The Magic of HOPONOPONO

In Punjabi they say – Mitti pao! or sometimes – chaddo paran! 🙂

Once my friend sent me a message on Whatssap and it said – Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ. Honestly I had to google it and what I read was just so beautiful!

Here is what Wikipedia said-

“Micchāmi dukkaḍaṃ is popularly used on the last day of the annual Jain observations called the Paryushana by Svetambara Jains and Dasa-Laksana-Parvan by Digambara Jains. It is held on evenings during the caturmasa (monsoonal months), usually before one’s guru (spiritual counsellor) or temple before an image of a Tirthankara. It is particularly popular as a community ceremony on Samvatsari in the Svetambara tradition, and Kshamavani in the Digambara tradition. After pratikramana – confession of and repentance for one’s mistakes and violations of Jain code of life for laypeople, a Jain seeks forgiveness from all life forms of the world whom they may have harmed knowingly or unknowingly by uttering the phrase — micchāmi dukkaḍaṃ. In the contemporary era, on Paryushana Samvatsari, Jains reach out to their friends and relatives in person, telephone or mail with “micchami dukkadam”. “

“I am apologetic for everything if I have impaired you knowingly or unknowingly in any ways by my action, my talk or my thought. Please exonerate me with your full affection – michhami Dukkadam. May this Paryushan Parv brings you happiness and prosperity.”

I feel when one forgives and when one asks for forgiveness with a clean heart- both are an act of courage. Not only does it lead to an immense letting go, but also creates a space for healing. Like Swamiji said one does not need to love the other person, but just forgive and let go. Its a wonderful feeling when people can no longer pull your strings, and you dance only to your own tunes.

As I write this, I remember that there are people who continue to act with a clear intent to harm others, repeatedly. For these folks who hold absolutely no compassion or their act show this willful need for animosity- I have found its best to cut off all communication and bless them with divine wisdom. Then the thought crops up, what if they start their antics again? I will protect myself and I will push back when its needed, is what I tell myself.

Now the most beautiful concept of HOPONOPONO,

Ho’oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian practice for forgiveness and reconciliation. It’s more than the prayer alone; it’s a process of making things right in your relationships — with others, ancestors, deities, the earth, yourself.

When errors are corrected externally, errors are corrected internally. When you “cleanse” your consciousness, you contribute to the cleansing of the “collective consciousness.” When you forgive others, you, too, are forgiven because…

Its as simple or profound as saying-

I AM SORRY

PLEASE FORGIVE ME

THANK YOU

I LOVE YOU

I have said it to myself, to people who matter and those who do not matter as much. It is indeed a powerful tool.

Its something I feel we need to say to Mother Earth, for all the mayhem we have created, something we need to say to our children for what we do to them subconsciously, its what we need to say to ourselves for accepting less than what we are worthy off or not doing enough for our own progress , to our parents for giving us this opportunity to live ….to all and let go…..

To you all I say – I am sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.

Jai shri hari!