Traditional Spirituality in Hawaii

By Mahealani Kuamo'o-Henry, Kumu 'Elele 'O Na Kupuna, July 2009

Hawaiians have lived with refined, simple and pragrmatic spiritual values for thousands of years that reflected a deep understanding of universal laws.   Most  Hawaiians shared a heightened awareness of the self being connected to every part of everything and they nurtured the teachings and daily practises of oneness and self-greatness, known losely as the "aloha spirit".

As an example, the Hawaiian sense of connection to oneness included all those who had departed from the physical world.  In Hawaiian spirituality there is no death, just “changing address” from human to spirit form.  It is a recognition that a change from physical to spirit form is nothing more than a shedding of the physical body and represents new beginnings that may include serving as a spiritual guide on the other side.

Righting the Path with Aloha Lokahi

by Maiya Mann, Ph. D. August 2009

Legendary singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole relates the story of Hawaii's Superman, Maui, who, before Clark Kent, somewhere in the dawn of time, went in search of knowledge and “super wisdom” because it would be needed by future generations.

If there were ever a time in history when the world could benefit from Maui's light, Hawaii's mana and the spirit of aloha, it is now. Mahealani Kuamo'o Henry, a Kumu 'Elele, or messenger of the ancestors, is one Hawaiian Elder who is spreading more than her wings; she's spreading aloha around the world.

"You recognize that all things are in excellence, i ka pono mea. In the right place, right time, right being" says Aunty as she unwinds with her husband Kamo'i at Luquin's Restaurant in Pahoa. "It means that all things are in rightness, until you think not."

Radical Intervention of a Spiritual Nature

By Hawaiian Times, August 2010

“We all have powerful windows of opportunity that open briefly in our lives. These windows offer us improved possibilities for creating better life experiences, should we choose them.”

According to internationally renowned Kumu (teacher), Aunty Mahealani Kuamo’o-Henry this idea ties in directly with the concept of radical intervention of a spiritual nature. Radical intervention is another way to look at the windows of opportunity that occur in our lives.  In Hawaiin spirituality, the idea of radical intervention is to pro-actively create the life you want through the practice of pono - excellence and rightness or “making right, more right the path”.

Aloha Spirituality Recommended Reading

"The Secrets & Mysteries of Hawaii" by Pila of Hawaii

Published by Health Communications, Inc. ISBN 1-55874-362-6

William "Pila" Chiles has come a long way since his days as a Vietnam veteran involved in a top secret experimental program of guerilla warfare.  During his near death combat experience, he had a vision of the future which led him to make Hawaii his home.  Today his is known for his psychic insights as a teacher of the ancient Hawaiian Huna wisdom.

The back cover has this to say about the book:

"Hawaii - the place that all the world knows as paradise, the most remote place on Earth - may hold a clue for all humanity during this, the most defining moment of history.  This book reveals why Hawaii is the crossroads of all our mysteries.  The Hawaiian people, their legends and culture, even the location of the islands themselves hold a key that could unlock a giant door revealing the pathway of the future.

Pila of Hawaii will take you on a journey through time and captivate your soul with the life-transforming power that the islands sacred sites, folklore and myths bring to those who are willing to seek it. Whether you are planning a trip to this tropical paradise or are searching for greater insights into your own spirit, The Spirit and Mysteries of Hawaii will open you to a world of exquisite beauty and power.

Huna and Hawaiian Spirituality

By Aunty Mahealani

"Huna" is not an origin from the Hawaiian culture. It's roots derive from the Berber Tribe of North Africa. Authors such as Dr. Serge King, who is not Hawaiian),  made claims that HUNA was a Hawaiian philosophy as did Max Freedom Long before him.  I'm not sure if Dr King still makes these claims today.  Both Dr King and Max Freedom Long built a successful marketing program on HUNA as a Hawaiian cultural belief system. Dr. King has been said to have received the teachings of HUNA from a Hawaiian family that he was adopted into. Considering that HUNA is from Africa, it's a bit of a stretch that a Hawaiian family would know of HUNA, much less teach it, especially 20 years ago. So, since HUNA is not Hawaiian, I don't know how much of our Hawaiian philosophy has been tweaked and incorporated into this "made up" version beyond the usage of Hawaiian words.

As for Hawaiian Spirituality, there are many "expressions" of Hawaiian Spirituality, such as the one that is rooted in our Aloha Spirit philosophy and the teachings of Ho'opono Pono Ke Ala, that stem from the Hawaiian lineage. Perhaps, with more such experiences told to Dr. King, he may one day promote HUNA as a North African teaching, thereby eliminating unnecessary and misleading attachments to my native culture, as Max Freedom Long had done before him.  Today, unlike 20 or more years ago, my people have a voice to set things right that we know as pono.  And people come from all over the world to seek what we are about, along with following their soul journey to the beauty, magic and healings of our islands - to a calling and an island home from a time before time.