Product Description

The Hawaiian Way to Put Things Back into Balance! A uniquely Hawaiian concept, ho'o (to do or make) plus pono (righteous, balanced, forgiven, alligned, proper) was once how every Hawaiian strived to live. It reflects our true spiritual essence, living in harmony with the community and 'ohana (family), and guided and protected by our kupuna (elders) and 'aumakua (ancestors; guardian angels). Lee's newest book shares stories sure to give you chills, as you learn about the wisdom and mana (power) of pre-contact Hawai'i.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #410840 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-15
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 124 pages

Review
HOOPONO by Pali Jae Lee... is the restoring of the Hawaiian family, faith, and spiritual humanity lei back into our lives for the view from the top of the mountain to put things back into balance with Aloha. -- Roselle F. Keliihonipua Bailey, Kumu Hula

Mahalo nui to aunty Pali Jae for her dedicated talents and sensitivities in bringing to the world some of the best information of the Moloka`i ohana and our rich Hawaiian cultural values... -- Mahealani Kumo `o-Henry, Ho`opono pono Instructor

Many books have been written about Hawaiian spirituality. This book is the best. It is unique, powerful, and authentic. The author speaks from her heart, and from her decades of research with the Bishop Museum and with kupuna, elders, from Molokai. These precious teachings come from the old ones, what some call the menehune. These traditions touch the mind, heart, spirit, and body. You will laugh, and cry. This is an important book for those of us who seek to understand the wisdom of the past as a guide for the future. -- Makana Risser Chai, author of Na Mo'olelo Lomilomi

From the Back Cover
If it is good, if it is in balance, if it is right, if it helps, if it is righteous, if it corrects, if it is responsible, if it is caring, if it is humble, if it is peaceful, if it honors, it is pono. Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III gave the Hawaiian Kingdom a motto in 1843. We still have it, but now it stands on our state seal. In 1843 what pono meant needed no explanation. It was all that was good. "Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono" it says in Hawaiian, which is translated as, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness" or all that is pono. It is my belief that "righteousness" is used as an all-encompassing word to cover the many things pono means. If you are righteous, you are good, helpful, caring, humble and in balance. From the first kanaka maoli to reach Hawai`i's shores, until the time the country was taken over by the defacto government, being pono was what every citizen was striving to be. The fact that it now has to be explained shows that it has largely been forgotten. The kanaka maoli (indigenous people) didn't speak of right or wrong, but whether or not it was pono. When they fell away from being pono--if they were tempted to do wrong or to bring sadness or sorrow to another, or if they were greedy, acted foolishly, or were lazy and didn't do their share of the work--the elders would remind them that they were becoming pono`ole (not being pono). This was usually all that was needed for a person to get back on track. If, however, problems continued, there would be a call for ho`oponopono, a situation where the entire family came together and discussed the problem. In a ho`oponopono meeting, everyone did their best to understand why the person willfully did what he or she was doing. They listened to any argument and were led by the elders in order to see and understand all points of view. Then they tried to find a solution. - from Chapter 6

Life is a tapestry; threads of many kinds and colors are interwoven back and forth in wonderful designs. We weave as we live, and what comes out is what we are. Each act in our life is a thread that we have woven into our tapestry. The decisions we make define the threads in our tapestry. Are we keeping ourselves pono? When we find we are not, do we correct it? Do we set boundaries on how much we will allow attachments and distractions to come into our lives? Is our `ohana there, and in their proper place? If we can learn to do this, we can weave a beautiful tapestry. The Spirit of Aloha is the sum total of all things pono in Hawai`i nei. It must not be allowed to die. The children of this land must be nurtured, loved, taught to be pono, and helped to grow in mana. They must be treated with aloha and dignity, and taught in the ways of old. It doesn't matter where their parents were born. If they are here, then they are ours. They are Hawaiian. Perhaps not in blood quantum, but by birth they are children of this land. The Aloha Spirit can be hard to find these days. It is up to each of us to help bring it back into focus... - from Chapter 10

About the Author
Pail Jae Lee is a retired librarian who worked at the Department of Anthropology, Bishop Museum, in Honolulu. In the mid-1970s, she and her late husband Koko Willis began the research for the book, Tales from the Night Rainbow, which is now a Hawaiian classic. Pali lives in Honolulu, and is the proud mother of five beautiful and accomplished daughters. She also has 13 grandchildren who are all making a name for themselves in various fields. Pali is the Vice President and Program Chair for the Haha me na Lima Club (we see with our hands), a member and past president of Hui Kupuna VIP (elderly blind club) and is a member of the Library for the Blind Consumer Advisory Board.

Customer Reviews

A precious classic of Hawaiian traditions
This new edition of the classic book is simply wonderful. As the editor of the Bishop Museum book on Hawaiian healing and of Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi: Sacred Touch of Aloha, I look first to the lineage of information provided. This book is based on in-depth interviews with members of the Kame'ekua family of the island of Moloka'i. The author worked as a researcher for the Bishop Museum where she first learned of Kaili'ohe Makaweliweli Kame'ekua, the matriarch of the family. Although traditions vary among the people of different islands, and not all Hawaiians will agree with everything in this book, it beautifully recounts the oral history of this family.

The book has 10 chapters: Time Before Time, Mana, 'Ohana, Kahuna, 'Aumakua, Pono, History and Mythology, Huna, Aloha Is, and 'Imua. It begins with one of the most wonderful stories in Hawaiian tradition, the bowl of light. "Every child born has at birth a bowl of perfect Light. If he tends his Light during his life it will grow in strength and he can do many things..." This parable is a precious teaching that gives us a new way to look at life.

Interwoven with the stories from the family are Pali's personal reminiscences of her life in Hawai'i. My favorites are the ones about her husband, Koko Willis. Koko was 100% menehune, as he liked to say, and "coincidentally" a member of the Kame'ekua 'ohana. Indeed, the story of how they met and eventually married is one "coincidence" after another.

This book is especially important for anyone interested in Huna to learn more about authentic Hawaiian traditions.

Readers of this book will experience a delightful journey to old Hawai'i that will give them new perspectives on how to live their lives in balance.

The only way to live your life
This book not only gives plenty of history of Hawai`i, and Moloka`i specifically, but it teaches you how to live your life as it should be lived. With aloha, with unconditional love. It teaches respect for the `aina, respect for the moana, respect for kupuna, respect for the keiki, respect for ke akua, for all people and all things. And, more importantly, it teaches respect for your own self.

This book shows how to be what we all should aspire to...pono.

Must reading for EVERYONE.

Beautiful Book About Hawaiian Culture
*****
This book was an outstanding introduction to Hawaiian culture, told through the eyes of the author. It is a personal book, part memoir, and filled with Hawaiian mo`olelo (stories) that describe the true Hawaiian culture. It is more personal than comprehensive, and does indeed discuss "the Hawaiian way", helping me to understand the intricacies of this complex (and, paradoxically simple, too) and precious way of life, and how and why it has conflicted so with the Euro-American way of living. The author does this through personal stories and gentle explanations, showing more than telling, and helping the reader to appreciate the beauty of an exotic and wonderful culture.

The author discusses the concept of mana, the importance of the `ohana to Hawaiians, `aumakua...and popular misunderstandings as well, including much about huna. It is a beautifully illustrated book with simple black-and-white drawings that add beauty and some personal photos as well. Most importantly, it is a Hawaiian book, done in the Hawaiian way (which is non-linear), including genealogy, and most importantly, stories...it was a treasure to read. It includes a glossary for the many unfamiliar Hawaiian words.

Reading this book felt like a privilege. I feel like the author's culture was being shared with me in a vulnerable and gentle way that gave me so much insight and appreciation for her and for the Hawaiian people.

Highly recommended.
*****