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Showing posts from 2009

Peace on Earth with Ho'oponopono

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Christmas Eve is my favorite night of the year. It seems all things are possible, and all is well. Hope is present; goodwill glows in our hearts. Even so, some are separated from families and loved ones by geography; some through misunderstanding; and others by choice. This is painful, because we heal and grow through our connections with others. Steeped in relationship, we learn what we need to know. May all who feel estranged, alienated, or lonely find solace in this night. It celebrates when Divinity enfleshed in the form of a tiny child, loved and raised by humble parents doing the best they could. This is what we all seek to do, even as confused and confusing as we might be. On this holy night, I remind us all of Morrnah's Prayer, which has been published on the internet and elsewhere in slightly different forms. Through it, we can re-establish harmony within ourselves, with Divinity, and with others. Thus it can create peace on earth. I feel special need to work with it myse

Hafiz and Ho'oponopono on Forgiveness: Along the Way to Freedom

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"Forgiveness is the cash you need. All the other kinds of silver really buy just strange things. Everything has its music. Everything has genes of God inside. But learn from those courageous addicted lovers of glands and opium and gold -- Look, they cannot jump high or laugh long when they are whirling. And the moon and the stars become sad when their tender light is used for night wars. Forgiveness is part of the treasure you need to craft your falcon wings And return to your true realm of Divine freedom." ~ Hafiz , in The Subject Tonight is Love, translated by Daniel Ladinsky Certain themes show up in cultures the world over. I love this poem from Hafiz , a 14th century Persian mystic whose work certainly predates what I have learned so far of Ho'oponopono , the Hawaiian method for making things right. It also seems fitting during a time of year when the conflict between commercialism and spirit can be so fevered. Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len says that Ho'oponopono cleani

We Clean; God Smiles and Winks

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For many people including me, it's been a challenging year. At times I've felt discouraged -- due to family concerns, finances, and sometimes even my worth as a physician. My specialty is classical homeopathy, a practice that differs from most other psychiatrists like myself. Sometimes this is isolating, and I feel overwhelmed. People who come to see me are often very exasperated with conventional medicine, and their suffering is longstanding and complicated. Some are willing to work with me to understand their problems deeply enough to prescribe remedies effectively; some are not. Initial sessions are 2-3 hours, and I study a lot on top of that. I've seen the kinds of healing possible through these methods, so even though it's difficult for me I keep at it. Through all this occasional anxiety and discouragement, I've continued to practice Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono -- sometimes more consistently than others. The times I feel best are when I DO remember

Ho'oponopono cleanup: is it REALLY my responsibility?

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I was reviewing some events in my life recently and noticing certain patterns that recur over and over again. How easy it is to overlook my part in things, just like the regal cat above! He looks so relaxed, and he's got a good story to explain the mess (those fighting paper towels, indeed!) -- as if there is no relation to him whatsoever. Moments before, he might have been a tornado of flailing claws and kicking feet. Perhaps he was just playing, or practicing long-submerged hunting instincts. The result is shredded paper towels all over the floor. Just how did they get there, hmmmmm???? He surveys his tattered domain in seeming puzzlement. Entire lives can be like that. One of the fundamentals of Ho'oponopono, though, is taking 100% responsibility for everything that appears in our lives. Everything. I don't know about you, but sometimes things show up in MY life that I'd rather not claim. Much easier to ignore them, or shuffle them over to somebody else's pile.

Ho'oponopono Healing: Does it Really Count?

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Someone sent me an interesting email today: I've been reading your blog peacefuldoc.com for a while now. While I enjoy your blog, I've noticed one thing - you rarely talk about your personal experiences with ho'oponopono. I was wondering, why is that? Is it because you have not experienced anything tangible? One thing I've noticed about ho'oponopono is this: 99% of people who practice it can talk about their intangible results (peace of mind, connection with God, etc) - all things that can be obtained through simple meditation or any religion. But very few can talk of tangible results, especially repeated tangible results that make a significant impact on life... from areas such as finance, health (cure diabetes? cancer?), family, friendships, etc. This leaves me feeling very skeptical about ho'oponopono. I was wondering, why is this? Anyway, I am not targeting you specifically, but I feel that you are a clear/concise writer that might be willing to explain thi

Meister Eckhart, Gratitude, and Ho'oponopono

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If the only prayer you said in your whole life was 'Thank you,' that would be enough." ~ Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) I love these words of Meister Eckhart , the German philosopher, mystic, and theologian. He came from a culture far removed from Ho'oponopono , and yet what he says is completely in synch with it. "Thank you," after all, is a Ho'oponopono cleaning tool that invokes the whole process of repentance, forgiveness, and transmutation. A Dominican priest, Meister Eckhart was also known for very down-to-earth sermons suggesting (among other things) that God is actually "in" man (and woman). This may have been too avant garde for the Catholic church of that time, which accused him of heresy. Finally summoned before the Pope, he walked 500 miles to his hearing -- and died before learning his verdict. I'm grateful for many things this Thanksgiving, and one is surely the freedom to practice our spirituality however we're guided. I'

Mana from Heaven: Dogs Need Love Too

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I've been thinking a lot lately about "Mana," the Divine or Vital energy that accumulates when we do the "HA" breathing process in Ho'oponopono . The Inner Child (Unihipili) part of us needs "Mana" in order to do its work, which includes maintaining our bodies and holding all memories we've carried since the beginning of time. So we breathe "HA" for our Inner Child several times a day -- and it can either use or store this Mana as needed. Without this, it suffers. When we decide to clean in Ho'oponopono, our conscious mind (Uhane) sends the request to our subconscious (Inner Child, Unihipili), who in turn collects all that's needed from its memory banks and Mana supplies. It joins forces with the conscious (Uhane) and the superconscious (Aumakua), which has direct access to Divinity. The petition goes down into subconscious first, and then up through conscious and superconscious, all the way to Divinity. Optimally, all parts

Why Attend Ho'oponopono Seminars, if I've Read the Book?

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Every time I attend one of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len's Ho'oponopono training seminars, my own practice deepens. While at this last one in Woodland Hills, someone asked what had changed for me -- and why I would keep attending. After all, hadn't I gotten the information down yet? Haven't I read the books and articles, watched the DVD's, and listened to the teleseminars? Well, yes -- I have done those things. I have also attended more Ho'oponopono trainings now than I can count. And if it truly was a matter of information alone, I could have stopped long ago. But it isn't. The process goes much deeper than my conscious mind, where intellectual learning takes place. When I practice in a room with others, clean with all our questions, listen to Dr. Hew Len, and ask questions that come up in myself, my soul quiets further. The Ho'oponopono process includes the subconscious mind, the Inner Child or Unihipili, which must be lovingly attended to. This is the pa

Spiritual Balance: A Dynamic, Precarious Dance

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Thanks to cartoonist Leigh Rubin for so whimsically illustrating a common human struggle! "Maintaining Spiritual Balance" can be serious business, but laughter eases the journey. Many hunger for spiritual connection and balance. Some find this through religious activities; others don't. Additional avenues include attending expensive seminars, reading spiritual books, taking online courses, and seeking advice from others who might seem more spiritually advanced than we are. Often, the training seminars come in packages and "levels" -- intimating that the higher the level, the farther along or more enlightened one is. In recent years especially, I've questioned this. It seems our longing for spiritual balance can at times get us very UNbalanced. I'm a veteran of many personal development trainings. My own search for self-understanding, growth, and spiritual communion has led me into all sorts of experiences, including standing atop telephone poles, doing r

Inspiration: What Does It Call Us to Do?

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For the next several days, I'm in Vancouver BC studying classical homeopathy with Dr. Rajan Sankaran and other colleagues from all over the world. Practicing in Mumbai, India for almost 30 years now, he is well-known for being a keen observer, original thinker, and dedicated physician. Dr. Sankaran's work has significantly deepened our case-taking in classical homeopathy, and our understanding of the medicines we use. His efforts have given us a more reliable system for tracing our patients' suffering down to its core. He argues for eliminating theory about patients, in favor of listening to them. If we do this, they show us directly what's out of balance and what can help. What's more, Dr. Sankaran's video cases illustrate that we are complete beings whose parts are all connected (holism) -- even when we're ill. This is his method of teaching: direct from the patients themselves. And all this makes for much better treatment results. Why mention this in a

Live from Ho'oponopono-land: Talking with Money

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As Mabel Katz often remarks, there are a lot of "weird" things we do in Ho'oponopono . For instance, we say "thank you" when a problem shows up. Is that counter-intuitive or what? We also talk to things: cars, computers, kitchen appliances, houses, sculpting tools, chairs, and more. This sounds extremely odd until you learn that in Ho'oponopono, so- called inanimate objects have three-part identities (subconscious, conscious, and superconscious, all linked to Divinity) just like people do. In fact, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len says there's no such thing as an "inanimate" object. All things have spirit; they can respond to us and how we treat them. Since some of us routinely curse the machines we work with, this talking to things may not really be so alien after all. But what if these "things" can feel when we're disgusted with them, or worse? What if they can also respond when we show them gratitude? Can they learn to do Ho'oponop

Is Ho'oponopono a "Therapy"?

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Someone wrote me recently asking whether Ho'oponopono could be helpful in depression . I've been cleaning with this for several weeks. While keeping the writer's confidentiality, I'm moved to share the [slightly abbreviated] note. Perhaps we can all clean with it while reading: "Dear Dr. Pappas, I see you are a psychiatrist who has also learned the art of ho'oponopono . . . I just wondered if you thought that ho'oponopono is able to help people recover from endogenous depression ? As you are the only person I have found who is both a psychiatrist and aware of this hawaiian technique, I just wondered if you practiced ho'oponopono on your clients, or do you mainly practice it on yourself ? If you do not practice it on clients, have you heard (on the ho'oponopono grapevine) so to speak if ho'oponopono is curing people of depression and other serious illnesses. It requires quite a lot of effort to practice this therapy every day and do the cleanin

It's Too Big For Me, God -- Ho'oponopono to the Rescue

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"It's important to know that the subconscious -- whether yours or mine or anybody's -- holds all the collective memories of all of creation. So whatever's going on in the cosmos is really going on in you. There is no such thing as outside of you. We have come into this lifetime with all the collective memories of all of creation." ~Ihaleakala Hew Len, PhD I was re-listening to a recorded call with Dr. Hew Len and Mabel Katz today; a caller asked about difficulties with certain others in her life. Dr. Hew Len responded as above. Though I've been working with this concept for many years now (even before meeting Dr. Hew Len), it's still hard for me sometimes. The implications are enormous. So I simply allowed the words to pour over me, reach inside me. And as they did, I felt a deep quiet. The way of Ho'oponopono is to recognize that we truly do share unconscious memories with all of creation, and that these manifest in our lives. People come to us as cu

Traditional Ho'oponopono and Morrnah's Transformation

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Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian method for restoring harmony, solving problems, and releasing stress. Traditionally, extended families used Ho'oponopono to "set things right" when conflict arose.* Moderated by a family elder or Kahuna Lapa'au (healer), this was like a large family conference where all could speak their hearts. But as Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len often mentions, its success required all family members to be present. Depending on the issues involved, the entire process could be lengthy. But the steps would be outlined for everyone beforehand: they include prayer, stating the problem, discussion, confession of wrongdoing, restitution when needed, forgiveness, and release. The Ho'oponopono began with a "pule" (prayer) asking God to help and bless the proceedings. The family and leader together would seek out the cause of the problem or conflict, which might be very complex. The leader focused the conversation, exploring these hurts so t

Letter to a Fellow Physician and Ho'oponopono Colleague

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A fellow physician wrote in on a Ho'oponopono message board recently, commenting that patients never seen before were showing up in need of emergency treatment. S/he wondered how s/he could possibly be responsible for all this, since it seemed to be happening outside of his/her influence? Moreover, how could s/he shift these emergent situations into healing ones? I empathize, for sure. Daily medical work draws all kinds of people with all kinds of scary situations to us in our offices, clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms. How can Ho'oponopono help with things like this, or even with something as big as health care reform? I surely don't have all the answers, but I cleaned with the questions. Something is going on in me that my colleague has this pain, and these questions. Then I responded on the same message board. After a little editing, I thought to share this here as well: Dear Dr. X, Your questions are good ones, and are reasonable for anyone who wants to see in t