In the spiritual landscape, there is a wealth of practices and philosophies that aim to expand consciousness, promote inner harmony and find inner peace. Two notable approaches that have established themselves in this field are Ho’oponopono and Advaita. Although they may seem different at first glance, they share some fundamental principles and have the potential to bring about transformative changes in the lives of practitioners.

Ho’oponopono vs Advaita: differences and similarities

The first time I heard about Ho’oponopono was at a seminar. At the time, I was on an annual training course in non-violent communication according to Marshall Rosenberg. In this article, you will learn how I first got to know Ho’oponopono and what I was able to learn at the seminar with Dr. Len from Hawaii. I would also like to share with you the differences and similarities between these two spiritual traditions.

What is Ho’oponopono?

Ho’oponopono is a Hawaiian healing practice based on the idea that everything that happens in our lives is a reflection of our own inner selves. The core principle of Ho’oponopono is to take responsibility for everything that shows up in our reality, be it good or bad. This also means taking responsibility for what happens to others. It is said that in Hawaii, inmates of a prison psychiatric ward experienced an incredible life change through this practice. The assumption is that taking responsibility for the feelings within us when we hear a particular problem can lead to a transformation taking place in others. The assumption is that through the relationship with the other, the other will experience healing.

A key element of Ho’oponopono is the phrase: “I’m sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you.” This formula is used to ask for forgiveness and send love. It can be used in connection with other people, but also for yourself or for animals or even objects, such as your home or a car.

What is Advaita?

Advaita Vedanta is a philosophical tradition of Hinduism based on the idea of non-duality. It teaches that the true nature of reality is oneness and that the separation we experience between ourselves and the world is an illusion.

Advaita encourages practitioners to penetrate this illusion and realize the absolute reality beyond duality and distinction.

A central concept of Advaita is that of the Self, or Atman, which is identical to the Supreme Being, Brahman. The realization of this oneness leads to moksha, liberation from the cycles of birth and death, and the experience of infinite peace and bliss.

What are the differences between the two traditions?

Although both Ho’oponopono and Advaita aim to promote inner harmony and spiritual development, there are some key differences between the two approaches.

• Cultural background: Ho’oponopono has its roots in Hawaiian culture, while Advaita is a Hindu philosophy.
• Focus: Ho’oponopono focuses strongly on forgiveness and healing relationships, while Advaita focuses on the realization of non-duality and liberation from the illusion of separation.
• Practice: Ho’oponopono involves repeating a phrase and taking responsibility for everything that happens in our lives. Advaita, on the other hand, emphasizes self-inquiry (Atma Vichara) and the realization of the oneness of all being.

Similarities

Despite these differences, there are also important similarities between Ho’oponopono and Advaita:

1. Self-responsibility: both approaches emphasize the idea that we are responsible for our own lives and experiences. Whether through forgiveness in Ho’oponopono or through the realization of oneness in Advaita, both teach that change begins within and that everyone is responsible for that change. No one else can do it for you.
2. Transcendence of duality: Both Ho’oponopono and Advaita strive to transcend the illusion of duality and recognize a deeper understanding of the oneness of all being as already given.
3. Healing and transformation: Both practices have the potential to bring about deep healing and transformation on a mental, emotional and spiritual level, both for the individual and for relationships and the world as a whole.

Overall, both Ho’oponopono and Advaita offer valuable tools and insights for spiritual development and the pursuit of inner peace and harmony. By becoming aware of the similarities and differences between these two approaches, we may be able to find the ones that best suit our individual needs and spiritual journeys.

How did I get to know Ho’oponopono?

I heard about the incredible transformation of the inmates of a prison in Hawaii during the annual Nonviolent Communication training. That made me so curious that I went looking and found out that there was a seminar a few weeks later with this doctor who had brought about the transformations in the prison. It was taking place in Frankfurt. I signed up and went there. I wanted to find out: Was this just a funny story – or was there something to it, that 4 sentences can change the lives of umpteen people in this profound way?

Ho’oponopono original prayer – the 4 sentences

I think it’s just a single sentence – but of course you can divide it into 4, which are:

• I am sorry.
• Please forgive me.
• I love you.
• Thank you.

At the seminar, I learned that these 4 sentences are the short form of a longer prayer. But how can you explain the effect?

A true story from Hawaii

So what is this incredible story behind Ho’oponopono? There was a therapist in Hawaii who is said to have healed an entire ward of a prison psychiatric ward without ever having seen the patients. Dr. Hew Len studied the records and applied the Hawaiian healing process Ho’oponopono. This process involves taking responsibility for everything that appears in his life. He assumes that he is healing that part of himself that created the problems. Dr. Len explained that he kept apologizing and sending love as he looked at the files. That was all he did. Gradually everyone got better – medication was stopped, patients were moved from the locked ward to the open ward and eventually everyone was discharged. The ward could even be closed at some point.

My own encounter with Dr. Len in Frankfurt

The training course in Frankfurt lasted two days. It was in September 2008 and he taught us everything he used himself to achieve this change. The first thing that surprised me was that he didn’t use the 4 sentences, but a longer version consisting of 16 steps. The next thing that surprised me was that he was not addressing someone else with his prayer – but his own inner child. He apologized to him and he emphasized again and again to treat the Unihipili – as he called it – with absolute respect and to give it unlimited security. He told us that he saw inner images when he read through the patients’ files. During his description, he held a picture frame in his hand. He explained that it was a symbol of life – our identity is like the canvas and everything that happens is like the picture painted on it. This sounded familiar to me and suddenly I realized that there was not such a big difference between what Dr. Len had achieved in his hospital and what I knew as Advaita.

Ho’oponopono as it really works

What all the articles about Ho’oponopono on the Internet don’t tell you, I learned in Dr. Len’s seminar. I was really amazed.

What Dr. Len went on to tell us also reminded me a lot of the Indian teaching of Advaita. For example, he said: “The only purpose of life is to be free.” Or: “Everything exists only in your head. When you are free, everyone is free.” He also made it clear that the only thing that can heal is the divine – humans do not have the ability to heal. You can ask for it, but you can’t demand it. It is about strengthening the inner child and handing over the issues to the divine in humility. And the prayer is said in the awareness that you are the canvas and not the image depicted on it.

What he conveyed obviously worked. It is possible. But at that moment at the latest, I realized – it’s too complicated for me – Advaita is much simpler. I also realized that you can’t learn it through the mind – you need someone who lives in this consciousness, someone who has realized that he is the canvas. You can’t learn and implement this through your mind alone. And I had already known someone like that for 4 years at that time – Madhukar.

How long do I use Ho’oponopono?

The question of how long to use Ho’oponopono depends on various factors. Some people choose to live Ho’oponopono as a daily practice in order to continuously practice forgiveness. Dr. Len also said at the time in the seminar: “It should be maintained permanently.” This can be very useful in creating a state of inner peace. Healing relationships is, in my view, more of a by-product of this.

Others may only use Ho’oponopono occasionally to resolve specific conflicts or stressful situations. In such cases, the practice can be used intensively for a limited period of time until a noticeable change or healing occurs. If you use the practice in this way like an emergency kit, you can calm yourself down, clear your thoughts and achieve a state of inner peace and acceptance. Used in this way, you practice the 4 movements until your desired result is achieved.

Here again I notice a commonality. It’s a bit like when you are content to sometimes experience this peace and love in retreat. It is possible that this is your reality in every moment of your life.

Ultimately, you can also use Ho’oponopono simply for forgiveness – but then you are not using the full potential of this approach. For the full potential, however, I believe you need someone who is free themselves. Otherwise it remains a head story. And it’s not that easy to find someone like that.

However, it is said that if you really want to be free, then someone will show up to fulfill your wish.

Ho’oponopono and Advaita – my conclusion

I have already written about it – I find it much, much easier to live Advaita and apply self-foundation with the simple question: “Who am I?” If you are not familiar with this – take a look at my article on self-inquiry, there is a pdf available for download.

 

---

Hi, I am Shivani

blogger and podcaster at Madhukar Enlighten Life. I have known Madhukar since 2004 and do what I can to ensure that his effective message of happiness reaches many people.