Office of the Grand Master

Is not an actual physical office but an energetic office that holds the daily physical level communications for the system to students and the public. The Office was created in 1994 by Phyllis Lei Furumoto, the recognized lineage bearer and Grand Master of Usui Shiki Ryoho and Paul David Mitchell, Head of Discipline for Usui Shiki Ryoho.

In 1992, 12 years after Hawayo Takata died, students were confused by the proliferation of new forms of Reiki practice and by the oral tradition of the practice. The question that was in many minds was "What is the true practice?" And perhaps "Is there a true practice?" The oral tradition at this point did not have a clear verbal description of the system and its practice. To find out about the teaching, the student needed to sit with the master in class, gaining experience and understanding in this ancient way of passing on information. Since we, as a community, did not have time for this, it seemed that changes were to be made. Masters often took the changes made by their colleagues as a personal affront. In reality, the masters who were changing the system were doing so out of their own wish to convey the practice in their own style and reflecting their own values. At this point in time, The Reiki Alliance asked Phyllis Furumoto and Paul Mitchell for the description of the system so all members of this organization could know the definition of the form Usui Shiki Ryoho. This, then, could be passed on to their students.

To address this question, Phyllis Furumoto and Paul Mitchell began offering the Usui System Intensives I and II for Masters. These Intensives gave the master community the opportunity to study and discuss their teaching practice in detail. With these discussions came insights and understandings of the teachings from Hawayo Takata. This has enriched and clarified the teaching practice for masters and students alike.

The Office of the Grand Master was created as an entity to join the new relationship within the practice of the Lineage Bearer and Head of Discipline. This Office is not a traditional form of holding a lineage though it has seemed to serve the community of Usui Shiki Ryoho by providing not only a person but a place for the heart of the system to be held.

What is the purpose of the OGM?

Today, the Office of the Grand Master is a reference to which the students and masters of Usui Shiki Ryoho turn for clarity in their discussions concerning the practice of Usui Shiki Ryoho. Often these questions are not answered directly but are brought back to the community of masters and students for study and discussion. The philosophy of the OGM today is that this is not the top of a hierarchy but the focal point of a community.

The operating values of the OGM come from the experience of working with Reiki Energy and their combined experience of the practice based on the teaching as it came through Hawayo Takata. These values include:

Studentship is an essential posture for all levels of initiation.
Preparation is important for all levels of initiation.
Preparatory courses for all levels are offered by the OGM.
The form is a gift of still point from which all students create their own lessons.
Honor and respect for all practices provide honor and respect for Usui Shiki Ryoho.
Clear identity leads to understanding differences.

What is the meaning of the phrase "recognized lineage bearer" ?

In what are known as spiritual lineages in the Far East, the successor of the lineage bearer is recognized rather than appointed. Appointed personages are usually appointed by one person or a small group of people for the community. Recognized lineage bearers are asked by the community to hold this place within the form of the system.

How did Phyllis become the Grand Master?

Towards the end of her life, in order to preserve the system, Hawayo Takata began to initiate masters. These masters came from three main geographic areas; the San Francisco Bay area, the southern part of British Colombia, and the Chicago area. These were the places that she had a community of students. Barbara Weber was from Atlanta, Georgia.

Of these 22 masters, many of them acknowledged Phyllis Furumoto as her grandmother's successor upon learning that Hawayo Takata had died. Barbara Weber asked that she be recognized according to the wishes of Hawayo Takata. This request was not met with agreement from the other masters. It seemed that just before her death, Hawayo Takata had indicated to some of the masters that she recognized Phyllis as her successor. Some received this by their own intuition and understanding. As a result, there was some confusion for the first years after Hawayo Takata's death about who would be recognized as the succeeding Grand Master of Usui Shiki Ryoho.

To this day, there are those students and masters who recognize this unique placement and acknowledge Phyllis Lei Furumoto as the Grand Master. There are those who do not.
In order to practice this particular system of Reiki, this recognition is vital. The spiritual lineage, of which she is a part, provides this practice with a living lineage bearer and keeps the energetic of the system flowing.

What is a Grand Master or Lineage Bearer? Are they the same thing?

The Grand Master is a recognized master to whom the energy of the system flows after the death of the preceding one. We do not know if Mikao Usui recognized Chujiro Hayashi and this may not have happened because this was the beginning of the practice. There is a question that is perhaps not answerable: "When does a lineage become a lineage?"

When Chujiro Hayashi was preparing for his death, he did name Hawayo Takata as his successor in the presence of the other masters and his family.

Hawayo Takata was not as formal with her recognition of Phyllis Furumoto but this was done through the circle of masters as well as other students. The more formal recognition came through Hawayo Takata's daughter, Alice Furumoto, who was also Phyllis' mother.

Grand Master is a title that comes through the Japanese tradition of recognizing one's teacher as Sensei. There is another placement within a practice of the person for that generation who holds the energy of the system. This is not taken by a master but given.

Grand Master has several facets within it. One that we know of can be called "lineage bearer." Another one can be called "Head of Discipline." These two positions are now filled in this specific practice by Phyllis Furumoto and Paul Mitchell. Both have been recognized by the community.

What is the Head of Discipline?

For many martial art forms there is a spiritual leader of the form and the chief instructor. The chief instructor holds the space of the actual practice of the martial art and sees to it that the students practice with diligence and appropriate attitude.

Thorough her writing, Phyllis Furumoto named the positions of lineage bearer and head of discipline as she wrote about herself. This happened in 1993. At that time, she and Paul Mitchell had embarked upon a mission to describe the system that Hawayo Takata has passed on to her students and masters. As mentioned before, they did this through the Intensive Seminars for masters. (These are still offered in their yearly schedule of events.) Soon after this writing was published, the community began to recognize Paul David Mitchell as Head of Discipline. This was a confirmation of a naturally evolving partnership in which Phyllis and Paul continue to live.

Paul Mitchell's life preparation for Reiki combined with his way of being has brought discipline and clarity to the daily practice of Usui Shiki Ryoho. He has filled the place of Head of Discipline through the grace of recognition by the community and his commitment to furthering the teachings of Hawayo Takata.

Does this mean that Phyllis Furumoto gave away some of her power?

Since these positions do not come from a top-down hierarchy, this is not the question. Recognition is power only in the sense that others keep recognizing the place of value in their practice. Each student and master does this for him/herself.

In her understanding, the OGM has offered the Usui Shiki Ryoho community more stability and a wider source of wisdom for the furtherance of the practice. Many agree with her. The image that is held is of a circle where each student of all levels holds their own unique place for the benefit of the global community.

Who are the masters Hawayo Takata initiated and recognized? Are they still teaching?

George Araki (deceased)
Barbara McCullough  (deceased)
Dorothy Baba (deceased) 
Ursula Baylow  (deceased)
Rick Bockner (still practicing and living in Canada)
Patricia Ewing  (not known whether she is practicing and where she is living)
Barbara Brown  (deceased)
Fran Brown (deceased)
Phyllis Lei Furumoto (still practicing and living in Arizona, USA)
Beth Gray (deceased)
John Gray (still practicing and living in New Hampshire, USA)
Iris Ishikuro (deceased) 
Harry Kuboi  (His form of practice is his own. He is living in Hawaii, USA)
Ethel Lombardi  (She founded her own form of healing, Mari-el)
Mary McFadyen (still practicing. Her residence is unknown.)
Paul Mitchell  (still practicing and living in Idaho, USA)
Bethel Phaigh (deceased) 
Shinobu Saito  (retired and living in Palo Alto)
Virginia Samdahl  (deceased)
Wanja Twan  (still practicing and living in Canada)
Barbara Weber Ray  (She founded the Radiance Technique. Her residence is unknown)
Kay Yamashita (deceased)

How do these masters initiated by Hawayo Takata relate to the OGM?

Phyllis Furumoto has believed one of her duties was to be a public spokesperson for the circle of students that Hawayo Takata initiated and recognized as masters. Her ability to embrace the difference of teaching that was passed on through the classes given by Hawayo Takata and her willingness to see the similarities has allowed the masters of this circle to remain true to their own teaching according to the practice they received.

Each of the masters has their own relationship with the system, with the OGM, and with their master. This is their right in being masters.

What is The Reiki Alliance?

Formed by a group of masters initiated by Hawayo Takata and the early masters initiated for the system by Phyllis Furumoto, this group had several motivations. One was to have a community identity, the other was to have a way to refer to this group who supported Phyllis Furumoto as the successor of Hawayo Takata, and to create communication links between masters in order to serve the students. (Remember this was before the Internet became available to the public.) This group of masters still holds Usui Shiki Ryoho and the lineage of Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, Hawayo Takata, and Phyllis Furumoto as the spiritual lineage. Membership is through an application process and is for masters of Usui Shiki Ryoho. See www.reikialliance.com for more information.