Usui Mikao

Usui Mikao (臼井甕男, 15 August 1865 – 9 March 1926) is usually considered the founder of Reiki. The most common perception of Usui is as a New Age guru. Others feel that the true teachings of Mikao Usui were a spiritual practice, a form of esoteric Buddhism, and do not represent what is called Reiki. Reiki came from these practices but was devised as a type of first aid discipline for use by the Japanese Armed Forces. The spiritual teachings were a lifetime's work but the Reiki type healing was only taught in the last few months of Usui's life. Some have accused him of quackery.