FAQ Who or what is the Office of the Grand Master? The Office of the Grand Master was founded in 1993 after Phyllis Lei Furumoto, the recognized lineage bearer, and Paul David Mitchell, recognized as Head of Discipline, formed a partnership to maintain the strength of the system brought to them by Hawayo Takata. The purpose of the Office of the Grand Master is to be the still-point for the practice ensuring that the integrity and potential of this simple practice of Reiki be preserved and kept vital in the present and for future generations. The “OGM” offers clear teaching and guidance for understanding the form of the system as well as its universal philosophical foundation. The OGM offers opportunities for learning the practice, support for deepening the experience of the practice, and large events allowing students to share the energy of community. Phyllis Furumoto and Paul Mitchell teach from the basic instruction and wisdom of Hawayo Takata, the circle of masters that she initiated, and their accumulated experience of teaching and their personal practice. Where is the Office of the Grand Master? The word Office refers to a position of public function. In Reiki words, the Office refers to an energetic entity that was founded in 1993 and continues to the present. Energetically the Office holds the essential stream of energy that flows through this Spiritual Lineage. What does the Office do? Phyllis Lei Furumoto and Paul David Mitchell have been recognized by masters and students of Usui Shiki Ryoho served by the lineage of Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, Hawayo Takata, and Phyllis Lei Furumoto as having a unique place in the circle of masters of the system. They serve the community of Usui Shiki Ryoho and the greater Reiki community by offering seminars and workshops for specific current topics or specific groups of students or masters. Most of their offerings are open to any Reiki student and/or master. Their understanding of what a Reiki practice is and what the gifts and challenges of such a practice come from their studentship with Hawayo Takata, their accumulated experiences throughout the years of their own practice, and their observation of the practice of many hundreds of students and masters.