Nā Mo’olelo Lomilomi

To better understand the authentic practice of ho’oponopono, the following is a brief excerpt from the Bishop Museum book, Nā Mo’olelo Lomilomi: The Traditions of Hawaiian Massage and Healing, citing “Ho’oponopono,” an article written by Lynette Paglinawan, published in 1976 in Honolulu Magazine.
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“Ho’oponopono is traditionally a family conference in which relationships are set to right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance and mutual restitution, forgiveness and release. It is used to correct, restore and maintain good relationships among family members and family members with their gods by getting to the causes and sources of trouble. …
“Ho’oponopono was conducted traditionally by the senior member in the family. When a Hawaiian family had trouble, they called upon the kupuna (grandparents), the living senior member, to help them talk about their problems. The kupuna would gather the family together and conduct a conference. But there were times, too, when the families themselves were unable to work through a problem. When such a situation was encountered, the family turned to an outside member, such as a kahuna lapa’au …
“PROCESS.
“1. Kukulu kumuhana … a statement of the problem that confronts the family and an identification of the procedures for seeking the solutions. It is usually the opening explanations of the ho’oponopono session. …
“2. Pule is prayer and the senior member conducting the ho’oponopono session opens the gathering with a pule wehe (opening prayer). A pule ho’opau (closing prayer) ends the session. The prayer sets the stage and creates the atmosphere in which the gathering is conducted; the climate is set for sincerity and earnestness which is expected from everyone who participates. …
“3. Hala means a transgression. It is a wrong committed by or against someone. It is a binding thing holding the injurer to the person against whom the injury was done. One is bound by the fault he has committed, the other by holding thoughts against the injurer. …
“4. Ho’omauhala When a person tries to work problems through and does not receive cooperation from the other party, the other party is said to be ho’omauhala, holding fast to the fault. … he is said to hold a grudge.
“5. Ho’omalu is a period of silence for thought or reflection. If … the family is too disruptive, is unable to control the situation, a ho’omalu is declared. It is a time for family members to ‘cool off,’ to think things over …
“6. Hihia is the entanglement of emotions, reactions and interactions all in the negative way binding the injurer to the injured. In hihia, the injurer suffers as much as the injured through guilt feelings for having inflicted pain, through the suspense of awaiting deserved retaliation whether immediately or in the future, and through empathetically feeling the hurt and pains the injured person feels. …
“7. Mahiki is a time when the family talks about what has happened. Each person talks with the leader, one by one, about the incident step by step, taking into account each person’s feelings and reaction to the specific incident. … It deals with each successive layer of trouble so that other problems can be considered. …
“8. Mihi is the time when forgiveness takes place. … It is the time for confession, repentance and forgiveness. Forgiving means to forgive fully, completely and without reservations. … Traditionally, members of the family were obligated to forgive. When a member of the family asked for forgiveness and sought forgiveness, the other member of the family was obligated to forgive, for to withheld forgiveness meant that the unforgiving would suffer the consequences and repercussions of the ‘aumakua (ancestral Hawaiian gods). Where restitution is necessary, restitution is arranged for and made.
“9. Kala is to release, to untie, to let go, to free each other completely. …
“10. Oki means to cut, to sever, to separate in the physical and mental way. … The oki severs and separates the wrongs and the hurts and the conflicts so that there is a removal of the negative effects and a deep sense of resolution and peace.
“11. Pani Closing rituals usually involving offerings of food to the gods. Acts of purification, often accompanied with prayer. …”
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Source: Chai, R. Makana Risser. Nā Mo’olelo Lomilomi: The Traditions of Hawaiian Massage and Healing. Honolulu, Hawai’i: Bishop Museum, 2005. Print. citing Paglinawan, Lynette. “Ho’oponopono,” Honolulu Magazine. Nov. 1976: 89, 106-108.
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