NOTE - These articles are based on the insights of the author Serge Kahili King. I am not a Hawaiian myself and no expert in the teachings of Hawaiian spirituality. There is some controversy concerning the works of Serge Kahili King and his use of Hawaiian terminology. For more see this Wikipedia article. Even if his teaching does not reflect true Hawaiian heritage I still found his teachings insightful - that‘s why I kept these pages on my site for your own discretionary reading.
This is a series of 7 articles based around the 7 principles of life in the Hawaiian Huna tradition.
Huna is a Hawaiian term for “Secret”. But its practical application makes it a universal method for growth and achievement that is far from being psycho-babble. This series discusses the underlying 7 principles of Huna.The 7 fundamental principles of Huna are:
IKE – The world is what you think it is
KALA – There are no limits, everything is possible
MAKIA – Energy flows where attention goes
MANAWA – Now is the moment of power
ALOHA – To love is to be happy with
MANA – All power comes from within
PONO – Effectiveness is the measure of truth
This is the 6th article in this series following my last 5 articles about the Huna principles of IKE – “The world is what you think it is”, KALA – "There are no limits, everything is possible", MAKIA – "Energy flows where attention goes", MANAWA - "Now is the moment of power" and ALOHA - "To love is to be happy with". Be sure to read these article since I might refer to them. Also it is good to grasp the content of those principles for understanding principle 6 – MANA – All power comes from within.Done that? Okay, let’s jump into it …
6. MANA – All Power Comes From Within
Most religions, philosophies and even sciences define the individual as pretty powerless. It doesn't matter whether the source of power is defined as God, fate, a philosophical principle, society, the government, the past, your genes, your parents or any other external force of god or evil - power is nearly always somewhere else. At least that's what is at the back of most peoples mind.
Huna is quite radically on the opposite side of the spectrum - it's 6th principle Mana defines that ALL power is coming from you. Note here that there are NO limits to this - ALL power to define your existence is within you. Let's look at the consequences if you accept this to be true.
First Let's Look At Why Huna Comes To This Conclusion.
The second principle Kala defines that the universe and the source of life is limitless - there are no limits to it. The universe and the spiritual source (call it God or whatever you like) is infinite. Now comes the shocking part - if you break up an infinite energy source into separate parts, then each part keeps that infinite power within. Just like a hologram does, when you smash it into pieces.
What Are The Consequences Of This?
Accepting yourself as having ALL the power within you leads to these conclusions:
Nothing is going to happen without you defining it
Everything that happened to you, you created and attracted
You are the only one who can define your experience
Other have no power over you - other than the one you give them
Your energy is channeled and focused through your beliefs and emotions. So what you belief to be true or what you are afraid to happen - will happen, because you define it through your focused energy
No one else can make you sad or hurt you - you can only do this by yourself. You can of course invite others to hurt you.
There are no victims and no innocents - every time you define yourself as a victim you deny your creative power and give someone else the power (but not really, because you can't give it away in reality you can just create the illusion of giving away power). You still create the experience but don't take responsibility for it by saying someone else is responsible for it.
I know these are harsh statements, but let me take it one step further and let me explain.
Every Victim Agrees Subconsciously With The Abuser On The Abuse
Wait a second ... does that mean that I am myself guilty of my problems? Yes and no. Throw out the guilt part and I'll be fine with it. You helped causing the situation and you created it (which is a sign of your creative power that you might use in a better way from now on), but bringing in the moralistic concept of guilt will only do you harm and rob you of your power. Don't judge - neither others nor thyself!
That doesn't mean that actively going out harming others will not lead to prosecution. But when it comes to looking at it from an energetic perspective there is no question who is guilty, it is much more about why did everyone agreed to share this experience? Each one of you will need to take the consequences of his decision, so the abuser abusing a person will and should be prosecuted, but the victim should come to a point where he or she needs to get beyond that stage and grow from this experience. Otherwise, and that is a very often seen fact, they will tend to get into the next situation of abuse. This is very true for some women who will leave an abusive relationship just to find the exact type of partner again. There is something within them that attracts these type of person and situations. So unless there is a development, that pattern might repeat itself.
But it is not only about abuse between men and women - it is with every form where you feel powerless - be it with your life, your job or in any other situation.
What About The Innocent Like Babies And So?
But what about innocent babies? In Huna babies aren't believed to be innocent - although their body and brain are in development doesn't mean that their souls aren't wise enough. Their bodies might use help, but their soul is already capable before birth to define the existence they want to be born in. Again Huna doesn't believe in any limit, so it doesn't see life or death as limits either - they are only limits to our perception of reality. A baby developing a serious illness might do this out of several reasons - it could reflect a long suppressed family problem, it could use this as a means to experience something it hasn't experienced before.
Corollary: Everything Has Power
If we believe that every person has the power to define its experience, it might not be that big jump to the Huna definition that everything has the power to do so. That includes every material form you see at this moment. Huna believes that the things you see (yes that might right now be your PC or Mac) has some form of consciousness and is able to define its experience. I know that this sounds quite far fetched - but at the same time we cannot prove that its wrong either.
On the other hand I had many experiences where a computer (they seem especially prone to do that) suddenly started working again, after I moved in when his main user was just cursing that damn machine. Nowadays very often my clients joke about me causing the "dentist effect" with computers, i.e. the problem is not there when I am around, just like a toothache is often gone when the dentist enters the room.
Let's face it I too am struggling at times with this corollary, but I had plenty of situations to remember that make me not so sure anymore. How about you? What situations can you share. Do it in the comments.
The way a Huna shaman uses this principle is by talking with the tools he uses and being respectful with everything that is around him. Experiment, accept the power within everything and act respectful towards the things that surround you (i.e. your car, computer, animals, plants, buildings, etc.) and notice after a while, whether your life changed by it.
Corollary: Power Comes From Authority
In Psychology there is the differentiation between inner and outer authority. Outer authority means you hand the authority to decide over your life to someone else while inner authority means you take up the responsibility for your own life.
Now you should know that another definition of Mana is - Authority. But what does Authority mean? Let's take a look at the definition of the Online Etymology Dictionary (one of my most beloved resources anyway).
Authority: early 13c., autorite "book or quotation that settles an argument," from O.Fr. auctorité (12c.; Mod.Fr. autorité), from L. auctoritatem (nom. auctoritas) "invention, advice, opinion, influence, command," from auctor "master, leader, author" (see author). Usually spelled with a -c- in English till 16c., when it was dropped, in imitation of the French. Meaning "power to enforce obedience" is from late 14c.; meaning "people in authority" is from 1610s. Authorities "those in charge, those with police powers" is recorded from mid-19c.
So authority means a leader who can settle an argument. Since it is so closely tight with author let's look at that definition:
Author c.1300, autor "father," from O.Fr. auctor, from L. auctorem (nom. auctor) "enlarger, founder, master, leader," lit. "one who causes to grow," agent noun from auctus, pp. of augere "to increase" (see augment). Meaning "one who sets forth written statements" is from late 14c. The -t- changed to -th- on mistaken assumption of Gk. origin. The verb is attested from 1590s.
Here we have the addition of a leader and master who settles arguments and help growth. This is the true definition of a creator. So acting like an authority includes the knowledge and determination that your acts will create and develop growth. And through that authority the words become creative. That is in essence the basis of all magic. It's not in the words spoken - neither in ritual, a psychotherapeutic setting nor in a political speech. It is about the authority that fuels those words with power.
Authority is the inner knowing that the power is within you.
How Can You Create Authority And Experience Your Power?
Like I've said before authority comes from the inner knowing, that the power to influence is within you. And unless you find that authority within you, changes will not happen in your life. Once you belief that you can do something, you can do it. But most of us trained ourselves (again stop blaming someone else) to hand all power away from us to others (parents, society, government, fate, God, whatever - by the way I do believe in God, but let's stop abusing him for our own poverty of trust in ourselves).
Step 1: Take Full Responsibility Of The Past
Assess your life - look at what it is now. How good is your health, wealth, joy level, relationship satisfaction, job satisfaction, etc.). Make some notes about it.
Then state in as much a powerful tone as possible: "That is all my creation - Everything that I experienced so far was created through my own will and there is no one else who ever could influence me without my consent - not in the past, not in the present and not in the future."
Step 2: Take Full Responsibility of The Present And The Future
Now think about one thing that you would like to change from now on, that would be a step towards your goal of a new you. One new habit you wanted to install earlier but never managed to stick to. That could be exercising more, spending more time with your kids or whatever.
Looking back at your list from Step 1 say to yourself: "That was all the creation of the old <insert your name here>. I will from now on create something new. From now on I will create a new habit of <insert your new habit here> and I will make sure that this will come to creation - there is nothing more important than this and nothing will stop me from achieving it."
Every morning and as often as you like state to yourself "I am creating my life with this next decision I make". Notice that you have the power to change your life in every second. Every decision will lead you into a new direction. Do you decide to get up and work out or do you decide to sit and watch TV. Either way you create the next moment and therewith your destiny. We often think of destiny as something far away - yet destiny is created with the next thought, the next decision and the next action you take. Do a mind game if you like - say to yourself "If my next decision would change my destiny - what would I do next?".
In the evening sit down with a journal and write down "Things I created today". Then notice all the things that happened today (good and bad) and reaffirm that you are the one who created them. Feel the power you can get out of this (even if you had a bad day). Don't blame yourself - just reaffirm your power and decide to improve a little bit by tomorrow. This single exercise can change your perception and enjoyment in life radically if you allow it to work for a minimum of 30 days.
Stick to it and you will become an authority of your life soon.
