Reiki has been regarded as an oral tradition by many practitioners since the death of Takata. There seems to be some confusion around what is meant by the phrase.

To some it might mean that books should not be written about Reiki. To others it might mean that everything about Reiki, including the symbols, must be memorized and have no class notes on the practice. Yet others lament the “whisper around the room” effect, maintaining that the oral tradition would lead to inaccuracies being introduced into the practice.

Yet others, interpret the phrase "oral tradition" as acknowledging the fact that one learns Reiki by doing and that essentially you cannot get to the essence of Reiki through a book. Some people say that Usui's students kept extensive notes and that there was nothing secret about what Usui taught.

It seems to us that the idea of an oral tradition came into being because there was precious little information on Usui and anything regarding Reiki coming from Japan. In the United States and elsewhere, the system was passed from teacher to student with almost non-existent written materials.

The phrase, “Traditional Usui Reiki”, as used in the United States up until very recently has meant practicing and teaching Reiki as taught by Hawayo Takata and thus Hayashi. Recent information coming out of Japan from lineages other than Hayashi’s has rendered the phrase somewhat meaningless. While intriguing, much of the “new” information is contradictory. Some of what has been “revealed” seems to be motivated by greed. The quest for the “true Reiki” may be an illusion. What remains always is the simple fact that Reiki helps people in many different ways. We remain open to serious research into the history of Reiki, its practice, and scientific research relative to healing in general.