Mana for the Doctor's Soul

"This is the true joy in life -- the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." ~ George Bernard Shaw The feeling of not knowing one's purpose in life is painful, yet extraordinarily common. We long to be touched by the Divine, to be shown what we are here to do. People may experience confusion about this for years, never quite feeling at home in their lives or work. So we sign up for the next seminar, the next teacher, the next process promising to deliver enlightenment. Perhaps the answers will be in the handouts, or the guru will tell us directly. Different from many other practices, Ho'oponopono encourages seeking such answers from within. However, we won't hear them if we're lost in our "ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote its...

Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian process for resolving problems and releasing -- not just "managing" -- stress. Its very name means "to make right, to correct and rectify errors" through repentance, forgiveness, and transmutation. Ho'oponopono re-establishes correct balance between all aspects of the self, with all other beings through time, and with the environment as well. Need for this kind of balance is echoed throughout many cultures, including the Navajo who speak of " hozho ", or "walking in beauty". For them, there is no real health without balance between all parts of one's inner self, one's relationships with others, and the environment. Since we're all dynamic, ever-changing beings, is it any wonder our balance is an ever-changing thing also? We're like mobiles, motion in one part setting off gyrations in all the rest. We need some kind of process to keep us graceful throughout. With its simplicity and direc...

I can hardly think of 2 questions more frequently posed by fellow humans than these two: Who am I? What is my task, or purpose in this world? We struggle and strain for answers, often deliberating for years. We get embroiled in conflict between what we think we "should" be (or "should" want to do), and what we actually are. Like many, I've struggled with how best to contribute to this world. Why take up space and resources unless I serve a useful purpose that also feels meaningful to me? Only through the latter will I have "juice" for sticking with the former. What, if anything, do I want to leave behind after I'm no longer here in the flesh? Such inner questions have been agonizing at times. But in 29 words, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len puts things in place for me. He writes: " memories displace identity and therefore freedom pam. cleaning restores identity and therefore freedom. our only purpose for existence is to clean to be memory free, no more...

Laptop computers have been my steady companions over the past several years. Some have worn out, and each is a little different. Computers have personalities and quirks just like their human counterparts. In some ways, computer hard drives can be likened to our minds. A great deal of this is unconscious. Programs run in the background that we never "see" except through their outer functions. Also, there are hidden files galore that can click into action. Computers can also pick up programs that devastate them completely. Antivirus and antispyware programs try to protect us from these things. Fortunately, I've had only one virus infection in over 10 years -- until this week. It was in an "update" email from CNN. My guard was down, and I opened it. Within seconds, my antivirus program screamed a warning: too late. I immediately felt sick to my stomach. An alien force seized control of my hard drive, downloading ill-begotten infestations. Odd messages spewed from m...