Ho'oponopono and Japanese Ancient Letters
You’ve probably heard ho’oponopono by now, and wonder what?
Hoʻoponopono ("Ho Oh Pono Pono”) means “to set things right” in Hawaiian language, it's an ancient Hawaiian practice for family and group reconciliation. Usually a healing priest or Kahuna called into a family in order to solve problems through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness.
In 1976 Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, a Hawaiian Kahuna Lapa’au, adapted this traditional group process and turned it to a self-help process without a need for a group. I don’t know her practice, but it involves 14-steps to express forgiveness for something on behalf of someone else. She was recognized in Hawaii as a Living Treasure of Hawaii in 1983.
After Simeona's death in 1992, her former students continued teaching her practice. The most well-known version of ho'oponopono as a healing practice outside of Hawaii was developed by one of her former students, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, and it was spread all over the world. I read several of his books and related books in the last seven years.
According to Wikipedia "In contrast to Simeona's teachings, the book ("Zero Limits" co-authored with Joe Vitale) brings the new idea that the main objective of Hoʻoponopono is getting to the "zero state — it's where we have zero limits. No memories. No identity. “ To reach this state, which Len called 'Self-I-Dentity thru Ho'oponopono, includes using the mantra, "I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you." It is based on Len's idea of 100% responsibility, taking responsibility for everyone's actions, not only for one's own. If one would take complete responsibility for one's life, then everything one sees, hears, tastes, touches, or in any way experiences would be one's responsibility because it is in one's life. The problem would not be with our external reality, it would be with ourselves. Total Responsibility, according to Hew Len, advocates that everything exists as a projection from inside the human being.”
Zero state is something I always seek especially during my Reiki sessions.
What I like about Ho’oponopono is its simplicity. Anyone can do it anytime anywhere. Simply repeat the four words. The order doesn’t matter. I repeat this order.
1. I’m sorry
2. Forgive me
3. I love you
4. Thank you (I’m grateful)
The idea of this practice is to erase all the memories, good and bad, not only built within you, but also built by others, built long time ago even before you were born. The beautiful thing about it is that you don’t have to put any emotion when you repeat them, just do it. In my experience, it has a similar effect of yoga and meditation. The difference is that you can do it anytime, even when you are driving, walking, running, etc. Isn’t it great?
I’m grateful that we have an easy access to the ancient Hawaiian wisdom; an ancient Hawaiian group practice turned into a self-help practice by Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, and then turned into four simple words by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len.
The photo above is Mt. Fuji. My good old friend took me to Hakone, on the way home we saw a beautiful sunset overlooking Mt. Fuji. This is my fond memory in 2019.
I wrote the Ho’oponopono’s four words in one of the ancient Japanese letters, it reads “Gomen-nasai (I’m sorry), Yurushite-kudasai (Forgive me), Aishitemasu (I love you) and Arigato (Thank you/I’m grateful).
I took a lecture from a Japanese professor who has been researching Ancient Japanese Letters. The passionate professor believes those letters are still powerful, so do I. :)
Love and Light,
Tomoe
I referred the following articles to write about Ho’oponopono.
https://www.huna.org/html/ponorevealed.html
https://www.self-i-dentity-through-hooponopono.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoʻoponopono
The ancient Japanese letters are 天日霊文字, and the letters are referred from "伊勢神宮の古代文字.”