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.
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 final article in this series following my last 6 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", ALOHA - "To love is to be happy with" and MANA – "All power comes from within". Be sure to read these articles since I might refer to them. Also it is good to grasp the content of those principles for understanding principle 7. PONO – Effectiveness is the measure of truth.
Done that? Okay, let’s jump into it …
7. PONO – Effectiveness is the measure of truth
If people hear this statement at first they might think of this as another version of "The end justifies the means". But on the contrary Pono states that the choice of the means defines the end. If you select violence as a means, then peace will never be your end. If you use force as a means to settle for peace, then the state you get into might look like peace for a while, but you have not built peace from the inside out and therefore the mask of peace will shatter one day and up will come the underlying frustration and hate through an explosion of violence.
But it is not only about war and peace here. It is the same with your everyday goals as well. If you want to achieve success by ruthless means, you might get "successful" at first, but one day that will shatter simply because your success was built on sand and will be washed away by the truth underlying your situation.
So the definition of effectiveness here is not the outer mask (of success, wealth, health, etc.) but your true inner knowing. Your means should always be in alignment with your highest values.
This principle also states that for Huna ultimate truth is such a vague concept that they don't even bother going for. Huna is very practical, so whatever works is welcome. There is not one way to achieve health, wealth, happiness, success, great relationships, etc. and so whatever works for you is fine. With Huna you can incorporate your belief (or parts of many beliefs like Christianity, Buddhism, Spirituality, Psychoanalysis, Science and so on) into your personal system that works for you.
To heal yourself on every level is the ultimate goal and whatever vehicle brings you to it is the truth for you.
A great way to know whether the chosen vehicle is right for you is to listen to your own emotions. Do you feel joy, love, happiness, peace or any other uplifting motivation while doing it? Then that would be a great vehicle to choose. If doing it however feels nagging, dragging or like hard work then you might look out for better suited vehicles. Note that hard work can feel good during or after the process. Working out might feel hard, but you might feel uplifted and great after doing so - then this might be the right way for you.
Corollary: There Is Always Another Way To Do It
For every problem there are lots of solutions. It has to be so in an unlimited universe. But people often get stuck with one method, technique, one process or plan to achieve their goals, and if that method didn't work they quit.
The major defining factor of successful people is Flexibility. Change your approach if whatever you are currently doing is not bringing you to it. Yes persistence is good, but you need to evaluate after a while whether you are making progress.
How Can You Activate The Principle Of Pono In Your Life?
Very often we get stuck into a belief that whatever goal we are going for can only be achieved by one way. But Huna clearly states that this is never the case. There are always several roads leading to your goal and you got to find out which one works for you.
A famous definition of insanity is "trying to do the same thing every time and expecting different results". So whenever you get stuck you need to unwrap your mind from this false concept of "only one true way". You need to exercise some flexibility of thought.
Here is a short guideline on how to do it - but of course "There is always another way to do it", so if you have a great way to gain new inspirations use it as well.
Write down the goal you want to achieve
Write down all the things you tried that didn't work
Add at least 10 more ways on how to achieve this, but don't restrict yourself by your definition of possible or not. These limitations brought you into that position.
A great way to come up with more ways is through roleplaying - so how would your favorite hero achieve it, how would a person you admire tackle the problem, really play it in your mind, act it out, and note how they would do it.
It is also very good to think about how different people would tackle a problem, so ask yourself: "How would Gandhi do it differently than Muhammad Ali?"
For each new way that you came up with, ask yourself what resources (external and internal) you need, and how you can get them (so do you need to acquire a skill, can you ask someone to help you, etc.)
The key here is to raise your imagination - and roleplaying is an excellent way to do it.
"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it." - Jesse Jackson
