The Ancient Hawaiian Practice of Forgiveness
When I first heard of the practice known as Ho’oponopono, I loved the concept of it so I decided to try it for myself and found immediate benefits in my life.
Ho'oponopono means to make right. Essentially, it means to make it right with the people that you’ve had relationships with, including yourself.
Ho’oponopono is a mantra where one repeats the words ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you’ as a form of mental and spiritual cleaning, comparable to that of Buddhist techniques for clearing karma.
The original purpose of Ho'oponopono was to correct the wrongs that had occurred in someone's life including Hala (to miss the thing aimed for, or to err, to disobey) and Hewa (to go overboard or to do something to excess) which were illusions, and even 'Ino (to do harm, implying to do harm to someone with hate in mind), even if accidental.
Just like many other shamanic traditions, the Hawaiian tradition teaches that all life is connected. Therefore, Ho’oponopono is not only a way of healing ourselves, but others and our world as well.
At first, it can be hard to remember the mantra. Sometimes I’d forget the order of the words so it was a little difficult to get in meditative mindset, but then I stopped trying to get the order right and eventually got lost in the words. They became part of me.
As I continued, I found that many questions came up, such as “Why should I be sorry? What do I have to be sorry for? When I say ‘I love you’ am I really feeling it? If not, why? What do I need forgiveness for in my life?”
By chanting these words, not only would these inner thoughts come up for me to think about and process, but emotions did too. It was as if this mantra acted like a tuning fork, tuning the disharmonious parts of myself. The practice also brought stillness and calmness, lessening any tension or anxiety I had been experiencing. I felt lighter after each time I’d chant it.
How to Practice Ho'oponopono:
Ho’oponopono is made up of four parts:
Admitting responsibility, “I’m sorry.”
Asking for forgiveness, “Please forgive me.”
Expressing gratitude, “Thank you.”
Giving love, “I love you.”
It’s important to understand that it really doesn’t matter who you are saying these things to. It is a connection between you, your inner being and the Divine (Source/God/Spirit).
Learn the four parts, “I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.” You can use them in any order. As you mentally or verbally repeat them, hold the vision of what it is you are clearing out. So if you are hoping for a reconciliation with someone, then direct your words to them. If you are wanting to heal, direct your words to Source or to yourself.
The key thing is that you must feel the words as you think or speak them. You have to experience those negative emotions draining from your mind and body.
You can chant this mantra as often as you’d like for a few minutes, or longer.