Mountain Sky Reiki - Surrey, B.C.

As a Reiki person, I know I'm fortunate. I live in the city of Osaka, Japan, and a trip to Mt. Kurama is a relatively easy day trip for me. Within about two hours, and four different trains, I can be standing at Kurama Station at the base of the mountain. They say some people can live in Paris their whole lives but never go up the Eiffel Tower, and I didn't want that to happen to myself while living so close to the birthplace of Reiki. So on a Wednesday at the end of August, 2006, my Reiki teacher, Rev. Hyakuten Inamoto and I made the trip to have the experience of a lifetime.

According to his memorial stone in Tokyo, Mikao Usui was spiritually awakened and received the gift of Reiki while fasting and meditating on Mt. Kurama. After he received this gift, he found he was able to use Reiki to heal, and he began to practice and teach this form of healing at his Tokyo clinic. Of course, we all know that Reiki continued after his death in 1926, and spread around the world to be shared with millions of people. I believe Usui-sensei's gift was a gift for us all.

After getting off the train at Kurama Station it is only a short walk to the first entry gate, where carved gods stand guard at either side. It's impossible not to be struck by the beauty of the mountain. Everything is perfectly arranged, simple and elegant. Orange painted lanterns line the walkways, thick braided ropes connect to the prayer bells in the Shinto shrines, and rich brown wooden beams are placed together to form the Buddhist temples. The pathway proceeds up the mountain, sometimes with a gradual incline and sometimes with deep steps designed for kimono-wearers to walk safely upon.

For an affordable 200 yen (about two dollars) you can take a cable car part of the way up the mountain - we chose this option to help save our legs! Our plan was to go to the summit and then walk down the entire way. Interestingly, the museum that leads to the cable car station has a plaque on the wall that is believed to be the inspiration for the second symbol.

The mountain is bejeweled with a number of shrines and temples, and in front of Mt. Kurama Temple is a beautiful sacred stone. Hyakuten-sensei told me that long ago this stone was used as the lid for a stone box holding sacred Buddhist scriptures. When I passed my hand over the stone I could feel a cool and clear energy from it.

Finally we came to a level space near the summit where Usui-sensei is believed to have been when he was given the gift of Reiki. There were many old-growth trees and the sunlight fell on us in dappled beams. There we sat on some wood benches, drinking Japanese tea and having some snacks, and Hyakuten-sensei discussed Reiki for a while. Then we went to a near-by shrine and meditated while the shrine's incense burned. When we were finished he gave me a Reiju (Reiki attunement) and then it was time to head back down the mountain.

I really didn't want to leave. Although we had spent about an hour at the summit it felt like it had been no time at all. The tranquil energy and peacefulness of the location were intoxicating. In fact, although I was there less than a week ago at the time of this writing, I can't wait for my next visit. If there is ever a way for you to travel to Mt. Kurama, and especially if you are a Reiki person, I highly recommend that you do so.