Huna Article

Huna International

The Paradox of Assistance
by Pete Dalton

On a visit to the Volcano National park I purchased a lovely block print from the bookstore by a wonderful artist Dietrich Varez who is resident on Big Island. The picture proudly hangs in a frame on the wall near my computer and brings me great pleasure.

This particular print is called "Menehune." In Hawaiian folklore Menehune are said to be a mysterious people, small in stature, with magical powers, who live in the forests and valleys of Hawaii and are rarely seen by humans. This print depicts Menehune in an outdoor setting busily going about various activities. In many legends the Menehune had a role in helping humans with particular tasks (although this sometimes involved adding some mischief into the mix). Indeed in inner journeying when using the Garden Tiki and working symbolically, it is possible to call on the assistance of the Menehune with tasks in your inner garden.

Some of the key qualities of practising Huna--of being on the Adventurer path--are to trust your intuition and to be open to inspiration. I was at my computer starting to write an article when I began to feel a bit stuck with what I was writing. I decided I wanted some inspiration and felt the urge to do nothing and just sit with an open mind for a while and see what came. Before long I was focussed on the picture of the Menehune and found myself thinking about how the Menehune were thought to provide help to friendly humans. Very soon after, I was inspired to meditate more deeply on the issues of assistance and responsibility and subsequently to begin writing about it. Further inspiration came to me when, late that evening, I kept getting a recurring urge to look at Mastering Your Hidden Self by Serge Kahili King. In one sense this was unusual as I had a number of books I was in the process of reading so I did not really want to start reading another one. However on this occasion I trusted the urge and began reading. I only needed to read the preface to know that I had been guided to some information to complement what I was writing. I did not need to read any further.

When I embarked on the Huna path I appreciated early on that it was important to take personal responsibility in all aspects of my life including development and growth. At times this was hard to accept especially when it felt easier to blame others or circumstances for outcomes I did not like. However this is a lesson I came to learn with gratitude. The issue of personal responsibility relates to the principle of mana which teaches that all power comes from within. By taking full responsibility we have the power to influence and change things in our life. We make our own decisions. When we don't take full responsibility we give up our power to other people and circumstances and become victims of the whims and choices of others. We diminish our inner power and limit our effect in the world.

So where does the issue of asking for, and accepting help, figure in all this? Does taking full responsibility mean that we can never get help with things in our life? The simple answer is no, of course not. Somewhat paradoxically, it follows that when you truly choose to take complete responsibility for everything in your life then you won't have to. In fact when you take responsibility and are clear and congruent about that, almost magically, things will appear that support you in your aims and help you along the way.

In Mastering Your Hidden Self, Serge writes "For the kahunas, self-development means responsibility for development lies with yourself" and "there will always be a guide at every stage, but you have to get there on your own two feet". These guides can be anything, a person, a concept, a thing, an event and so on. Examples include: a spiritual teacher appearing at an opportune time, a book opening on an a page with information you need, a "chance" encounter with a stranger, Menehunes assisting in your inner garden, power animals appearing on a shamanic journey, a rainbow appearing when you are meditating for a symbol to guide you on an important choice to make.

To take this a step further, let's consider where these guides ultimately come from. When we take responsibility, we are co-creators of our universe. When we work with, and trust, our higher self, when we ask for inspiration, who are we asking? The answer is simple: ourself. Everything is connected and everything is one. All power and responsibility truly comes from within. Take responsibility, trust your higher self and you will not find yourself alone in your journey.

Pete Dalton 2014

Pete Dalton is an Alakai of Huna International living in the UK. For more information on his work visit his website www.urbanhuna.org