Ancient Knowledge
After many years of immersive study and lived experience across the world—drawing from diverse spiritual lineages, ancient cultures, sacred traditions, and holistic healing practices—I’ve come to recognize a deeper, underlying wisdom that weaves through them all. What I share here is a distilled reflection of that journey: a simplified yet meaningful synthesis intended to offer you a foundational understanding of these interconnected paths. While no summary can capture the full depth of these traditions, my hope is that this serves as an entry point—a doorway into a broader awareness of the universal truths that unite body, mind, and spirit across time and tradition.
What is Reiki?
The Japanese word Reiki (pronounced 'Ray-kee') is often translated as "universal life-force energy", but a more accurate version is "spiritual energy". The word is divided into two parts: Rei is translated as 'sacred', 'soul or 'spirit', 'the wisdom and knowledge of all the Universe' or 'atmosphere of the Divine'.
It means, the Higher Intelligence that guides the creation and functioning of the universe; the wisdom that comes from God (or: the Source, creator, Universe, or All That Is), that is, all-knowing, and which understands the need for, and the cause of, all problems and difficulties, and how to heal them. Ki is the life-force energy, which flows through every living thing - plants, animals, and people - and which is present in some form in everything around us. In truth, it is all of these words and more... it is the untranslatable! It goes where the English language cannot...
To put it simply,
Rei = universal knowledge/subject to interpretation.
Ki = life source energy.
In Japanese it is Ki, in Chinese or Thai it’s Chi, India it’s Kundalini or Prana/pranayama (the breath of life/fire), different cultures have different interpretations/names for the same thing.
Now we have covered the word, what is Reiki?
"Reiki is a safe, gentle, non-intrusive hands-on (or auric field) healing technique for use on yourself or others, which uses spiritual energy to treat physical ailments without using pressure, manipulation, or massage; however, it is much more than physical therapy. It is a holistic system for balancing, healing, and harmonising all aspects of the person - body, mind, emotions, and spirit - and it can also be used to encourage personal and spiritual awareness and growth" (taken from the bestselling book “Reiki for Life - Penelope Quest”).
Where did it come from?
Its origins are traced back a few thousand years to Tibetan Buddhism (but you don’t need to be religious to practice or experience its power).
Reiki has been used and taught in the West since the late 1930s, until the 1990s the history was only passed down orally. It was lost knowledge until the late 1800s.
Enter Dr Mikao Usui…
His students asked him about “hands-on healing” but he couldn’t teach something he didn’t know. So he went travelling for 10 years looking outwards for the answer, astonishingly learning to read multiple languages including Sanskrit to find the secret. Eventually, he found he needed to look inward when at a Zen Buddhist monastery he was told to meditate and fast.
Dr. Usui rediscovered what is now known as Reiki, after dedicating his life to researching the lost art of "hands-on healing". He was willing to give his life in order to reach a state of Satori (Enlightenment).
After meditating and fasting on the holy mountain of Kurama-Yama for 21 days a practice called "shyu gyo", he received a spiritual empowerment which gave him a true understanding of all he had learned through his research & gave him the healing abilities he had been searching for.
Dr Mikao Usui Continued…
It is said, that when fasting for such a prolonged amount of time, you will either die or have a spiritual enlightenment, empowerment, or out-of-body experience of sorts. Dr Usui was willing to give his life for what he was looking for. When Dr. Usui regained consciousness, he was full of energy despite not eating for 21 days. He set off back to the monastery but as he rushed down the mountain he tripped and his toe started to bleed. Instinctively, he put his hands around it and the bleeding stopped and the pain went away. He knew then that he had acquired healing power.
He then dedicated the rest of his life to helping spread this healing tool, and his tombstone makes clear his vision: that Reiki would spread and help heal the world.
Dr Chujiro Hayashi.
Before his death (9th March 1926), Dr Usui passed on his knowledge and teachings to Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a retired naval officer who was interested in Dr. Usui's work.
After Usui's death, Dr Hayashi opened a Reiki clinic: The Hayashi Reiki Kenkyu Kai (Hayashi Spiritual Energy Society). The clinic was in Tokyo and consisted of 16 practitioners working (2 per patient).
Dr. Hayashi is responsible for breaking Reiki into three degrees and designing the system of hand positions. Up until this time, Reiki was given in a series of attunements and could be given in a very short period of time.
Hayashi forced his own death by mentally rupturing the arteries to his heart on May 10th 1941.
Madame Takata.
One of Dr. Hayashi's students was a woman from Hawaii, called Hawayo Takata. She came to the clinic in 1935 to be healed of a serious illness. She was so impressed by the success of her treatment that she begged to be able to learn Reiki. Hayashi eventually agreed to teach her.
She lived with his family and worked without pay in his clinic in exchange for the privilege of being able to learn the first and second levels of this healing system. She returned to Hawaii in 1937 and opened the first Reiki clinic in the West, where Hayashi and his family visited her. Hayashi passed on the final level of Reiki in 1938 before he returned to Japan so that she would be able to teach others.
The story Madame Takata told was that Dr Hayashi and all of his Reiki students were killed in World War II, and she was the only teacher alive. She continued to teach Reiki and run her clinic in Hawaii, also travelling throughout US and Canada, treating people with Reiki, and training people how to heal themselves. She held classes in Levels 1 and 2, but it was the 1970s before she began to teach the master level, so that others would be able to teach after she had passed.
By the time of her death in 1980, after 42 years of teaching Reiki, she had trained 22 masters, and it is through them that Reiki has spread so widely throughout the Western world.
Traditional Chinese medicine.
We’ve spoken about Reiki and its Japanese origins—now let’s look at TCM.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is believed to have begun during the reign of the legendary Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, who is often considered the mythical founder of Chinese civilization. Around 2,600 BCE, he is said to have compiled the foundational medical text Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), a dialogue between the emperor and his physician, Qi Bo. This classic text laid the groundwork for TCM, introducing core principles such as Qi (life force energy), Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements, which describe how the body maintains balance and harmony.
The Huangdi Neijing was not just a medical manual—it reflected the Taoist worldview that the human body is a microcosm of the natural world. Illness, in this view, arises when the flow of Qi is blocked or imbalanced, or when the harmony between Yin and Yang is disrupted. TCM developed over thousands of years through empirical observation, philosophical insight, and clinical experience, leading to practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, qigong, cupping, and dietary therapy. From the time of the Yellow Emperor to the present day, TCM continues to offer a holistic approach to health, focused on restoring balance and supporting the body’s natural ability to heal.
Daoism (Taoism) & Lao Tzu.
Daoism, also spelled Taoism, is a spiritual and philosophical tradition rooted in ancient China. It is traditionally attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu), a semi-legendary sage who is said to have written the foundational text, the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), around the 6th century BCE. Daoism teaches that there is a fundamental force in the universe called the Dao (Tao), often translated as "the Way." The Dao is the natural order of things—fluid, ever-changing, and beyond full human understanding.
Key Daoist principles include Wu Wei (non-forcing or effortless action), living in harmony with nature, and cultivating internal balance and simplicity. Daoism has deeply influenced Chinese medicine (including the ideas of Qi, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements), martial arts, meditation (like Qigong), and spiritual practices. It views health as a state of energetic balance, achieved by aligning the body and mind with the rhythms of nature.
Confucius & Confucianisam.
Confucianism is a moral and social philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius (Kong Fuzi), who lived from 551–479 BCE. Unlike Daoism, which emphasizes nature and inner flow, Confucianism focuses on ethical conduct, personal virtue, and social harmony. Central values include filial piety (respect for parents and elders), ritual propriety, loyalty, honesty, and the cultivation of ren (compassion or humaneness). Confucius believed that a well-ordered society depends on the moral integrity of its individuals, especially leaders. His teachings were compiled in texts like the Analects, and they became the foundation of Chinese education, governance, and family life for centuries.
In Summary: While Daoism seeks alignment with the natural world and inner flow, Confucianism is more concerned with human relationships, ethics, and social order. The two philosophies developed side by side and often complement each other in Chinese culture—where Daoism nourishes the spirit, Confucianism shapes the society. Together, they provide a balanced worldview that has influenced everything from medicine and art to politics and personal development.
Now lets move on to India…
Hinduism (ancient science).
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest spiritual traditions, thought to be over 7,000 years old, and is often regarded not just as a religion, but as an ancient science of life. It offers a vast and sophisticated system of understanding the nature of existence, consciousness, and the cosmos. Central to Hindu philosophy is the belief in Brahman, the ultimate, all-pervading reality, and the soul’s journey through samsara (the cycle of birth and rebirth), guided by karma, dharma, and culminating in moksha—liberation from the cycle. The teachings are preserved in sacred texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, offering guidance on both spiritual and practical aspects of life.
Hinduism is also the origin of yoga, a complete system for uniting body, mind, and spirit. Far beyond physical postures, yoga in its original context includes pranayama (breath control), meditation, ethical disciplines, and devotional practices aimed at self-realization and spiritual awakening. These practices were developed as part of a holistic science to maintain physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual evolution. Deeply rooted in the Hindu worldview, yoga is a powerful tool for aligning the individual with universal consciousness, and its timeless wisdom continues to influence wellness, philosophy, and spiritual practice around the world today.
The Veda’s and the Upanishads.
The Vedas are the oldest and most authoritative scriptures in Hinduism, composed over 3,000 years ago. They consist of a vast collection of sacred hymns, mantras, and rituals that form the bedrock of Indian spiritual thought. There are four principal Vedas—Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—each addressing various aspects of life, such as cosmology, ethics, and ceremonial practices.
Central to the Vedas is the concept of ritual sacrifice (yajna), primarily in the form of food offerings made to the gods. These offerings were seen as essential to sustaining the cosmic order, or Rta, by honoring and invoking the deities who govern natural and spiritual forces. While the Vedas are largely ritualistic in nature, they also explore early philosophical ideas that laid the groundwork for later spiritual developments in Indian thought, including the concepts of Brahman (the ultimate reality) and Atman (the individual soul).
The Upanishads, often called the “Vedanta” (literally, "the end of the Vedas"), represent the philosophical and mystical culmination of the Vedic tradition. Composed between 800 and 400 BCE, these texts delve deeply into the nature of reality, the relationship between the individual self (Atman) and the supreme reality (Brahman), and the path to self-realization. The Upanishads introduce transformative spiritual ideas such as meditation, renunciation, and the pursuit of knowledge as a means to attain moksha (liberation). Building upon the ritual framework of the Vedas, the Upanishads shift the focus inward, encouraging introspection and the realization of the unity underlying all existence.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written around 200 BCE, are a foundational text for the practice of yoga in the philosophical context of Hinduism. The Sutras present a systematic approach to the spiritual discipline of yoga, outlining the path to mental clarity and spiritual liberation through self-discipline, meditation, and detachment.
The 195 Sutras are divided into four sections: Samadhi (meditative absorption), Sadhana (the practice), Vibhuti (powers or manifestations), and Kaivalya (liberation). The Yoga Sutras provide practical guidance on how to quiet the mind, overcome distractions, and cultivate an inner state of peace, leading ultimately to union with the divine. Through the principles of Ashtanga Yoga (eight limbs of yoga), Patanjali's text has influenced not only the spiritual but also the physical practice of yoga as it is known worldwide today.
The Life of Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha.
Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), was born around 563 BCE in Lumbini (present-day Nepal). He was born into a royal family as the son of King Suddhodana of the Shakya clan. Astrologers predicted that the young Siddhartha would either become a great king or a renowned spiritual teacher. His father, wanting to shield him from suffering and ensure he followed a royal path, surrounded him with luxury and comfort. He was kept in the palace and shielded from the harsh realities of life. However, upon venturing outside the palace, he encountered the “four sights” that deeply disturbed him—an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a wandering ascetic. These encounters made him realize the inevitability of suffering and death, prompting him to seek a deeper understanding of life’s true nature.
Determined to find a solution to the problem of human suffering, Siddhartha left his royal life, including his wife and young son, and became a wandering ascetic. He sought the teachings of various Brahmins and spiritual teachers of the time, engaging in intense spiritual practices for over six years. Despite his efforts, he found no lasting peace or enlightenment. The Hindu priests (Brahmins) of the era, who held a dominant position in society, had developed a hierarchical caste system that made certain people feel excluded from the possibility of spiritual progress.
More on The Buddha.
It was only when Siddhartha, exhausted by his intense spiritual practices, stopped the extreme asceticism and sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree that he attained enlightenment. Through deep meditation and a profound moment of clarity, he realized the nature of suffering, the causes of desire and attachment, and the path to liberation. He understood the Four Noble Truths, which explain that suffering is an inherent part of life, that suffering arises from attachment and craving, and that the cessation of suffering is possible through the Eightfold Path. This realization transformed him into the Buddha, the "awakened one," and he began teaching others how to reach enlightenment through mindfulness, ethical conduct, and wisdom.
In the centuries that followed, the Hindu tradition began to incorporate the Buddha into its mythology. Later Hindu texts identified the Buddha as the 8th incarnation of Vishnu, acknowledging his profound spiritual contribution, though his teachings diverged significantly from the established Hinduism of the time, especially with regard to the caste system and the concept of the soul’s permanence.
Buddhism Today: Practices and Teachings.
Buddhism, though it has evolved over time, retains core teachings like the Eightfold Path, which guides practitioners toward enlightenment. The eight practices are: Right Understanding, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Buddhism also emphasizes the Middle Way, which advocates balance between self-indulgence and self-mortification, and non-violence (Ahimsa), extending compassion and kindness to all beings.
In traditions like Theravada and Mahayana, monks are called Bodhisattvas, who vow to help others attain enlightenment. Vipassana meditation, focused on mindfulness and insight into the nature of reality, is a key practice that helps cultivate awareness of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, leading to liberation. Despite its diverse schools, Buddhism’s universal message of compassion, mindfulness, and the path to overcoming suffering continues to inspire millions worldwide.
If you're still reading this far down, well done! Now you know the basics of Eastern spirituality and mysticism, as well as the books available to study further. This has been Joel’s life for the last 5-10 years—gaining this knowledge to pass it on and help as many people as possible. This subscription service is designed to make yoga and wellness affordable for everyone. Please share. Namaste.