Hawayo Takata
Encyclopedia
Hawayo Hiromi Takata a Japanese-American born in Hanamaulu
, Territory of Hawaii
, introduced Reiki
to the Western World
. As a Nisei
fluent in the language and culture of both Japan
and the United States
, she was well-suited for this task and her contributions in this area are widely acknowledged. Takata, however, remains a source of controversy in the Reiki community for her efforts to maintain the practice as a sort of franchise under her leadership.
parents, Takata grew up on the island of Kauaʻi
where her father worked in the sugar cane fields. She left school after second or third grade and went to work in the plantation house
. She was given increased duties as she grew older and was eventually was put in charge of the other household staff.
On 10 March 1917 she married Saichi Takata, the bookkeeper of the plantation where she was employed. They had two daughters together before October 1930 when he died at age thirty-four in Tokyo
where he had gone for lung cancer
treatment. After this, Takata worked hard to support her family on her own and this contributed to her suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
, a variety of serious gastrointestinal
ailments and severe depression
leading to a nervous breakdown
.
Soon after this, one of her sisters died. Takata journeyed to Japan via steamship with her sister-in-law for the dual-purpose of informing her parents and seeking medical care
. After visiting her parents, she went to a Tokyo
hospital and was diagnosed
with several life-threatening conditions including gallstone
s and a tumor
. She was given some weeks to recuperate from emphysema
before being admitted for surgery
for appendicitis
and her other gastrointestinal problems.
Takata asked the chief surgeon about non-surgical alternatives and was given the address of the clinic run by Dr. Chujiro Hayashi
, later described by Takata as Reiki's "Grand Master". Under Hayashi's care:
In 1937, Takata returned to Hawaii in good health to set up what soon became a very successful Reiki practice. Hayashi and his daughter visited her there when Hayashi went on a tour to promote his art. In the Winter of 1938, Takata became the thirteenth and last Reiki Master initiated by Hayashi.
Takata returned to Tokyo in 1940 as World War II
was imminent led, she said, by a dream in which Hayashi appeared to her. There, by Takata's account, Hayashi announced that she would be his successor as Grand Master. Hayashi, a reserve
officer
in the Japanese Navy
, was called to active military duty. As a Buddhist
and pacifist
, Hayashi performed seppuku
rather than participate in the bloodshed of war.
She returned to Hawaii and taught Reiki for the next thirty years. Until 1970, Takata taught only the first and second level of Reiki instruction. Although she trained scores of people to be Reiki practitioners, Takata did not create any Reiki masters during that time.
Between 1970 and her death in 1980, Takata taught the third level of Reiki instruction and initiated twenty-two Reiki Masters. She charged $10,000 U.S. for this training and has been criticized for making Reiki mastery an elite club for the wealthy. Takata saw that people should be willing to pay as much as a house for this attunement, and set the fee based on how much it cost her to buy her own house, she saw this as an appropriate "exchange of energy" and cited a tale she said was told to her by Hayashi, the point of which was that those who had not paid for their healing they had no incentive to stay well.
One source says:
Takata's insistence that there was a single leader among practitioners of Reiki (this may have been discussed with her teacher, Chujiro Hayashi, when she was given the Shinpinden attunement and Hayashi visited Hawaii) and her failure to name a successor, has been some focus of discord within the Reiki community for decades and may have led to the development of traditional and non-traditional factions. However human nature being what it is, it is also possible that Takata, in insisting herself as single leader was simply trying to contain the tradition of what she was taught herself, in the western (mind) world.
Hanamaulu, Hawaii
Hanamāulu is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States...
, Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
, introduced Reiki
Reiki
is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
to the Western World
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. As a Nisei
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
fluent in the language and culture of both Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, she was well-suited for this task and her contributions in this area are widely acknowledged. Takata, however, remains a source of controversy in the Reiki community for her efforts to maintain the practice as a sort of franchise under her leadership.
History
The daughter of Japanese-bornIssei
Issei is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify the Japanese people first to immigrate. Their children born in the new country are referred to as Nisei , and their grandchildren are Sansei...
parents, Takata grew up on the island of Kauaʻi
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
where her father worked in the sugar cane fields. She left school after second or third grade and went to work in the plantation house
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
. She was given increased duties as she grew older and was eventually was put in charge of the other household staff.
On 10 March 1917 she married Saichi Takata, the bookkeeper of the plantation where she was employed. They had two daughters together before October 1930 when he died at age thirty-four in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
where he had gone for lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
treatment. After this, Takata worked hard to support her family on her own and this contributed to her suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , also known as chronic obstructive lung disease , chronic obstructive airway disease , chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive respiratory disease , is the co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases...
, a variety of serious gastrointestinal
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
ailments and severe depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
leading to a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
.
Soon after this, one of her sisters died. Takata journeyed to Japan via steamship with her sister-in-law for the dual-purpose of informing her parents and seeking medical care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
. After visiting her parents, she went to a Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
hospital and was diagnosed
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
with several life-threatening conditions including gallstone
Gallstone
A gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components. These calculi are formed in the gallbladder, but may pass distally into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct, or the ampulla of...
s and a tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
. She was given some weeks to recuperate from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
before being admitted for surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
for appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
and her other gastrointestinal problems.
On the operating table, just before the surgery was to begin, Hawayo heard a voice. The voice said, "The operation is not necessary. The operation is not necessary." She had never heard a voice speak to her like this before. She wondered what it meant. The voice repeated the message a third time even louder. She knew she was wide awake and had not imagined the voice. It was so unusual, yet so compelling that she decided to ask the doctor. She got off the operating table, wrapped a sheet around herself and asked to speak to the doctor.
Takata asked the chief surgeon about non-surgical alternatives and was given the address of the clinic run by Dr. Chujiro Hayashi
Chujiro Hayashi
, a disciple of Mikao Usui, played a major role in the transmission of Reiki out of Japan and for turning it into a less mystical practice.Hayashi was a naval physician, and employed Reiki to treat his patients. He began studying with Usui in 1925. The following year, he took over Usui's clinic...
, later described by Takata as Reiki's "Grand Master". Under Hayashi's care:
Mrs. Takata received daily treatments and got progressively better. In four months, she was completely healed. Impressed with the results, she wanted to learn Reiki. However, it was explained that Reiki was Japanese and that it was intended to stay in Japan. It could not be taught to an outsider. Mrs. Takata talked to the surgeon at the hospital and convinced him to ask Dr. Hayashi to allow her to learn Reiki. Since Dr. Hayashi wanted to teach Reiki to another woman besides his wife, and since Mrs. Takata was so persistent, he decided that she should be the one. In the Spring of 1936, Mrs. Takata received First Degree Reiki. She worked with Dr. Hayashi for one year and then received Second Degree Reiki.
In 1937, Takata returned to Hawaii in good health to set up what soon became a very successful Reiki practice. Hayashi and his daughter visited her there when Hayashi went on a tour to promote his art. In the Winter of 1938, Takata became the thirteenth and last Reiki Master initiated by Hayashi.
Takata returned to Tokyo in 1940 as World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was imminent led, she said, by a dream in which Hayashi appeared to her. There, by Takata's account, Hayashi announced that she would be his successor as Grand Master. Hayashi, a reserve
Military reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, was called to active military duty. As a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
, Hayashi performed seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
rather than participate in the bloodshed of war.
She returned to Hawaii and taught Reiki for the next thirty years. Until 1970, Takata taught only the first and second level of Reiki instruction. Although she trained scores of people to be Reiki practitioners, Takata did not create any Reiki masters during that time.
Between 1970 and her death in 1980, Takata taught the third level of Reiki instruction and initiated twenty-two Reiki Masters. She charged $10,000 U.S. for this training and has been criticized for making Reiki mastery an elite club for the wealthy. Takata saw that people should be willing to pay as much as a house for this attunement, and set the fee based on how much it cost her to buy her own house, she saw this as an appropriate "exchange of energy" and cited a tale she said was told to her by Hayashi, the point of which was that those who had not paid for their healing they had no incentive to stay well.
One source says:
Her legacy may be mixed. Certainly those in the Western world who have had the blessing of Reiki in their lives are grateful to Mrs. Takata for bringing Reiki to our society ,a society which often fails to understand let alone practise the meaning of honour and sacredness, in it's fast paced, money focused world. Yet [...] Independent researchers traveling in Japan in the past 10 years have discovered that it is quite unlikely Dr. UsuiUsui MikaoMikao Usui was the founder of a form of spiritual practice known as Reiki, used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. According to the inscription on his memorial stone, Usui taught Reiki to over 2000 people during his lifetime...
ever designated a successor or even claimed the title of Grand Master himself, of course this cannot be proven outright, as Usui can no longer be asked personally. Apparently he did initiate several Reiki Masters, of which Chujiro Hayashi was one, but they were all equals. None was of a higher rank than others. Dr. Usui did set up an organization to carry on the work of Reiki but he did not set up a Grand Master system.
Takata's insistence that there was a single leader among practitioners of Reiki (this may have been discussed with her teacher, Chujiro Hayashi, when she was given the Shinpinden attunement and Hayashi visited Hawaii) and her failure to name a successor, has been some focus of discord within the Reiki community for decades and may have led to the development of traditional and non-traditional factions. However human nature being what it is, it is also possible that Takata, in insisting herself as single leader was simply trying to contain the tradition of what she was taught herself, in the western (mind) world.