I’ve heard spiritualist Mabel Katz describe ho’oponopono as, essentially, peace no matter what. What does she mean by this? That ho’oponopono, when correctly put to use, will allow for an individual to be at peace no matter what external circumstances may be occurring.
I’ve had a very hard time coming to terms with this interpretation…
When I initially used ho’oponopono I was quite impressed as I could “feel” ho’oponopono’s effects, specifically a calming and contented response. But I was most interested in how ho’oponopono could supposedly change external circumstances for the better. I wanted a lot of external change. Mostly what I wanted was more because, to my thinking, I was coming from lack.
I didn’t have enough.
So when Mabel Katz advocated a contented outlook in the presence of unpleasant external circumstances, I couldn’t get around it. The ultimate goal was superior external circumstances — wasn’t it? To have positive external circumstances was the golden outcome. Why would any life enhancement practice settle for an acceptance of unfavorable circumstances?
I’ve heard since of other spiritualists talking about being at peace even in the face of unfavorable external circumstances. So what gives? Are we destined to have unhappy periods in our lives? Is it a given that life is, at least sometimes, going to be bad?
Yes and no.
Yes life will, at times, unfold in ways contrary to our desires. But it is not so — no — that these contrary circumstances are unfavorable or bad.
It’s a matter of interpretation — always.
Notice if you will how cats do not operate with a judgment mechanism. By a cat’s interpretation what is, is. This is not to say that cats never experience discomfort, but when discomfort is at hand within a cat’s experience it does not progress to psychological suffering. Psychological suffering occurs when the present moment is compared unfavorably to other possibilities.
This notion doesn’t even begin to exist for a cat. What is, is. So when a cat is in discomfort it is so without emotional suffering. And when there is no discomfort the cat exists in perpetual contentment that could be described as bliss. The cat accepts what is completely, and so whatever happens is perfection.
But humans know better than any cat does…
We know that there are luxuries in life, that there are delicacies to be consumed, fantastic goals to be achieved, and that instances of struggle will never compare favorably to these sorts of magnificent outcomes.
But if luxuries and achievement were absolute indicators of happiness, none of the rich and famous would ever be less than totally content — and anyone who follows the mainstream media to any extent knows that this is not so. In fact it’s a rare thing when a week goes past and the media isn’t reporting about a rich and famous someone who is very publicly expressing their misery.
Luxuries and achievement are not the means for peace and contentment, nor are they a guarantee that peace and contentment will not be attained. So what are luxuries and achievement then? Labels created by the mind (the ego) — and so are struggles.
Life happens, and the mind is compelled to categorize it. This is achievement, this is success, this is failure, this is misery, this is happiness, this is acceptable, this is not.
Eliminate the mind’s categorization and what is left to remark about life?
This is. This is. This is.
The strain, the heaviness, the emotion of any life experience is gone. It just is.
So what remains? A void, or space, or emptiness, or the various other terms that spiritual teachings use.
You can call it contentment and peace.
