Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Christian monk, rediscovered Reiki in the mid 1800's. Usui was president of Doshisha University (a small Christian school for boys) in Kyoto, Japan. One day some graduating seniors asked Dr. Usui to demonstrate the healing spoken of in the Bible. The excited students asked him to heal a blind or lame person. When Dr. Usui admitted he could not perform such feats, the students sadly pronounced his faith "blind."

Dr. Usui became determined to find the source of this knowledge, and his quest lead him to the United States for several years, then back to Japan to a Buddhist monastery. There he read the sutras in hope of finding mention of this healing. Even after learning Chinese so he could read the original from which the sutras were translated, Dr. Usui still found nothing.

Dr. Usui then went on a twenty-one day fast and meditational retreat on Mount Kuryama. On the morning of the 21st day, a bright light appeared on the horizon, striking him in the forehead and causing him to pass out. When he came to, the sun was up and a beautiful vision appeared to him. he saw beautiful bubbles, all the colors of the rainbow. Then came clear bubbles with Sanskrit words and symbols in them. Not daring to blink for fear of missing something important, he committed this information to memory.

When the vision had passed, Dr. Usui excitedly ran down the mountain. "Miracle number one", he thought, realizing one doesn't usually leap up and go jogging after such a long fast. While running, he stubbed his toe on a rock and lost his big toenail. He held the toe for a few minutes. The pain and bleeding quickly stopped! When he removed his hands and examined the toe, it was healed. "Miracle number two," he thought.

On the way home, Dr. Usui's hunger revived, and he stopped at a home willing to cook for strangers. The host's daughter came in crying and explained that she had a bad tooth ache and that they could not afford to go to the dentist. After asking permission, Dr. Usui gently placed his hands on her sore jaw.  After a few minutes, the girl's eyes widened. "You are no ordinary monk!" she exclaimed. "You have made magic! My tooth no longer hurts".  Dr. Usui thought, "Miracle number three".  When his food arrived, he ate a full Japanese breakfast without ill effects. This is considered "Miracle number four."

Dr. Usui wondered what he should do with this new gift.  First, he went to the leader of the beggars to see if he could heal this element of society.  After each person was restored to health, Dr. Usui told them to go the temple to get a new name and to start a new life. After a few years, Dr. Usui started to recognize some of the faces of the people he was healing.  He asked one why he had returned, and he replied that he preferred a life without responsibility.  This amazed Dr. Usui and caused him to question his purpose.  If people did not truly want to be healed, what was the use in trying to heal them?  If they did want to be healthy, should they not give something in exchange for all the time spent on their behalf?  Perhaps by requiring nothing of them, he had reinforced the idea of begging.  At this point, he also formulated the Reiki Principles which, along with Reiki each day, can bring health, happiness and prosperity to everyone.

When he got back to Kyoto, he bathed and put on clean clothing; and the next morning he lit a huge torch and stood on the busiest corner of the city.  People passed him, probably thinking he was crazy.  Finally, someone asked if he hadn't noticed the sun was out and why did he need a torch?  Dr. Usui explained that he was looking for people who wanted more light in their lives, who did not want illness in their home.  He invited everyone interested to attend a talk at a nearby temple that evening.

That was the beginning of a walking tour of Japan, from Hokkaido in the far north to the southernmost province, teaching and healing along the way.  Dr. Usui acquired eighteen disciples who traveled with him and who were initiated into the various levels of Reiki when he found them to be ready.  One of these, Chujiro Hayashi, was left in charge of Reiki as the Grand Master when Dr. Usui died in 1926.  The Grand Master was the only one who could initiate another Master and was in charge of overseeing the Reiki community.