Schools of Reiki: Traditional Vs Western

Executive summary about reiki usui by Yaheem B

Here are 5 differences between the traditional Reiki as practiced by Dr. Usui and the western schools: 

1. The traditional school of Reiki, founded by Dr. Usui Mikao in Japan in 1925, classifies the students into 3 levels: "Shoden" for beginners, "Okuden" for advanced Reiki practitioners, and "Shinpiden" for Reiki masters. Most western schools teach Reiki in 3 levels as well but under these different names: Reiki I (or Reiki level 1) for beginners, Reiki II for advanced and distance healing, and Reiki III for masters who can teach and attune others.

2.  In the traditional school of Reiki a student must be invited by a sponsor, while in the western Reiki schools any one can learn Reiki as long as they pay the fee. However, some people paid the fees, got the classes and attunement according to some western schools, and proved that they just don't have it.

3.  It takes longer in the Traditional Reiki school to finish any of the above levels, and any level of Reiki can only be granted after years of practicing in the presence of a supervisor. It took Dr. Usui all of his Reiki-practicing life time to teach only 18 students up to the master level. Western Reiki doesn't involve that long time of one-on-one training. Rather it takes as little as 1 day to finish any of the three Reiki levels. A student can even buy the training online and do it all without seeing their master.

4.  Buddhist practices, including meditation and contemplation, are involved in the traditional Reiki training. In the west, where Christianity is the religion of the majority, they either stick it to Jesus, or teach it in a totally atheist theory.

5. There is one traditional Reiki school, while in the west there are hundreds of them. This is even too confusing for a beginner, for instance, in knowing which one is the true Reiki science to begin with. The result is either rejecting them all or the opposite; adopting one and criticizing the others.