Mikao Usui

Japanese spiritual seeker and the founder, in 1922, of Reiki — the Japanese energy-healing system that has spread to millions of practitioners across virtually every country in the world. Born 1865 in Taniai village (now Miyamacho, Gifu prefecture), Usui pursued Buddhist study, martial arts, and a wide range of contemplative practices before, by his own account, undergoing a satori (awakening) experience during a 21-day fast and meditation retreat on Mount Kurama. From this experience he derived Reiki Ryōhō ('Reiki healing method'), the Five Reiki Principles (Gokai), and the lineage of attunements that survives him. He taught actively from 1922 until his death from a stroke in 1926. The memorial stone at Saihōji Temple in Tokyo — erected by his students in 1927 — preserves his life story and the core principles of his teaching.