It seems that I have been confronted lately with an old emotion, in new ways. Judgment. However now it's not as blatant and in-your-face as it used to be. Now this emotion has taken on subtleties of its own and I seem to meet it daily in some form or another. Judgment about how another person is choosing to live their life. Judgment about someone not taking responsibility for their actions. Judgment about how a friend is dealing with a challenge in their life. No matter how I look at it, my "judgment" is not a healing emotion for another person or myself.
As I've prayed and explored my heart, I recognize that the only antidote is love and forgiveness. Whatever I am judging in another's behavior affects me because we are all connected. I desire unconditional love from others. That means I must choose to express unconditional love as well. When I am uncomfortable about a behavior or choice that a friend or family member makes, it's because they remind me of an old behavior of mine or it brings up old wounds that I thought had healed. Layers of the onion. One layer at a time, delving deeper and deeper. It's not the other person's responsibility to change. It's mine. Hard!!
I think one of the most difficult things in rectifying this attitude/emotion is to identify it, to admit that I'm judging another. Then the resolution comes from seeking forgiveness. God's love is perfect and unconditional. That's the model. We are human and imperfect but saying "I'm sorry," seeking forgiveness, is a powerful healer.
In the Hawaiian shamanic tradition there is a spiritual practice called ho'oponono. Ho'oponopono means to make right. Essentially, it means to make it right with the ancestors, or to make right with the people with whom you have relationships. It is believed that the original purpose of ho'oponopono was to correct the wrongs that had occurred in someone's life.
For example, let's say your five-year-old grandson punches another five-year-old intentionally with hate in mind. If asked, then the one who was punched would forgive the other immediately, because it is inappropriate for anyone to carry guilt any longer than necessary. This is called the Hawaiian Code of Forgiveness, and it's an important thought, because when we forgive others, who are we forgiving? Ourselves, of course.
Throughout Eastern philosophy, there is a tradition of being aligned with and cleaning up relations with the ancestors. In Japan and China, as well as the Hawai'i, it is thought to be important to align and clean up any past problems that you've had in relationships, especially with relatives.
At the same time, perhaps there are family patterns you do not want. Certainly you have heard the saying, "We just don't do that in our family," or "That's the way it is in our family." What happens then, is that certain generational themes get passed along in families, like depression or any number of different traits. Ho'oponopono will allow you to clean this up.
One theory is that we carry inside us as parts of the unconscious mind all the significant people in our lives. (These parts of us often look very much like Carl Jung's archetypes.) Ho'oponopono makes it "all right" with them. The process of ho'oponopono is to align with and clean up our genealogy as well as to clean up our relationships with other people in our lives.
The Process of Ho'oponopono
1. Bring to mind anyone with whom you do not feel total alignment or support, etc.
2. In your mind's eye, construct a small stage in front of you.
3. Imagine an infinite source of love and healing flowing from a source above the top of your head (from your Higher Self and God/Source/Creator), and open up the top of your head, letting the source of Divine Love and healing flow down through your body, filling up the body, and overflowing out your heart to heal up the person on the stage. Say:
4. When the healing is complete, have a "discussion" with the person and forgive them, and ask them to forgive you.
5. Next, let go of the person, and see them floating away. As they do, cut any cords that connect the two of you that feel inappropriate.
6. Do this with every person in your life with whom you are incomplete, or not aligned. The final test is, can you see the person or think of them without feeling any negative emotions. If you do feel negative emotions when you do, then do the cleaning process again.
“You have two ways to live your life - from memory or from inspiration. Memories are old programs replaying. Inspiration is the Divine giving you a message. You want to come from inspiration. The only way to hear the Divine and receive inspiration is to release all memories. The only thing you have to do is clean.” ~ Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
I think one of the most difficult things in rectifying this attitude/emotion is to identify it, to admit that I'm judging another. Then the resolution comes from seeking forgiveness. God's love is perfect and unconditional. That's the model. We are human and imperfect but saying "I'm sorry," seeking forgiveness, is a powerful healer.
In the Hawaiian shamanic tradition there is a spiritual practice called ho'oponono. Ho'oponopono means to make right. Essentially, it means to make it right with the ancestors, or to make right with the people with whom you have relationships. It is believed that the original purpose of ho'oponopono was to correct the wrongs that had occurred in someone's life.
For example, let's say your five-year-old grandson punches another five-year-old intentionally with hate in mind. If asked, then the one who was punched would forgive the other immediately, because it is inappropriate for anyone to carry guilt any longer than necessary. This is called the Hawaiian Code of Forgiveness, and it's an important thought, because when we forgive others, who are we forgiving? Ourselves, of course.
Throughout Eastern philosophy, there is a tradition of being aligned with and cleaning up relations with the ancestors. In Japan and China, as well as the Hawai'i, it is thought to be important to align and clean up any past problems that you've had in relationships, especially with relatives.
At the same time, perhaps there are family patterns you do not want. Certainly you have heard the saying, "We just don't do that in our family," or "That's the way it is in our family." What happens then, is that certain generational themes get passed along in families, like depression or any number of different traits. Ho'oponopono will allow you to clean this up.
One theory is that we carry inside us as parts of the unconscious mind all the significant people in our lives. (These parts of us often look very much like Carl Jung's archetypes.) Ho'oponopono makes it "all right" with them. The process of ho'oponopono is to align with and clean up our genealogy as well as to clean up our relationships with other people in our lives.
The Process of Ho'oponopono
1. Bring to mind anyone with whom you do not feel total alignment or support, etc.
2. In your mind's eye, construct a small stage in front of you.
3. Imagine an infinite source of love and healing flowing from a source above the top of your head (from your Higher Self and God/Source/Creator), and open up the top of your head, letting the source of Divine Love and healing flow down through your body, filling up the body, and overflowing out your heart to heal up the person on the stage. Say:
I'm sorry
Please forgive me
I love you
Thank you
4. When the healing is complete, have a "discussion" with the person and forgive them, and ask them to forgive you.
5. Next, let go of the person, and see them floating away. As they do, cut any cords that connect the two of you that feel inappropriate.
6. Do this with every person in your life with whom you are incomplete, or not aligned. The final test is, can you see the person or think of them without feeling any negative emotions. If you do feel negative emotions when you do, then do the cleaning process again.
“You have two ways to live your life - from memory or from inspiration. Memories are old programs replaying. Inspiration is the Divine giving you a message. You want to come from inspiration. The only way to hear the Divine and receive inspiration is to release all memories. The only thing you have to do is clean.” ~ Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
It's amazing how the power of forgiveness can open someone up to growth and power! In reality it gives you complete control over your own progression and once again makes you accountable for your own happiness! I love this!!! Thanks for the reminder!
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