Hooponopono
Hooponopono (ho-o-pono-pono) is an ancient Hawai-
ian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. Similar
forgiveness practices were performed on islands through-
out the South Pacic, including Samoa, Tahiti and New
Zealand. Traditionally hooponopono is practiced by
healing priests or kahuna lapaau among family mem-
bers of a person who is physically ill. Modern versions
are performed within the family by a family elder, or by
the individual alone.
Map of Hawaii
1 Polynesian antecedents
Map of Oceania
In many Polynesian cultures, it is believed that a persons lei was given at the completion of hooponopono in the tradition
errors (called hara or hala) caused illness. Some believe of kahuna Makaweliweli of Molokai
error angers the gods, others that it attracts malevolent
gods, and still others believe the guilt caused by error Hooponopono is dened in the Hawaiian Dictionary as
1
made one sick. In most cases, however, specic 'untie-
error' rites could be performed to atone for such errors
and thereby diminish ones accumulation of them.[1]
Among the islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacic, peo-
ple believe that illness usually is caused by sexual mis-
conduct or anger. If you are angry for two or three days,
sickness will come, said one local man.[2] The therapy
that counters this sickness is confession. The patient, or a
family member, may confess. If no one confesses an er-
ror, the patient may die. The Vanuatu people believe that
secrecy is what gives power to the illness. When the error
is confessed, it no longer has power over the person.[3]
Like many other islanders, including Hawaiians, people
of Tikopia in the Solomon Islands, and on Rarotonga in
the Cook Islands, believe that the sins of the father will
fall upon the children. If a child is sick, the parents are
suspected of quarreling or misconduct. In addition to
sickness, social disorder could cause sterility of land or
other disasters.[4] Harmony could be restored only by con-
fession and apology.
In Pukapuka, it was customary to hold sort of a confes-
sional over patients to determine an appropriate course of
action in order to heal them.[5]
Similar traditions are found in Samoa,[6] Tahiti,[7] and
among the Maori of New Zealand.[8][9][10]
2 Traditional practice
A lei made from the fruit of the hala or pandanus tree. A hala
2 4 MODERN USES

hooponopono as used by Hawaiian families in his 1936

book.[15]
Although the word hooponopono was not used, early
Hawaiian historians documented a belief that illness was
caused by breaking kapu, or spiritual laws, and that the
illness could not be cured until the suerer atoned for
this transgression, often with the assistance of a praying
priest (kahuna pule) or healing priest (kahuna lapaau).
Forgiveness was sought from the gods[16][17] or from the
person with whom there was a dispute.[18]
Pukui described it as a practice of extended family mem-
bers meeting to make right broken family relations.
Some families met daily or weekly, to prevent prob-
lems from erupting.[19] Others met when a person be-
came ill, believing that illness was caused by the stress
of anger, guilt, recriminations and lack of forgiveness.[20]
Kupuna Nana Veary wrote that when any of the children
in her family fell ill, her grandmother would ask the par-
ents, What have you done?" They believed that healing
could come only with complete forgiveness of the whole
family.[21]

3 Ritual
Hooponopono corrects, restores and maintains good re-
Overlooking Kalalau Valley from Koke'e State Park, where Nana
Veary held retreats to teach hooponopono lationships among family members and with their gods or
God by getting to the causes and sources of trouble. Usu-
ally the most senior member of the family conducts it.
mental cleansing: family conferences in which relation- He or she gathers the family together. If the family is un-
ships were set right through prayer, discussion, confes- able to work through a problem, they turn to a respected
sion, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness. outsider.
[11]
Literally, hoo is a particle used to make an actualiz-
The process begins with prayer. A statement of the prob-
ing verb from the following noun, as would to before
lem is made, and the transgression discussed. Family
a noun in English. Here, it creates a verb from the noun
members are expected to work problems through and co-
pono, which is dened as:
operate, not hold fast to the fault. One or more periods
of silence may be taken for reection on the entangle-
...goodness, uprightness, morality, moral ment of emotions and injuries. Everyones feelings are
qualities, correct or proper procedure, excel- acknowledged. Then confession, repentance and forgive-
lence, well-being, prosperity, welfare, benet, ness take place. Everyone releases (kala) each other, let-
true condition or nature, duty; moral, tting, ting go. They cut o the past (oki), and together they
proper, righteous, right, upright, just, virtuous, close the event with a ceremonial feast, called pani, which
fair, benecial, successful, in perfect order, ac- often included eating limu kala or kala seaweed, symbolic
curate, correct, eased, relieved; should, ought, of the release.[22]
must, necessary.[11]
In a form used by the family of kahuna Makaweliweli of
the island of Molokai, the completion of hooponopono
Ponopono is dened as to put to rights; to put in order or
is represented by giving the person forgiven a lei made
shape, correct, revise, adjust, amend, regulate, arrange,
from the fruit of the hala tree.[23]
rectify, tidy up, make orderly or neat.
Preeminent Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui wrote
that it was a practice in Ancient Hawaii[12] and this is
supported by oral histories from contemporary Hawai- 4 Modern uses
ian elders.[13] Pukui rst recorded her experiences and
observations from her childhood (born 1895) in her Aunty Malia Craver, who worked with the Queen Lil-
1958 book.[14] Author Max Freedom Long, who lived in iuokalani Childrens Centers (QLCC) for more than 30
Hawaii from 1917 to about 1926, documented traditional years, taught courses in traditional hooponopono. On
4.3 State of Zero 3

August 30, 2000, she spoke about it to the United Na- in all of life and lifetimes, the purpose of her version
tions.[24] is mainly to release unhappy, negative experiences in
past reincarnations, and to resolve and remove traumas
from the 'memory banks.[28] Karmic bondages hinder
4.1 Traditional applications the evolution of mind, so that "(karmic) cleansing is a
requisite for the expansion of awareness.[29] Using her
In the late 20th century, courts in Hawaii began to or- 14-step-process would dissolve those bondages.[30] She
der juvenile and adult oenders to work with an elder did not use mantras or conditioning exercises.
who would conduct hooponopono for their families, as a
form of alternative dispute resolution. The hooponopono Her teachings include: there is a Divine Creator who
is conducted in the traditional way, without court interfer- takes care of altruistic pleas of Men; when the phrase
ence, with a practitioner picked by the family from a list 'And it is done' is used after
[31]
a prayer, it means Mans work
of court-approved providers. [25] ends and Gods begins. Self-Identity signies, e.g.
during the hooponopono, that the three selves or aspects
Some native practitioners provide hooponopono to of consciousness are balanced and connected with the Di-
clients who otherwise might seek family counseling.[26] vine Creator.[32] Dierent from egoistic prayers, altru-
istic prayers like hooponopono, where you also pray for
the release of other entities and objects, reach the Divine
4.2 Freedom from karma plane or Cosmos because of their high vibrations. From
that plane the Divine energy or mana would come,[33]
which would transform the painful part of the memory
of the wrong actions in all participants to Pure Light,
on whatever plane they are existing; all are set free.[34]
Through this transmutation in the mind the problems will
lose their energy for physical eects, and healing or bal-
ancing is begun. In this sense, Simeonas mana is not
the same as the traditional Polynesian understanding of
mana.
Pacica Seminars, founded by Morrnah Simeona, started
the rst Ho'oponopono seminars in Germany. Semi-
nars are still held on a regular basis in Germany, Poland,
France, and Denmark.[35][36][37]

The site of the partially restored remains of the village of Koaie

in the Lapakahi State Historical Park of the island of Hawaii,
North Kohala district. Beginning in the early 20th century, this
village has been a center for lapaau
In 1976 Morrnah Simeona, regarded as a healing priest
or kahuna lapaau, adapted the traditional hooponopono
of family mutual forgiveness to the social realities of the
modern day. For this she extended it both to a gen-
eral problem solving process outside the family and to a
psycho-spiritual self-help rather than group process.
Simeonas version is inuenced by her Christian (Protes-
tant and Catholic) education and her philosophical stud-
ies about India, China and Edgar Cayce. Like Hawai-
ian tradition she emphasizes prayer, confession, repen-
tance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness. Unlike
Hawaiian tradition, she describes problems only as the
eects of negative karma, saying that you have to expe-
rience by yourself what you have done to others. But that
you are the creator of your life circumstances was com-
mon knowledge for the people of old as things we had
brought with us from other lifetimes.[27] Any wrongdo-
ing is memorized within oneself and mirrored in every
entity and object which was present when the cause hap-
pened. As the Law of Cause and Eect predominates
4.3 State of Zero
After Simeonas death in 1992, her former student and
administrator, Ihaleakala Hew Len, co-authored a book
with Joe Vitale called Zero Limits[38] referring to Sime-
onas Hooponopono teachings. Len makes no claim to be
a kahuna. In contrast to Simeonas teachings, the book
brings the new idea that the main objective of Hoopono-
pono is getting to the state of Zero, where we would
have zero limits. No memories. No identity.[39] 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.[40] It is based
on Lens idea of 100% responsibility,[41] taking respon-
sibility for everyones actions, not only for ones own. If
one would take complete responsibility for ones life, then
everything one sees, hears, tastes, touches, or in any way
experiences would be ones responsibility because it is in
ones life.[42] 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.[43] As such,
it is similar to the philosophy of solipsism.
4 6 REFERENCES

5 Footnotes [35] Simeona, Morrnah, Selbst-Identitt durch Hooponopono,

p. 128, Pacica Seminars (1990)
[1] Oliver, p. 157
[36] http://www.hooponopono.eu/artykul_anny_kligert.htm
[2] Parsons, p. 55
[37] Simeona, Morrnah, L'Identit de Soi-Mme par Hoopono-
[3] Parsons, p. 61 pono, 128 pg, Pacica Seminars (1990)

[4] Parsons, p. 70 [38] Vitale, Len

[5] Parsons, p. 151 [39] Vitale, Len, p. 31

[6] Parsons, p. 12 [40] Vitale, Len, p. 32
[7] Parsons, p. 159 [41] Vitale, Len, p. 41
[8] Parsons, p. 217 [42] Vitale, Len, p. 22
[9] Buck, pp. 4056
[43] Vitale, Len, p. 24
[10] Handy, p. 242

[11] Pukui, Elbert, pp. 340-341

6 References
[12] Pukui, Haertig, Lee, p. 61-62, 67

[13] Chai, p.47-50 Buck, Peter Te Rangi Hiroa, The Coming of the
Maori, Wellington, Whitcombe and Tombs (1950)
[14] Pukui, Handy, p. 184-5
Chai, Makana Risser, Na Moolelo Lomilomi: The
[15] Long (1936) p. 246-248; Long (1948), pp. 2502, 279, Traditions of Hawaiian Massage & Healing, Bishop
303. Though not everything in these books is traditional
Museum Press (2005) ISBN 978-1-58178-046-8
Hawaiian, these particular sections are authentic descrip-
tions of hooponopono. Handy, E.S.Craighill Polynesian Religion, Kraus
[16] Kamakau, p. 95 Reprint & Periodicals (1971)

[17] Malo, p. 75 (English) Kamakau, Samuel, Ka Poe Kahiko (The People of

Old), Bishop Museum Press (1992)
[18] Titcomb
Lee, Pali Jae, Ho'opono, I M Publishing (2008)
[19] Chai, pp. 5254

[20] Pukui, Haertig, Lee, p. 60 Lee, Pali Jae, Koko Willis, Tales from the Night
Rainbow, Night Rainbow Publishing Co. (1990)
[21] Veary, p. 34 ISBN 0-9628030-0-6
[22] Pukui, Haertig, Lee p. 60-80 Long, Max Freedom, Recovering the Ancient Magic,
[23] Lee, p. 49 (1936) (reprinted Huna Press, 1978)

[24] http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/08/09/news/ Long, Max Freedom, The Secret Science Behind Mir-
story9.html acles, (1948) (reprinted De Vorss and Co., 1983)
[25] Steuterman, p. 34 Malo, Davida, (Chun, trans) Ka Moolelo Hawaii:
[26] Shook
Hawaiian Traditions, First Peoples Productions

[27] Pali Jae Lee, Koko Willis, p.46 Oliver, Douglas, Polynesia in Early Historic Times,
Bess Press (2002) ISBN 978-1-57306-125-4
[28] Simeona, p. 36
Parsons, Claire F., Healing Practices in the South Pa-
[29] Simeona, p. 77 cic, Institute for Polynesian Studies (1995) ISBN
[30] Simeona, pp. 4561 978-0-939154-56-2

[31] Simeona, p. 51 Pukui, Mary Kawena and Elbert, Samuel H., Uni-
versity of Hawaii (1986) ISBN 978-0-8248-0703-0
[32] Simeona, p. 31
Pukui, Mary Kawena, Haertig, E.W. and Lee,
[33] Simeona, p. 25
Catherine, Nana i ke Kumu: Look to the Source,
[34] Simeona, p. 17 Vol 1, Hui Hanai (1983) ISBN 978-0-916630-13-3
 5

Pukui, Mary Kawena, E.S. Craighill Handy, The

Polynesian Family System in Kau, Hawaii, 1958,
Mutual Pub Co, (Hawaii 2006) ISBN 978-1-56647-
812-0
Shook, Victoria E. Hooponopono: Contemporary
Uses of a Hawaiian Problem Solving Process, Uni-
versity of Hawaii Press (1986) ISBN 978-0-8248-
1047-4
Simeona, Morrnah, Self-Identity through Hoopono-
pono, Basic 1, Pacica Seminars (1990)
Steuterman, Kim Rogers, Sacred Harmony,
Hawaii Magazine (Jan/Feb 2004)

Titcomb (1948) Kava in Hawaii, Journal of Poly-

nesian Society, 57:105171, 144

Veary, Nana, Change We Must: My Spiritual Jour-

ney, Institute of Zen Studies, Honolulu (1989) ISBN
978-1-877982-07-1
Vitale, Joe, Hew Len Ph.D., Zero Limits, Wiley
(2007)
6 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1 Text
Hooponopono Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho%CA%BBoponopono?oldid=755587550 Contributors: William M. Connolley,
Bhuston, Lumos3, MilkMiruku, Zora, Beland, Viriditas, Bgwhite, RussBot, Rwxrwxrwx, Arthur Rubin, Caballero1967, Amcbride, Nbarth,
Makana Chai, Zadignose, Keahapana, Skapur, CmdrObot, Cydebot, Mattisse, Ermeyers, CliC, ThT, Arjun01, CommonsDelinker,
Grazia11, Garymarcus, Brumaire~enwiki, Oneworld1, Squids and Chips, Magicianone, Marschalko, Kahunaviking, Yahboo, Alexbot, Pix-
elBot, Gr8tocre8, Mudstar, SchreiberBike, KAVEBEAR, Addbot, Tassedethe, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Fraggle81, JackieBot, Kpl85, Xqbot,
DSisyphBot, Nawus, Lothar von Richthofen, Codymckibb, Gothoopo, Lizamanalomd, RedBot, Michael Micklei, Tzukulina, Mauiark, Its
all relatives, WikitanvirBot, Clarkhallmark, Werieth, ZroBot, Neuronuniverse, Wahinewarrior, Manytexts, ClueBot NG, Josaya, Muham-
mad Ali Khalid, Ajaxmike, Xing Sang, Helpful Pixie Bot, Ricardoj01, HsinLive, Pikks, Khazar2, Esszet, Healing toolbox, Happyseeu,
Klara503, Ilovecans, Hightops, Loraof and Anonymous: 32

7.2 Images
File:Hala_lei.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Hala_lei.JPG License: Public domain Contributors:
personal photo Original artist: Makana Chai
File:Kokee.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Kokee.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: http://www.
flickr.com/photos/syntheticaperture/2083766834/ Original artist: syntheticaperture
File:Lapakahi3.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Lapakahi3.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:
Makana Chai (self) Original artist: User:Makana Chai
File:Map_of_Hawaii_NA.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Map_of_Hawaii_NA.png License: Pub-
lic domain Contributors: National Atlas of the United States Original artist: National Atlas of the United States
File:Oceania_(World-Factbook).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Oceania_%28World-Factbook%
29.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Factbook http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2004/reference_maps/pdf/oceania.
pdf Original artist: Factbook

7.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0