectedness of everything.

It left him with the profound realisation "I exist in the Universe, and the Universe exists in me".

I exist in the Universe, and the Universe exists in me.

Mikao Usui - Founder of Reiki

Usui’s experience of awakening and the spiritual truths it revealed to him, are what have inspired the teachings and practices of Usui Reiki Ryoho.

Mikao Usui's Vision: Healing Hands and Enlightened Minds Through Reiki

Mikao Usui’s experience on Mount Kurama awakened his healing hands and compassionate heart. He was motivated by his newfound sense of purpose, and he wanted to embody his realisation of interconnectedness through sharing healing and teaching Reiki to the world.

His idea of healing wasn’t just limited to using spiritual energy to heal the physical body, but also to use this energy to heal the mind in order to achieve peace through an enlightened state of mind.

The memorial stone that was erected after Mikao Usui's passing, gives us an explanation of Reiki and it's purpose. It states that:

Reiho (spiritual method) puts special emphasis not just on curing diseases, but also on enjoying wellbeing in life with correcting the mind and making the body healthy with the use of an innate healing ability.

He wanted to share the way to healing and satori with others, but he recognised that not everyone had the ability or inclination to engage in lengthy and intense spiritual training as he had done.

He felt called to guide regular people so they could improve their lives, and the lives of their family and community. He insisted that the teachings be simple and easy to follow so they could be achieved by anyone.

Once again we can turn to Usui’s memorial stone to see a description of his teaching philosophy. Carved into his memorial stone is the instruction "when it comes to teaching, it should be as easy and common as possible, nothing lofty".

Gathering together the knowledge and wisdom from his previous spiritual training, he compiled essential philosophies and practices that would teach others how to awaken the spiritual energy within them, for the purpose of healing both body and mind.

Discovering Interconnectedness through Reiki

Exploring the different components of the Reiki system shows that they all guide us to personally understand and experience our interconnectedness through Reiki.

I exist in the universe, and the universe exists in me.

Mikao Usui - Founder of Reiki

The components of the Reiki system include: initiation, Reiki precepts, meditation, symbols and sounds, and healing. These practices are intertwined and work collaboratively to cultivate our comprehension, reaching beyond mere intellectual understanding to profound spiritual truth.

We begin our Reiki training with Initiation Ceremonies. In Japanese these initiations are called Reiju, which means “spiritual blessing”. These special ceremonies offer Reiki students an initial heightened experience that awakens their spiritual energy, and provides an opportunity to have a personally significant moment of satori. Multiple Reiki Initiation Ceremonies are performed during each Reiki class to promote the possibility of experiencing satori again and again.

We are then introduced to the 5 Reiki Precepts. The precepts help us to understand what the mind of satori looks and feels like. We are encouraged to maintain this state of mind throughout our healing practice and in every aspect of our lives.

We learn specific meditations aimed at providing a direct experience of "I exist in the universe, and the universe exists in me." These practices challenge the notion of there being a "me" that is separate from "you," guiding us toward enlightened experiences of life's interconnectedness.

To enhance our understanding, we are introduced to simple yet sacred symbols and sounds that lead us to recall our divine power, boundless compassion, interconnectedness, and the great bright light of satori.

And with Reiki Healing we completely embody the concept that “I exist in the universe, and the universe exists in me” as we allow the spiritual energy of the universe to flow through us to offer Reiki healing to ourselves and others.

Ultimately all practices within the system of Reiki are designed to reveal this truth to us, so we may also experience satori and anshin ritsumei - a deep sense of inner peace and acceptance where we meet all of life with a calm heart.

While learning about the Reiki practices that lead to satori is helpful, it's the application of these principles through diligent practice that truly opens the door to awakening. It's only through dedicated effort that we can transcend mere knowledge and step into the profound experience of satori, where clarity and healing awaits.

Mikao Usui's Spiritual Awakening and the True Purpose of Practicing Reiki

Mikao Usui had attained satori on Mount Kurama following years of spiritual dedication. This awakening experience granted him complete clarity and the capacity to channel healing spiritual energy, and greatly influenced the philosophy of Reiki practice.

He experienced the profound realisation that we are all interconnected, and he structured his Reiki teachings and practices around this idea. He wanted to make these teachings accessible to everyone, so he concentrated on simple practices that awaken our spiritual energy for healing.

His straightforward yet deep teachings are put together into a complete healing system of: initiations, precepts, meditations, symbols, and healing. Together they emphasise the healing of mind and body through inherent spiritual energy. They guide us to experience our interconnectedness through Reiki, ultimately leading to inner peace and profound healing.

Join a Reiki Class to Begin Your Journey to Satori

If you're interested in learning Reiki practices to pursue your own journey to satori, I invite you to attend an upcoming Reiki class.

Through the spiritual blessings of Reiki Initiation, you'll awaken your energy, expand your consciousness and have the chance to experience satori in that moment. You'll also discover how to use the other elements of the Reiki system to further your spiritual development and enhance the potential for future satori experiences!

With love and gratitude,

Charisse