Ho'oponopono

Recently, I went to the ordination of a friend. One of the speakers there spoke of Dr. Len, a Hawaiian who has been credited with remarkable healings by applying an ancient Hawaiian teaching.

The teaching is based on the belief that to rectify and deal with problems - whether they involve our relationships to others or pertain to global situations - we must heal and clear ourselves first if a change is to occur. This makes sense only if one considers the inherent unity of all things that so many ancient traditions address and teach about - even though this essential unity of all is so difficult for Westerners to accept. Yet, our refusal to see, understand, or accept this reality, is at the heart of all our problems - personal and global.

Dr. Len was able to have all the patients released in a mental ward, eventually clearing out the whole institution - not by meeting with them - but by practicing this ancient teaching as he held the files of all those patients. He simply said this mantra, or prayer over and over again - not for those patients - but to God - to clear and heal his own relationship with the Divine and thus clear and heal others. And of course, there is no "other..."

One simply says this - or any variation of it:

I'm sorry.
Forgive me.
I love you.
Thank you.

One can begin with any of the sentences and mix and match the order, depending on one's intuition or circumstances.

Last summer, as I was undergoing a number of difficulties, I made it my daily practice to say these "affirmations" over and over again when I went on a walk. I did notice a shift in situations and in myself. I was reminded of this powerful practice again when I heard the speaker at my friend's ordination, and have found myself engaging in this practice once more on various occasions.

If we are all inter-connected - then what happens to one of us - affects the rest of us. Consequently, if we need to heal a relationship - we must focus on ourselves and not on what we deem the other person should or must do. If someone is hurting deeply - we cannot truly help them unless we do the work we need to do for ourselves so that we may heal and clear.

It is so interesting to me how there are so many instructors and writers today saying and teaching very similar things. They are simply re-inventing or re-articulating very ancient truths and teachings for a new era - things we "knew" at some historical juncture and now need to re-learn. There is truly nothing new under the sun.

Joe Vitale, in his book Zero Limits, documents his own application of this ancient Hawaiian teaching resulting in some very amazing experiences.

I invite you to try it. I have found it to be a pretty incredible practice!

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