The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tuesday, June 16, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"
Kepelino, one of the first Hawaiian historians, tried to explain the "Nature of God" in his book Traditions of Hawaii. He said,
"Ua kapu aku no Hawai'i nei i ke akua ma na inoa lehulehu, i'ole ai paha e nalowale ke akua 'i'o." Translated it says:
"Those of Hawaii called God with many names, in order not to forget by chance the true god."
This statement might help the reader to understand an old Hawaiian saying - "No matter how much he knows, the Kahuna must be able to recognize the rathole in order to protect himself and his patient."
In other words, "The Kahuna who does not recognize the rathole is shallow in his knowledge."
TREACHEROUS
Daddy (David K.) Bray explains that the rat in Hawaiian literature is symbol of a treacherous animal. He enters the house unseen and eats up all uncovered food. He brings sickness and disease.
In other words, he is a sly destroyer.
The rathole is the entrance through which treachery, evil, hate and jealousy enter a persons' life.
The Kahuna may know all the correct prayers to call the gods. He may know how to purify himself and how to find favor with the gods - but id he can not see the "rathole" through which hate, jealousy and some other evil force has entered his patient, he is helpless to correct the situation.
"Recognize the rathole" became a well known saying because they recognized the teaching - that evil must be corrected before there can be a cure.
IMPORTANT
To find the "rathole" was so important a part of the Hawaiian religion that the Hawaiians developed a ceremony called ho'oponopono, to correct or to make right.
Today, many modern physicians, psychiatrists and other scientists recognize the ho'oponopono as a true basis of healing the mentally disturbed and the sick.
Forgiveness is the basis of ho'oponopono.
NEXT: Cutting the umbilical cord
No comments:
Post a Comment