A friend of mine recently introduced me to the audio program The Missing Secret by Dr Joe Vitale. Vitale was one of the contributors to the phenomenally successful video about the law of attraction, The Secret. As you might have guessed from the title, The Missing Secret promises to fill in the missing bits you didn't get in The Secret, the bits that meant that the law of attraction didn't work as well as it said on the wrapper.
There's a lot of this sort of stuff around, so I didn't have particularly high expectations when I listened to The Missing Secret. It therefore came as a pleasant surprise to find that it's a sensible, honest and comprehensive guide which happens to echo a lot of what I said in my own series of posts on the law of attraction, The Heart Of The Secret, and which provides exhaustive information on the various techniques you can use to defuse the problems which can get in the way of success.
I still have reservations about the practical use of the law of attraction for those of us who aren't either a) naturally positive people or b) enlightened - and to give him his due, Vitale pretty much accepts its limitations himself. But if you still want to give the law of attraction a go (and why shouldn't you?) then I can't recommend The Missing Secret too highly.
But what really excites me about this program is the third of the six CDs. This covers a Hawaiian technique with the unlikely title of 'Ho'oponopono', which in my opinion has implications of far greater importance than the kind of creature comforts we so often associate with the law of attraction. It has the potential to literally heal the world.
Vitale first came across this technique when he heard about the work of the Hawaiian psychiatrist Dr Ihaleakala Hew Len, who was in charge of a hospital for the criminally insane, the inhabitants of which were generally considered to be beyond cure or redemption. Eschewing all orthodox methods, and without even speaking to the patients himself, Dr Hew Len apparently used the Ho'oponopono technique to cure all but two of the patients to the extent that they could be reintegrated into society. The hospital was eventually closed because it was no longer required. Perhaps surprisingly, this remarkable and heartening chain of events appears to be well corroborated.
The version of Ho'oponopono used by Dr Hew Len was developed in the 1980s by Morrnah Simeona and is based on an ancient Hawaiian practice. Its underlying concept takes the law of attraction to its ultimate conclusion. If we do indeed create our own reality, then it follows that we create everything in our world, even (for instance) the things we hear about on the radio. It entails taking total responsibility for whatever there is in our life.
Yet this isn't about a pointless guilt trip. It is all about healing what has happened. At the heart of the technique, there are four simple phrases: "I'm sorry", "Please forgive me", "Thank you" and "I love you". Through these phrases, the healing (or 'cleaning') can be achieved.
The first two phrases are about expressing regret and requesting forgiveness for whatever in us has created the circumstances we wish to heal; "Thank you" is said in anticipation of the forgiveness we know will be forthcoming; and "I love you" reestablishes the original, natural relationship with God - or 'the Divine', as Joe Vitale and Dr Hew Len prefer to call It. If you have a problem with either of these words, you can of course substitute a word of your choice: the universe, consciousness, the quantum field, the source, whatever you'd like to use instead...
The Missing Secret has a section which repeats these phrases over and over again so that you can play them in the background whatever you are doing; while Vitale himself likes to keep repeating 'I love you' as he goes about his day, which is a powerful exercise in itself. Alternatively, you may prefer to use the phrases to work on specific issues. In earlier posts, I've talked about dissolving away negative emotions using both Nick Roach's approach and my own welcome breath. I still use both of these, but I find that Ho'oponopono usually works even better. I focus on the emotion and then repeat each phrase in turn until the energy changes and the emotion dissipates.
I suggest you try using the phrases in various ways and find out what seems to work for you. If you are drawn to the technique, then do investigate The Missing Secret and/or Joe Vitale's book Zero Limits (which is all about Ho'oponopono) to find out more. Or if you are within traveling distance, consider signing up for one of Dr Hew Len's seminars on Ho-oponopono, details of which which you can find on his web site.
Of course, you may be asking why you should believe a single word of any of this stuff. Given its unlikely nature, this is a fair question. I guess it comes down to the same as everything else on this site. Just give it a try and see what you think. Judge it by its results or any gut feeling you may have about it. I'm impressed by Ho'oponopono because it helps to dissipate my emotions, and I sense a feeling of power when I say the phrases. But you really have to try it for yourself...
You may also be wondering exactly why you should be expected to take responsibility for all this stuff on the news that you never thought had anything to do with you. You may not buy the idea that this is the ultimate consequence of the law of attraction. You thought that the law of attraction was all about getting a nice new house and that sports car you always wanted. You weren't aware of the little-known sub-clause that, along with the house and the car, come total responsibility for worldwide war, famine, earthquakes, crime, anti-social behavior and bad TV.
But the way I look at it is this: if we are all truly One (as I have argued on this blog), all part of a single field of energy, then of course we share responsibility for everything that happens in this world. If we are all interconnected, then collective responsibility follows.
But even if you don't believe in this spiritual stuff, if you prefer to ignore quantum physics and insist that we are all entirely separate from each other, then perhaps you will be willing to accept that we are nevertheless united by chains of cause and effect. Other people are affected by the way we interact with them, and this in turn affects the way they behave with others. Bearing in mind the widely held belief that there are, on average, only six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on the planet, it can be argued that the way we act has an important effect on the world in which we live.
All these actions are stored in memory, and for most of the time - in our current state of consciousness - it is these memories which shape events in our world. It is memory which elects governments, which makes those governments fearful of others, which promotes and prolongs war - because of who did what to whom in years gone by. And if we look in our hearts, perhaps we can come to understand that the emotions which arise within us when we come into conflict with others in our daily lives stem from the same source as those which cause others to kill, abuse, and exploit other people across our planet.
According to Ho-opnopono, all actions arise from one of two sources: from memory or from inspiration. The answer it presents is to heal or 'clean' those memories, to clear away those centuries of accumulated grievances, passed down through the generations, once and for all: to clear away the collective karma of the human race, so that all that remains is inspiration, connection to source, connection to love...
I have written before about the way in which our emotions get in the way of our natural connection to joy. Well, here is more of the same, yet for 'emotions' read 'memories', for it is memory from which those emotions spring.
Remember the four simple phrases: "I'm sorry", "Please forgive me", "Thank you", and "I love you". They can be used to clean away those memories and reestablish our connection to joy.
Find the best way you can to use them. They are ten words that can heal the world.
Related links:
These may also be of interest:
Hi Simon,
I was sitting with a friend a couple months ago who asked me if I had ever heard of the 10 words that can heal your world. I was surpised then, and reminded now, at how simple it really is. Of course, true to my nature, I could not remember the right words, or how many, but I did enhance my daily practice, or lifestyle, with the concept. The concept is to bless, to see myself as part of my surroundings, to accept myself and others as one expression (whether I dig the expession being expressed or NOT :) ) and to release, let go of and free the bondage that seems to tie us to natural limits.
Now that I have such a great resource, even the links, one would hope I remember...love, sorry etc...
BUT, if I forget I can always fall back on the concept.
THANK YOU for this enriching post,
Harmony
Posted by: Harmony | July 28, 2008 at 08:22 PM
Hi, Simon :)
How are you feeling?
Interesting that I should come here today to read this particular post...for a couple of reasons. I regularly have to sift through my own feelings about the paradox of us being singlular/seperate yet one. And while I don't believe for a moment that I have to "personally" apologize for something The Bush has done while in office - I recognize the fact that there is cause and effect, and that what one does effects the whole. So - cosmically - I do apologize.
Those four phrases are ones that I use frequently in my own life and it's always just been that way - not because I thought they were 'healing', so much, as I just felt they were the right things to do.
I like the quote that says, "If the only thing you ever prayed was THANK YOU, it would be enough". :)
Blessings to you and yours! Still sending you Reiki!!
Posted by: Grace | July 31, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Wow! Did I need this today or what? I have had two difficult days in a row and now I am sitting here reading just what I needed to hear. Thank you so much for this wonderful post, I am going to try this. I will let you know how it works for me. Thank you.
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
Posted by: AngelBaby | August 02, 2008 at 06:35 AM
Hi there Simon - it was great to read this article! I really agree with your views on these things. I do really believe we somehow create the world at large (because we are all ONE) - e.g. if no-one believed in victims and bad people, there would be no more crime (or whatever).
I think the popularity of the "law of attraction" as a way of getting material goods is terrific, because it is educating people about the power of their mind - then it is not such a large step to use that power for healing.
Posted by: Robin | August 02, 2008 at 07:03 AM
Harmony - Hi! It's really lovely to see you back in the blogosphere. I'm glad you have found this reminder useful. It seems to be so easy to hear spiritual teaching, really gel with it, and yet forget to put it into practice. As attracted as I am to this technique, I could use it a lot more than I do. And the words are so simple: "I love you." "Thank you." "I'm sorry." "Please forgive me." The order is not important.
Posted by: Simon | August 02, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Grace – Thanks so much for the Reiki – and for your comment! Yes, it’s sometimes hard to believe in Oneness when we read about the awful things which some people do. And when something like, say, the Iraq war comes along, which it seemed to so many of us was not only ‘wrong’ but obviously utterly stupid and counter-productive, it’s hard to identify with the mindset which thought it was a swell idea. Yet I can understand that the anger which sometimes arises in me is only a lesser version of the same emotion which leads to the atrocities I read about in the news. And if I was in government, well, I wouldn’t have embarked on that war, but I hate to think what other stupid things I might have done. We need to embrace such mistakes – both in ourselves and others – yet know that we are capable of better.
Posted by: Simon | August 02, 2008 at 11:06 PM
Angelbaby – I’m really pleased you came by and have found this useful. Thank you – I’d love to hear your feedback on how you get on with this!
Posted by: Simon | August 02, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Hi Robin – Thanks for your comment! I certainly think we are hooked on the drama of people doing ‘bad’ things to people. We love to talk about the shortcomings of those we know and to read in the news about more extreme misdemeanors. And let’s face it, if we humans weren’t hooked on violence and conflict, we wouldn’t be so interested in all those movies and books about it. I agree that if we could kick this habit, we would live in a much less violent, more compassionate world.
You make an interesting point about the law of attraction. Certainly, many people were attracted to 'The Secret' by the idea of creating material wealth. Has this opened the door to a general interest in spirituality? Perhaps for some…
**It was great to hear from you all. Thank you. I love you.**
Posted by: Simon | August 02, 2008 at 11:17 PM
I was feeling like I am not responsible for all of the craziness in this world, and how would you respond to that. For instance, the mother whose child was killed by a drunk driver. Why would *she* have to apologize to the driver?
But I do think you pulled some of it together and helped me understand a bit more with the six degrees of separation.
I'm still struggling with the concept though.
Posted by: cardiogirl | August 03, 2008 at 01:41 PM
I've heard Vitale mention these words before but that's all I knew about them. Thanks for the in depth background stuff. I like your point about us being all one. Imagine the healing if everyone carried this kind of energy around with them all day long.
Posted by: Tom Volkar / Delightful Work | August 03, 2008 at 02:06 PM
Hello new friend,
Love this site. I stumbled it and I'm sure many people will benefit from all the gratitude that you are exuding by putting the word out. I also belong to Forgivenesss and Healing, very nice group. have a great day. Chris
Posted by: Chris Bolmeier | August 03, 2008 at 08:29 PM
Hi Simon.
I enjoyed this post. I believe. I believe. I believe :-) I feel sad when I think about people "using" the Law of Attraction to attract material wealth though... something feels a bit off putting those two ideas together.
I'm no angel... cause I'd love to attract some material wealth into my life, but this just doesn't feel right, as much as I'd want it to.
Posted by: Davina | August 04, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Hi {{Simon}} !!!
Ever hear the one about the girl who keeps saying: Don't Stop Don't Stop Don't Stop?
Conflicted on the inside attracts conflict on the outside. Feelings and ideas of unworthiness attract experiences of it.
Emotionally manipulating others because we lack the self discipline in regards to governing our own emotional states is just as much the use of Force as is the use of a physical one.
I *know* the people in my own country very well, when it comes to expressions of either fiscal self discipline or emotional self discipline. It is almost non-existent.
And the Universal "auditing" cycle we are currently passing through, is bringing it all to light. I would suggest we drop our negative ideas about "discipline", for it represents how much we LOVE ourselves in action. How much our own life is worth in terms of our own effort. Most of us don't LOVE our own life's enough to make that effort.
As times are pressing right now in order for us to iron out our issues (excuse the pun), I suggest an exercise. It will "cut to the chase" in regards to our ideas of Self Denial.
Every morning and every night, look yourself in the eyes in a mirror and say:
"I Love You"
7 times.
Within a week, usually, we will notice a shift in the way we feel.
Posted by: Sue Ann Edwards | August 04, 2008 at 06:09 PM
Hi Cardiogirl – I think people whose children or other close relatives die often tend to feel guilty, even though they’re not at all to blame. ‘Survivor guilt’, I think they call it. So the way I see it, this technique would give such a person a chance to face that emotion and deal with it in a positive way. She wouldn’t be apologising to the driver, simply apologising to the universe for whatever in her might have brought about the situation. This might be something in her psyche or something in a previous life (if you believe in such things, which I would guess you don’t, CG), or it might even be some sort of genetic memory in the cells of her body. We can only speculate and we don’t even need to know. It is just a case of saying sorry (something you can try even if you can’t quite relate to the theory of this) and then see what happens. Of course, it helps to use the other phrases too, but ‘I’m sorry’ seems to be the one that is most potent for me at the moment.
I agree that the concept is difficult, but like I say, I think you can still try using it even if you don’t entirely ‘agree’ with it. I’m glad that my explanation has helped a bit, anyway, and thanks so much for calling by.
Posted by: Simon | August 04, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Tom - Hi! Welcome to my blog! I'm glad you found this useful. You are right - there is *so* much capacity for healing if we can get in touch - and stay in touch - with this sort of consciousness. If we can come from inspiration, as Vitale describes it. If you look at the state of the world, we really need it to happen.
Posted by: Simon | August 04, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Chris - Hi! Thanks so much for the stumble and for your kind words. I shall check out the group you mention... Great to hear from you.
Posted by: Simon | August 04, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Davina - Hi to you too! Welcome to The Secret Of Life! I know what you mean about using the law of attraction for material wealth. If that's all you do with it, then it's kind of missing the point of spirituality. It seems to me, though, that there's nothing 'wrong' with material goods themselves - it's our attitude to them that can be a problem. If we expect them to make us happy, to 'complete us' as Eckhart Tolle puts it, we're in for a disappointment.
From what you have written, though, I don't think this is a mistake you're likely to make. So perhaps you should ask yourself *why* it doesn't feel right to seek to attract material goods. Perhaps there is a very good reason. Perhaps, for instance, you don't really want them after all.
But could it be something else? Could it be that you think you don't *deserve* them? If so, perhaps you are making another mistake. We all deserve to achieve our heart's desire.
Posted by: Simon | August 04, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Hi Sue Ann - Great to hear from you, as ever. What you say about emotional manipulation is quite right of course, yet so many of us do it so much of the time - and no one even calls the cops.
Thanks, too, for your variation on the 'I love you' exercise. I shall do it...
Posted by: Simon | August 04, 2008 at 11:50 PM
What I think the secret behind the secret is this: ultimately, you will not be satisfied with what you attract until you align your will with divine will, until you are ready to serve the world instead of your own cravings.
Phil Bolsta
• bolstablog.com
• Author of “Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything” (www.sSxtySecondsBook.com)
Posted by: Phil Bolsta | August 06, 2008 at 04:46 AM
Hi Phil - Great to hear from you! I think you sum up the law of attraction very well. The only thing I would emphasize is that 'serving the world' (or 'serving the universe' or whatever you want to call it) doesn't really feel like servitude at all. It feels like liberation. This is because we are all *an integral part* of the universe, so what we are 'serving' is really our greatest good.
By the way, Phil has kindly sent me a copy of his book, which is a collection of short articles about how people have experienced life-changing moments. I recommend it and shall be doing a post about it soon (honestly, Phil!) In the meantime, you might like to check out Phil's web site. And I shall have to check out his blog...
Posted by: Simon | August 07, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Maybe making Sense of the World is something else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig4SnQ8htno
Making Sense of The World
At some point, making sense of the world, and your place in it, becomes the focus of all of your activities. Seeking Understanding in this or any world builds a momentum. Is there or has there ever been anything like Utopia on Earth?
You know you’re not happy, not really; you see the world condition; and at some point, even unconsciously, your own mortality begins to become part of the felt dilemma.
And then you try some things:
You become politically involved.
You become environmentally involved.
You try all sorts of therapeutic approaches.
You find like minded friends.
You meditate.
You investigate Eastern Philosophy or re-approach your born-with religious tradition.
You read books on Death and Dieing, or on After Life experiences.
Basically, you go inward or you move outward into the world with more intention. And sometimes you do both. You can spend your whole lifetime doing all of this and if you believe in it, you can re-incarnate into another life and start again.
Do any of these approaches to life, fundamentally change anything?
Or you tire of the whole thing and give the whole thing up to a life of conventional or extraordinary pleasure seeking.
How do you get beyond it all? How do you understand? Can you relax enough to feel the dilemma that mortality and your orientation to it represents?
You feel the mortal dilemma, but there is something else you are sensitive to also. Something simple and prior to all dilemma. You’ve Known that all your life. Right Spiritual practice seems to require sensitivity to both. This dual sensitivity has been described simply as the closed fist and the open hand.
Gu and Ru. Light and darkness. Occasionally mankind has seen the appearance of Men or Women who have know something about this. Some have lived alone and taught quietly by Being Who They Are. Others have been Master Teachers, Realizers, or Gurus, whose function is to embody and teach the Way to Perfect Freedom.
In the west, the tradition of Realizers, of Gurus, is mostly either unknown or discounted, or even spit upon. And in the later part of the 20th century people have appeared, who called themselves Gurus and clearly were not.
What if such a one appeared now? How would you recognize him/it?
"My Divine Avataric Revelation-Teaching takes into account the limitations of all of the first six stages of life, the limitations of all "religious", Spiritual, and Transcendental traditions—East and West, Alpha and Omega. The Divine Truth That Is Reality Itself Is Prior to all of that—and, yet, the Divine Reality-Truth does not exclude any stage of life, any "one", or any "thing"…. My Divine Avataric Incarnation here Is Prior to all—and My Divine Avataric Incarnation here Is For all."
Adi Da Samraj
© 2008 The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam Pty Ltd, as trustee for The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam. All rights reserved. Perpetual copyright claimed.
Posted by: steve | August 08, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Hi Simon
personally, i feel healing begins from within and thereby, it is all about the space within that is nothing but a part of the whole -- consciousnesss, God, Divine ...etc.
Clearing the clogged pipe(whichever sound, method), it flows uninterruptedly...
good suggestions you have made!!!
Posted by: mergingpoint | August 09, 2008 at 03:48 AM
I loved this so much I called my sister and told her about it. We both tried it and felt great peace after we finished doing this. I also was very joyful again after a while. I am usually a very happy person but lately I have had some really bad days, this really helped allot. It is really amazing. I find myself doing this allot now and enjoying it. Thank you for sharing this.
Love and Blessings to you my dear friend.
AngelBaby
Posted by: AngelBaby | August 09, 2008 at 05:34 AM
Hi Steve – Welcome! I’m sure you’re only doing the same thing as me: trying to teach yourself and others what you believe to be the truth. But I really prefer it when people leave a comment that engages with a post in their own words, rather than pasting in a great chunk of stuff that doesn't seem to be especially relevant (with or without a copyright notice!)
You’ve posted this here a couple of times. The first time I put it in spam, but you’ve posted it again and the spam filter hasn’t caught it. So either the Typepad spam filter is totally useless or the universe wants your comment to appear here. Either way, here it is…
This second time you’ve also included the You Tube link, which seems to be more obviously relevant to my post than the text is. In the video, Adi Da Samraj talks about clearing away dust from a mirror. I guess that is what Ho’oponopono (as mentioned in the post) is doing. But Adi Da Samraj also suggests that the mirror will never be clean. There is simply too much dust. I have to admit that is how it sometimes seems. It is as though I carry out various spiritual practices and I have flashes of something like enlightenment, but then the old ‘program’ reasserts itself and everything remains the same. It can seem like a process of continual journeying, never to arrive.
Adi Da Samraj seems to suggest that all we have to do is get out of the way and hand things over to the universe, because the universe is in charge anyway. Is that right? I have put that in my own words rather than his. If so, I totally agree with what he is saying. He also seems to suggest that working towards that is futile. We must simply *do it*.
All I can say in response is: if I could, I would. But I haven’t done it so far. Perhaps I will do it tomorrow. Perhaps I will do it right now. In the meantime, working towards it seems like the next best thing. And after all, I do get these flashes of ‘connection’ which suggest I am on the right track.
I also take comfort from the Christian parable of the prodigal son. I don’t have the exact words to hand, but it’s something like this: he set off walking back to his father’s house and *when he was some way off*, his father came out to meet him. Those words ‘when he was some way off’ are very important. I may never get that mirror cleaned – but perhaps if I carry on cleaning, my father will come out to meet me.
Do call again, Steve, and next time it would be great to hear from *you*!
Posted by: Simon | August 10, 2008 at 09:06 PM
Hi mergingpoint - Great to hear from you again. I agree totally. It is all about cleaning that pipe (or that mirror or whatever you want to call it) and connecting back to source, the universe, the absolute, whatever you want to call *that*. (I really ought to *decide* what to call it on a consistent basis instead of getting out the thesaurus every time!) Then we connect with a bottomless well of healing, truth and love. Ho'oponopono is one such method of cleaning.
Posted by: Simon | August 10, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Many thanks for the feedback, Angelbaby! I am really pleased that you and your sister have had such a lovely experience with this technique and that you are continuing to use it. I, too, am using it every day.
Posted by: Simon | August 10, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Hi Simon, and thanks for responding. I'm flattered that you thought that I was posting someone else's words. Only the last paragraph was a quote, the rest I wrote.
Occasionally there is a movement in me to write and this was one of the times. When writing to "others" not known, there is an assumption that a relationship exists and when you write back and want to hear from the real me, you make the same assumption, don't you. That's a good thing.
The YouTube from Adi Da that you watched has much " content" to think about and you evidently have. There is also, if you are sensitive to it, a felt or tacit communication (for me, it's the primary content).
Yet saying that there is "that" is only what "I" say. If it's true for you or anyone else is unknowable, in an ordinary way.
The first time I heard and saw Adi Da, I felt the transmission and was, like mostly everyone else, in "agreement" with some of the things I heard Adi Da say and didn't "agree" with other things. But it was the feeling that kept me engaged and continues to.
Love
Steve
Posted by: steve | August 11, 2008 at 06:11 PM
Hi Steve - Sorry for my mistake, though the use of a title and the copyright notice did make your original comment seem very spam-like. This one is much more blog-friendly - thank you!
I did indeed feel the unspoken communication from Adi Da. I think it was what kept me watching, even though the content wasn't immediately accessible. All those who have achieved some level of enlightenment seem to have this ability to transmit something of their sense of peace to people in their presence - even to those who are watching them on video!
Posted by: Simon | August 12, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Hi Simon
Very interesting article indeed. Thank you for suggesting it and I'm now very curious about Ho'oponopono. For me, its the simple techniques that tend to be the most beneficial. I'm also giving consideration to your suggestion of writing an ebook. Again, thank you for your kindness and suggestions. Many blessings
Posted by: Lea | August 31, 2008 at 07:08 AM
Hi Lea - Thanks for dropping by! I'm glad you've found my suggestions useful. Like you say, these four phrases are very simple - and I've found them to be very powerful.
Posted by: Simon | September 02, 2008 at 12:37 AM