Many people who use ho’oponopono do so in an unconscious state. What I mean by this is that they use ho’oponopono while living in the past, living in the future, thinking incessantly, judging, making demands, etc. Consciousness on the other hand, at least as I define it, is a quiet mind and being firmly in the present moment, which is all there ever is.
I myself used ho’oponopono in an unconscious state for quite some time. I would use ho’oponopono while being in full resistance to life — I don’t want this! I want this instead! — and also while incessantly thinking. Thinking of the future, thinking of the past, plotting, planning, wanting, and on and on. As I have come to learn, one simply will not find peace from an unconscious state.
Using ho’oponopono, however, would still sometimes bring me to peace, even though I was coming from unconsciousness. Why? I’ve given this some consideration and I believe using ho’oponopono returned me to consciousness, in large part by breaking my stream of thinking. In this respect I was delivered back to the present moment, the zero state, which is where God can be found.
I’ve come to wonder whether the ultimate purpose of ho’oponopono is to regain and/or hold presence. This is to say that ho’oponopono’s aim, whether this was the original intent or not, is to bring the individual back to the present moment and keep them there. My guess is that there are ho’oponopono enthusiasts who would dispute this interpretation, and rebut that ho’oponopono does much more than just return presence.
Listen, I do believe that ho’oponopono improves the life experience. The only point to be made here is to consider whether the main function of ho’oponopono is to bring the individual back to the present moment.
For those who might believe that bringing one fully back to the present moment is not especially significant, think again. The majority of people spend their lives somehow thinking of the past, or the future. They, in effect, live in the past or future. This is a destructive pattern because it leads to suffering, and it blinds one to the present moment, the now, the zero state, where God resides.
If you still believe being in the present moment is insignificant, then try and do it. For the next five minutes, stop living in the past or future, stop thinking entirely, and keep your focus only on the present moment. Try it.
If you took on the above challenge, you will likely have discovered two things. First, remaining fully in the present moment brings serenity and peace. Second, remaining fully in the present moment is not easy to do. The ego again and again and again tries to pull us from the present moment with chatter and visuals.
The good news is, the more you come back to the present moment, the easier it becomes to remain in the present moment. And the more you remain in the present moment, the more you experience abundance from the light of consciousness, which can also be referred to as God.
So if ho’oponopono does only provide presence, then it performs a huge service indeed.
