The ancient wisdom of Hawai’i has been guarded for centuries—handed down through line of kinship to form the tradition of Huna. Dating back to the time before the first missionary presence arrived in the islands, the tradition of Huna is more than just a philosophy of living—it is intertwined and deeply connected with every aspect of Hawaiian life. Blending ancient Hawaiian wisdom with modern practicality, Serge Kahili King imparts the philosophy behind the beliefs, history, and foundation of Huna. More important, King shows readers how to use Huna philosophy to attain both material and spiritual goals. To those who practice Huna, there is a deep understanding about the true nature of life—and the real meaning of personal power, intention, and belief. Through exploring the seven core principles around which the practice revolves, King passes onto readers a timeless and powerful wisdom.
This is a terrific book, well written, jargon free, smooth and flowing. It has King's take on Hawaiian shamanism which is not so different from any other kind of shamanism, though the intricacies of it are fascinating as all such intricacies are. My feeling is that the real value of this book lies in King's writing and the way he understands his subject. I found clear and usable answers to questions that have deviled me for years. I will read this book more than once, maybe more than twice, and find new clarity and power in every read.
I have this book a 5 star rating because it deserves it. The book i have found to be most effective if you do the exercises as you go through the book. They surprisingly works. And the Aloha practice really does change your out look. I bought this book because of a workshop that I did about time travel. When I heard one of the participants suggest cultural appropriation, I search for what I heard maybe the original source, to see what the Hawaiian view was on changing your past and being in the present moment. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
I have to confess, I bought this less for the self help aspects of it than for the fact I know next to nothing about indigenous Polynesian culture. After reading this, I’m still not sure I know much.
Every chapter opens with some Hawaiian saying or belief and then expounds on it. It’s much like almost any other self help/ self actualization/ positive thinking text. They’re all basically very similar. How to be happier. How to get more inner strength. How to manage money etc. I didn’t see anything ground breaking in this. That’s not to say it wasn’t an enjoyable read. I do think that if you can manage several main concepts put forth here, you might actually be happier in your own skin. However, I would have liked more on the Hawaiian culture and less on King’s other writings. I’m alright with a little self promotion but by the time you’re in the thick of the book, he’s referencing several other books and this ended up feeling more like an infomercial for himself than it was like a serious book. That did bother me and I stopped reading several times. It took me way longer than it should have to get through.
The wealth of knowledge held in this book is awesome into the Hawaiian healing art of Huna (folk medicine) and how to apply it. I felt that it was somewhat draggy as it seemed to repeat things over and over of how to believe and to perform. Could have been written with less space to be more tightly woven and concise. Maybe the truths are so simple the author needed to reiterate them. That being said, there is wisdom in the principles.