He went to the mountain and gathered 21 stones with which to count the days. Each day he would throw away a stone and in this way count the time. On the 20th day nothing had come as yet and he threw away the last stone saying "Well, this is it, either I get the answer tonight or I do not". In the night on the horizon he could see a ball of light coming towards him. The first instinct was to get out of the way, but he realized this might just be what he was waiting for, so allowed it to hit him right in the forehead. As it struck him he was taken on a journey and shown bubbles of all the colors of the rainbow in which were the symbols of Reiki, the very same symbols in the Tibetan writings he was studying but had been unable to understand. Now as he looked at them again, there was total understanding.
After returning from this experience he began back down the mountain and was, from this moment on, able to heal. This first day alone he healed a broken toe-nail, his own starvation, an ailing tooth and the Abbots sickness which was keeping him bedridden. These are known as the first four miracles.
He wanted to use these abilities to help others, he spent the next seven years in the beggars section of Tokyo healing the poor and sick people there, sending them to a priest to assist finding them employment, and elevating them out of poverty. After the seven years he noticed familiar faces, those of people whom he'd healed long ago who were back again. Asking them, they complained that life outside beggartown was too hard and that it was much simpler to beg for a living. They had thrown away the gift of health, as if it had no value, to return to the supposed comfort of the life they knew.
This threw Usui into a quandry and he returned to the monastery. From this he realized he hadn't taught gratitude along with the healing. That he'd focussed on the physical ailments without dealing with the spiritual matters. The people did not understand the value of the gift he gave them.
Legend has it that Dr. Usui returned to the monastary for further reflection and planning. After spending considerable time in the monastery he developed additional precepts. In this new plan he traveled around the countryside from village to village. In each one he stood in a public place during the day holding aloft a lit torch. When people told him he didn't need a torch in daylight, he answered was he was looking for the few who are interested in improving themselves. In this way he traveled around teaching and healing, working both with the spiritual healing as well as physical healing.
So, approximately around April, 1922 it is said that Mikao Usui opened his first 'Seat of Learning' in Harajuku Tokyo. One of the main foundations of Usui's teachings was what was called the 5 Principles. They are:
Just for today
"Don't get angry"
"Do Not Worry"
"Be Grateful"
"Work Hard"
"Be kind to others"
From here until his death in 1926, the message of Reiki was taught and the healings were given and after Usui's passing, his lineage has passed down to Reiki Master's who now teach Reiki and it's principles throughout the world. The lineage of Reiki is still growing.