Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 1, 1 January 1993 — Hoʻoponopono [ARTICLE]

Hoʻoponopono

"In ho'oponopono one talked openly about one' s feelings, particularly one's angers and resentments. This was good. But talking things out is not enough. Something constructi ve must be done about ... the reasons behind the quarrel. And to get this done, ... anger must be kept under control. Let the anger itself erupt anew, and more causes for more resentments build up. Setting things to rights requires all of the maturity one ean muster. Only when people control their hostile emotions ean satisfactory means of restitution be worked out. And usually it's pretty hard to forgive fully and freely until property has been returned or damage repaired or one's good name has been cleared. Ho'oponopono seems to be a supreme effort at self-help on a reasonable, adult level. It also has the spiritual dimension so vital to the Hawaiian people, and even here, prayers, to Aumakua in the past or God in the present, are responsible, adult prayers. The appeal is not the child-like 'rescue me. get me out of this scrap.' Rather, it is, 'please provide the spiritual strength we need to work out this problem. Help us to help ourselves.' " — Mary Kawena Puku'i