Reiki the Kurama Connection

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Reiki

- the Kurama Yama Connection

by

James Deacon

[Version 1.00]Copyright © 2007James Deacon

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THE KURAMA YAMA CONNECTION[Copyright © 2003 James Deacon]

Part 1 - Deities of the Sacred Mountain...

It was Kurama Yama (Horsesaddle Mountain) - situated on the northern outskirts ofKyoto - where, it is said, Usui-Sensei carried out his 21-day meditation, and on the21st day experienced the phenomenon that is Reiki.

Kurama Yama (which is apparently not the mountain's original name), as is the casewith most Japanese mountains, is considered a holy place for followers of bothBuddhism and Shinto alike. It also has a strong historical connection with bujutsu -the Martial Arts.

The main temple complex at Kurama Yama is referred to as the 'Kurama-dera'

Mao-son(no Kami)According to a leaflet produced by the Kurama Temple, some six million years ago,Mao-son came to earth from the planet Venus.But the leaflet only tells a part of the tale...

In an ancient legend, we hear how a meteorite from Venus streaked across the sky,and having broken in three, fell to earth in Japan.One section of the meteorite landed in Kumano - in the prefecture of Wakayama,another on Takamikura Yama* in Banshu, and the third section fell to the north ofKyoto, on Kurama Yama. It was this latter section of the meteorite which came to beenshrined as the kami: 'Mao-son' (the 'Great King of the Conquerors of Evil and theSpirit of the Earth')Since then, it is said, Mao-son’s powerful spirit has been emanating from KuramaYama, governing the development and the evolution of mankind and all other livingthings on Earth.[But Mao-son apparently has another side to his nature. Ithas long been believed that, while bestowing divineprotection on those who co-operate with him, Mao-sondestroys those who oppose him.]

Mao-son's small shrine, high on the mountain, is calledthe 'Okunoin Mao-den', and to the rear of the shrine,behind an iron fence, is an old cedar tree in which thespirit of Mao-son (also referred to as gohomaoson) is believed to reside.


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[*The Takamikura piece of the meteor is called Kimon Reiseki (or Kuki Mitamaishi). It wasdeified as the kami: 'Konjin', and during the Edo period, was worshipped at KukimitamaShrine in Ayabe. ]

Bishamon-tenThe Kurama-dera Temple itself was founded in 770 by the monkGantei, who, led by a white horse, climbed this holy mountainand was enlightened with the realization of Bishamon-ten (God ofWar and Warriors, the scourge of evil-doers - also calledTamon-ten).The '-ten' part of the name indicates that Bishamon-ten is one ofthe gods of the 'twelve directions': guardians of the four quartersand four semi-quarters, up and down, and the sun and moon.Bishamon-ten - the guardian of the Northern Quarter - wasregarded as a powerful protector of the city of Kyoto (which, up tothe beginning of the Meiji Era, was the capital of Japan),defending it from evil coming from the north.

Senju-Kannon BosatsuLater, in 796, the chief officer in charge of the construction of theToji Temple, received a vision of Senju-Kannon Bosatsu (alsoSenju-Kanzeon Bosatsu ) - the thousand-armed form of theBodhisattva Kannon - and built further temples and pagodas onthe mountain.

Amida & FudoOther familiar deities at Kurama Yama include Amida Butsu - Buddha of Infinite Light& Life - (referred to as Amida Nyorai in esoteric tradition), whose giant statue can befound at the base of Kurama Yama; and Fudo Myo-o - the Immovable One - patronof the Martial Arts who is said to dwell deep in the mountains.The image of Fudo Myo-o is enshrined in the Sojoga-dani Fudo Do (Fudo Hall) high up in the mountainssome distance above the Kurama Dera itself.Usually portrayed as livid blue in color with a fierceexpression - teeth bared and with angry eyes - andsitting on a rock surrounded by flames, Fudo Myo-obrandishes a sword in his right hand, and holds a ropein his left. It is said he aids his devotees by defeatingthe obstacles and devils which hinder their practice of the Dharma. Entering into aflame-emitting meditation ('kasho zammai') Fudo exudes fire and destroys all karmichindrances.

Shinto DeitiesBesides the kami Mao-son, Kurama Yama is of course home to innumerable otherkami - the numinous spirits of Shinto, and shrines to these deities abound. Forexample, the Kibune-jinja shrine is dedicated to the god of water, and the Yui noYashiro ("Binding Shrine") is dedicated to the god of marriage.


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TenguAlso strongly associated with Kurama Yama arethe legendary Tengu.

Originally, Tengu were depicted as bird-likebeings, but over time came to take on morehuman-like form, yet retaining wings and crow-like heads, with red faces and long noses.

Described as 'forest goblins' by some, the Tenguare the guardians the mountainous regions, andhighly skilled in the martial arts.

They are said to be possessed of supernatural powers including shape-shifting, theability to move instantly from place to place, to speak without moving their mouths,and the power to appear uninvited in peoples dreams.

Tengu are also said to have mastery over rain and wind and to be responsible formysterious lights seen in the mountains.Not only are they said to be skilled warriors, but the Tengu are also mischief makers,and are especially prone to playing tricks on vainglorious and arrogant monks andpriests.

Likewise they take it on themselves to punish those who willfully misuse knowledgeand authority to gain fame or further their position. The have a great dislike forbraggarts, and for those who would corrupt the Dharma (law).

Buddhist temples, shrines and monasteries are often said to be guarded by Tengu,and while Bishamon-ten is considered the original deity at the Kurama TempleComplex - it is believed that the most holy image in the temple (rarely ever revealedto public view) is a statue of a winged, human-like figure, with a red face, a whitebeard, and holding a fan in his hand -in other words, a Tengu.

Part 2 - Shugyo Discipline...

Yamabushi and ShugendoOver the centuries, the Tengu became closely associated withthe Yamabushi or Shugenja (followers of the path of Shugendo)of Kurama Yama. These ascetic mountain priests are part of anancient tradition involving the practice of strict and rigourousmystical disciplines often referred to collectively as shugyo.

[The original meaning of the kanji for shu was something like 'sweeping away the dust that obscures a persons primalelegance', however the kanji-pair shu-gyo is commonly nowtranslated as "austere training".]

Retreating deep into the mountainous regions, these practitioners - a great many ofthem devotees of Fudo Myo-o, undergo harsh training, and through the practice ofrituals, fasting, abstaining for drinking water, sutra recitation, meditation, and sitting inmisogi (spiritual purification under waterfalls - the Nachi Falls being very popular),


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and the practice of 'sammitsu' (involving use of incantation and mudra-liketechniques), seek mystical states and the development of powers including exorcismand healing.

It has often been said that the Tengu would instruct these priests in sacred rites andmagical knowledge. In legend, the distinction between Yamabushi / Shugenja andthe Tengu often becomes blurred. It is said that shape-shifting Tengu often take onthe form of these mountain priests, and in turn, the ascetic priests often take on theguise of Tengu to deter the uninitiated from interrupting their seclusion.

Not surprisingly, considering their connection with the legendary Tengu and withFudo Myo-o, these ascetic mystics have always been closely associated with themartial arts, and as long ago as the 12th century, a great many people came to trainat the Kurama-Hachi Ryu martial arts school which had been organised by theYamabushi of Kurama Yama.

Ushiwaka-maruAfter his Minamoto clan wasdefeated by the Taira clan, ayoung man named Ushiwaka-maru (1159-1189) was ordered(by the leader of the Taira clan)to enter the Kurama temple tobecome a monk. However,Ushiwaka-maru, as well aslearning the Buddhistscriptures, also studied variousmartial disciplines. Legend says that he learned swordsmanship and acquired othermore unusual skills from the legendary white-haired Sojobo, King of the Tengu.The young Ushiwaka-maru (later known as Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune) also became amaster of tactical strategy, something which would later help him defeat the Tairaclan and and reclaim the Minamoto clan's honour.A number of historical sites connected with him are still identifiable on the mountain,including a monument to him, which is situated to the side of the Tokobo temple,where he lived for nearly ten years.And a simple shrine, the 'Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune Do' (Hall), is located deep in themountains some distance above the Kurama Dera, at a place where it is believedUshiwaka-maru used to practice martial disciplines.On September 15th each year sees a festival in which Ushiwaka-maru's spirit isworshipped under yet another childhood name, Shanao.

Morihei UeshibaIn the 1920's, Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido, was known toretreat to Kurama Yama to undergo austere training.Once a year, he would take several of his best students with him andthey would live on rice, miso soup, wild herbs & pickles.Their routine involved rising at 5 AM to pray and undergo misogi. Thiswould be followed by swinging heavy swords five hundred times, andthen practicing footwork.From 10 AM to noon they trained in body techniques. From 3 to 5 PM; the studentswould take turns acting as Morihei's partner as he ran through series after series oftechniques.Evenings saw the students reviewing the day's physical and spiritual training, with amidnight training session every third night.


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Gogen YamaguchiAnd during the 1930's, determined to train his spirit as well as hisbody, Gogen 'the Cat' Yamaguchi - possibly the most graceful andexciting karate masters the martial arts world has ever seen - oftenspent long periods in training on Mt Kurama - undertaking asceticexercises: fasting, meditating and practicing a kata or trainingroutine known as sanchin.

Part 3- The Kurama-Kokyo sect & The Reiki Symbols...

The Kurama-Kokyo SectOn numerous websites you will read extracts from a tourist information leaflet aboutKurama, the Kurama-Kokyo sect (who control the Kurama-dera Temple Complex) -and about their beliefs and symbolism concerning their Supreme Deity: 'Sonten'.

For the Kurama-Kokyo, the deities Mao-son, Bishamon-ten, and Senju-Kannon [orSenju-Kanzeon] are seen as symbols of the universal soul, forming the triune deitywhich they call: ‘Sonten’.

Mao-son is seen as representing the power of Sonten, Bishamon-ten is seen asrepresenting the light of Sonten, and Senju-Kannon - the love of Sonten.

In recent years, many people have attempted to make a connection between Usui-Sensei, the Reiki Shirushi (symbols), and the doctrine of the Kurama-Kokyo sect -some even going so far as to claim that the Kurama-Kokyo sect was the originalsource for Reiki, or at least, an influencing factor in the origin of Reiki.

One of the things that many have latched onto is the Kurama-Kokyo's use of certainsymbols in connection with the Mao-son - Bishamon-ten - Senju-Kannon trinity.

'Seed' Characters & Reiki ShirushiHowever, in itself, this use of symbols is nothing out of the ordinary. In JapaneseEsoteric Buddhism, each deity (Buddha, Bodhisattva, Myo-o, etc) - and each of theFive Elements - has its associated symbol - known as a shuji ( 'seed' character): aparticular character from the 'Siddham' form of the Sanscrit script.

This shuji is held to be the 'sacred sign' of the given deity, and is regarded as itselfpossessing the divine grace and power of that deity.

Amongst other things, a deity's shuji is essentially perceived as a single-characterdepiction of the sacred mantra of the deity, and as such invokes the merit associatedwith the fukushu or recital/repetition of that mantra.

Now, in what would seem to be a combination of, on one hand, an almost desperateattempt to make connections to the Sonten doctrine and, on the other, a verysuperficial approach to research, many people - either after viewing images ofKurama-Kokyo's San-Mon Shrine (or having visited Kurama Yama in person) havejumped to some slightly misguided conclusions concerning the origins of the Reikishirushi and Reiki itself.


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It is now widely accepted that the Reiki shirushi: SHK ('mental-emotional' symbol) isalmost certainly derived from the shuji: 'kiriku' (pronounced somewhere between:'k'rik' and 'k'lik') ['hrih' in the original Sanscrit].

Noting that at the San-mon Shrine, the shuji kiriku is plainly visible as the symbol ofSenju-Kannon, many, it seems have, without further investigation, leapt to theconclusion that, as Senju-Kannon is presented in the Kurama-Kokyo doctrine asbeing an element or attribute of their Sonten deity, then, as Kiriku is the symbol ofSenju-Kannon, the Sonten religion must be the original source of the SHK symbol -and therefore probably also the source of some of Usui-Sensei's spiritual ideas!

And when they discover that the term Dai Ko Myo is sometimes applied to Sonten,well...!

[Of course, the point that 'Dai Ko Myo' refers to the 'great illuminating wisdom' of deity- and can be properly be applied to each and every Butsu, Bosatsu or otherEnlightened Being - is one that is completely missed!]

Some, it seems, have even attempted to make a connection between the symbolicmeanings of the shuji of Mao-son (in Japanese: 'un', Sanscrit: 'hum') andBishamonten (Japanese: 'vai') and the CKR and HSZSN shirushi respectively -something made all the more confusing as many Reiki-related websites misrepresentthe Mao-son shuji (which is, admittedly actually a variant form of the more commonversion of 'un') as being: "..an older form of the 'om' symbol..." (the Sanscrit 'om' is'on' in Japanese).

Mao-son more commonly 'on' Bishamonten 'vai''un' used form of 'un' ('om')

However, in Japanese Buddhist tradition, the allocation of shuji to deities is not asimple and clear-cut process.

Certain deities have more than one shuji: each representing a different form or set ofattributes of that given deity, and - just to confuse matters even more - deities withsimilar attributes can sometimes share one or more shuji in common.

The shuji kiriku is indeed a symbol of the Bodhisattva Senju-Kannon - and not just inKurama-Kokyo doctrine.

Yet it is first and foremost the 'spiritual emblem' of Amida Butsu - Buddha of InfiniteLight & Life - (referred to as Amida Nyorai in esoteric tradition).


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[And of course it is claimed by some that Usui-Sensei was a Tendai Buddhist all hislife, and in particular a devotee of Amida.]

While kiriku is also allotted (in a secondary sense) to Senju-Kannon - it is essentiallybecause this male Bodhisattva shares some of the attributes of Amida Butsu, and isseen as one of Amida's attendants.

Elsewhere, the shuji of Senju-Kannon can often be seen depicted in the followingstylised form [perhaps to distinguish it from the shuji of Amida?]:

Senju-Kannon Bosatsu shuji (left) and Amida Butsu shuji (right)

But attempts to connect Usui-Sensei, Reiki and the Kurama-Kokyo doctrine do notstop with confusion concerning the shuji.

‘Kurama-Kokyo Reiki’Recently we have even begun to hear about 'Kurama-Kokyo Reiki' - which claims tobe "the original system of Reiki using the ancient Japanese symbols rediscovered byUsui-Sensei during his meditation on Kurama Yama..." and includes the 4 'Kurama-Kokyo Reiki' symbols, a secret mantra said to have been used by Usui-Sensei, asecret Japanese mantra that activates all symbols, and the prayer used by 'Masters' (- presumably the Senior Priests??) of the Kokyo sect's Hondon Temple on KuramaYama...

However, something overlooked by the teachers of this 'Kurama-Kokyo Reiki', and bymany other Reiki practitioners is this: during Usui-Sensei's lifetime, the TempleComplex on Kurama Yama was under the control of the Tendai Sect (yet, admittedly,visited by monks and lay practitioners of many different sects).

It was not until 1949 - almost a quarter of a century after Usui Sensei's death -that it passed to the control of the then newly founded, Sonten-worshipping,Kurama-Kokyo sect.

This simple fact, to my mind at least, somewhat negates the theory of a connectionbetween Usui Sensei and the Kurama-Kokyo sect - particularly the claim that theKurama-Kokyo sect was either the original source for Reiki, or at least, an influencingfactor in the origin of Reiki...

* * * * * * *


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Reiki the Kurama Connection