ninjutsu and samurai origins of reiki

would like to welcome everyone who visits our page

a safe and peaceful day. May you find many blessing on your
journey and renewed strength in the ever-evolving life of the
present moment.
Over the past few decades the spiritual practices of Reiki have
grown in popularity. It is not surprising to see housewives,
college students, message therapists, doctors, occultists, and
many others offering their Reiki services to the public and
across the internet.
I

Reiki Practitioners claim that the spiritual practices that the

system implements to aid other in healing whether physical or
spiritual, was rediscovered by Mikao Usui in the early 1920s.
Mikao Usui discovered Reiki while performing a twenty-one
day retreat on Mount Kurama, which involved fasting,
meditation, and prayer. Mount Kurama has a very interesting
history for those who are unaware of some of the historical
events that took place there, here is a listing:
1) The Kurama Temple, founded in 770 as the guardian of the
northern quarter of the capital city (Heiankyo). The original
buildings, however, were repeatedly destroyed by fire. The
Main Hall was last rebuilt in 1971. The temple formerly
belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but since 1949, it
has been included in the newly founded Kurama-Kokyo sect as
its headquarters.
2) Legend has it that more than six million years ago, Mao-son
(the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the
earth) descended upon Mt Kurama from Venus, with the great
mission of salvation of mankind. Since then, Mao-sons
powerful spirit governing the development and the evolution
not only of mankind but of all living things on Earth has been
emanating from Mt. Kurama, and a priest named Gantei
received the spiritual transmission.
3) In the first year of Hold (A.D. 770), Gantei, who was the
best pupil of High Priest Ganjin, the founder of the Toshodaiji
Temple in Nara, led by a white horse, climbed up to this holy
place. His soul was enlightened with the realization of

Bishamon-ten (the protector of the northern quarter of the

Buddhist heaven and the spirit of the sun). Following, he
founded the Buddhist temple on Mt. Kurama.
4) Later, in the 15th year of Enryaku (A.D. 796). The chief
officer in charge of the construction of Toji Temple, saw a
vision of Senju-kannon (The thousand armed Kannon and the
spirit of the moon) and built temples and pagodas on the
mountain.
4) The warrior called Ushiwaka-mani (later known as
Minamoto Yoshitsune, 1159-1189). When he was a young lad,
he took military arts under the Tengusan (subjugator of evil)
at Kurama, and he went on to become an excellent soldier.
The Big Book of Reiki Symbols: The Spiritual Transition of
Symbols and Mantras of the Usui System of Natural
Healing by Mark Hosak makes the following observation on
page 271:
The Tengu of Mount Kurama are actually known for
their fondness of hanging monls and ascetics with
their heads down from trees and then eating them
alive. But it appears that they made an exception
for Yoshitsume. In reality, it was not the Tengu that
taught Yoshitsume but the Ninja.
Hosaks observation illustrates that Mount Kurama may have
been grounds useful for the training of Ninjutsu, even on a
small scale. Both the Ninja and the Samurai were said to
employ the Kuji-In, sometimes referred to as the Kuji-In. Kuji-in
was thought to be the source of a ninjas powers of spiritual
and mental strength. The following website states the
following
on
the
subject,http://cjj2004.tripod.com/budoryu/id24.html :
What I am presenting here is by no means a complete
account of the Nine Finger Cuts that gave the Ninja
mystical powers, but it will serve the would be Maho
Tsukai (sorcerer) as a very useful and provocative
primer.
The exact origins of the nine cuts are unknown, but it
is believed that the Tantric Buddhist Schools of
Shingon and Tendai Mikkyo first introduced them to
Japan.

It is a common misconception that the techniques of

Kuji were the sole domain of the Ninja. This is not true,
as even a cursory exploration of the Koryu (traditional
feudal arts of the Samurai) will reveal. For instance,
the Yagy Shinkage Ryu and the Tenshin Shoden Katori
Shinto Ryu both made use of the Kuji In and Kuji Kiri.
Though the techniques of Kuji In and Kuji Kiri are
closely tied to one another, they in all actuality serve
two very distinct functions. The Kuji In hand positions
are used to invoke nine levels of mystic power. They
are a method of focusing the mind and activating these
powers, each in turn. The Kuji Kiri, however, is a form
of practical sorcery, the method of which we will
discuss shortly.
When utilizing the Kuji In, you may find the outward
technique
less
important
than
your
inward
understanding of the concepts symbolized by each of
the cuts. In the beginning, rely more on what you
feel internally, and less on written interpretation.
The Nine levels of the Kuji-in:
Rin Strength
Kyo Direction of energy
Toh Harmony of the Universe
Sha Healing of self and others
Kai Premonition of danger
Jin - Knowing the thoughts of others
Retsu Mastery of time and peace
Zai Control of the elements of nature
Zen Enlightemment
Amazingly, we find a similar description of the term reiki
described by Reiki Practitioner Peggy Jentoft.in her online
article entitled, Reiki and Esoteric Buddhism:
I was looking for something about Karma in a old book
of lectures on the Hokekyo (Lotus Sutra ) a translation
of some Buddhist lectures from the early thirties by
Makaguchi and I stumbled across this,
Reiki (Spiritual power) is divided into 10
1. the power to tell the reasonable law of cause and
effect from an unreasonable one neglecting the causal
law.

2. the power to know the causal relationships ranging

over the three existences of life- past present and
future.
3. the power to keep himself in the state of
enlightenment
4. the power to realize the various functions of mind.
5. The power to know the intellect of people
6. the power to know the life condition of people.
7. the power to foresee the future of people
8. the power to know the causal relationships of people
9. the power to realize the the life of the past
existence and the way to enlightenment
10. the power to obliterate past karma
What I find amazing about this, is that Jentofts finding
compares greatly with the Kuji-In used by the Ninja, almost
line for line. In my recent attendance at the Muzosa Bujinkan
Dojo,
which
can
be
found
at
the
following
link: http://www.muzosa.com/ -I notice that the opening ritual
for entering the Dojo includes the mantra Dai Ko Myo, which is
the Master symbol and mantra in the Usui System of Reiki. I
have been involved with Reiki for over ten years now and I
have a great respect for the accomplishments of Sensei Usui. I
also realize and have great respect for the Ninja and Samurai
martial arts, and the preservation of the Reiki aesthetic.