ADDENDUM - July 2013
As far as I recall, the
first time I encountered a copy of this photo ( in fact a very very
poor quality copy – presumably scanned from a very faded original),
was in a discussion on one of the old Reiki forums, probably about
ten or twelve years ago. (There had, I think been some suggestion that
the photograph had originally been clipped from an old copy of a
Hawaiian newspaper, but I have not been successful in verifying this
fact.)
Then, some time later, I was fortunate enough to receive
a better quality copy of this image, along with copies of other old
images, from a lady named
Shizuru Takei, who had in turn received them from her
(western-style) Reiki teacher: Kenji Hamamoto. [Shizuru also
provided me with what was, at the time at least, the only English
translation of a Japanese book on Reiki: "Iyashi no te", by
Toshitaka Mochizuki.]
It would of course
be ideal to have clearly documented/verifiable evidence as to the
photographer, and any existing copyright on the image. Sadly
though, with old images, short of having photographer's details on
the print itself, it is quite commonly the case that it is very
difficult to prove who took the photograph and as a result, the
original owner of the copyright – and for that matter whether or
not the photograph might still be under copyright (this latter
depending on how long ago the individual passed away).
Unfortunately,
not having this information but perceiving the importance of this
photograph, the only option was to simply credit the earliest known
source I was aware of, i.e.: Kenji Hamamoto.
I
feel that, for the Reiki community at large, this photo is important
in that (particularly in the current climate where some factions of
the Reiki community are seemingly intent on attempting to discredit,
or at very least play down the importance and validity of,
Takata-sensei's training,) it provides valuable 'supporting evidence'
pertaining to Chujiro Hayashi's ongoing association with, and
post-apprenticeship (or rather 'post-graduation') mentoring and
support of, Hawayo Takata in her quest to bring Reiki Ryoho to the
western world.
With a site as large as
aetw.org, it is often difficult to keep track, but looking at
archived internet records, I have had this image on site since at
least early 2007, and since that time have credited Kenji Hamamoto as
the source of the photo. (though not for ownership)
Recently
I heard comments that the photograph (which has in the last year or
so, also been published in a book by Reiki master Frank Petter) had
previously been included in a small volume commonly referred to in
the Reiki Alliance as the “Gray Book”. Now while I have of
course been aware of this latter publication - and have seen extracts
from it over the years in other books, and in numerous Reiki manuals, and Reiki
course-handouts
- due to what has been described by some as a 'culture
of misplaced secrecy' within the Reiki Alliance, direct access to
copies of the 'Gray Book' itself is not generally available to Reiki
folk
who are not Alliance members.
It would be interesting to see
evidence that the photograph was indeed included in the Gray Book,
and importantly, if a credit for the photograph is included, and if
so, if it is verifiable as the original photographer, or, as is often
all there is to work with: if it is simply an acknowledgement of a
recent source for the image. [On this point, while I do not have
a copy of the Gray Book, I do have a copy of another Alliance
publication known as the Blue Book. There are photographs of Mikao
Usui and Chujiro Hayashi in this latter booklet, which as we would
expect, do not have original photographer credits. Simply because an
image is included in a book does not mean that the compiler of the
volume necessarily holds copyright on the image, nor – it must also
be stressed - that they are implying they hold the copyright.] |