3 TENETS
FOR ALL HUMANITY
NĀ KĀNĀWAI 'EKOLU NO NA PO'E HONUA
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‘Umia ka hanu! Ho‘okāhi ka umauma ke kīpo‘ohiwi i ke kīpo‘ohiwi.
Hold the breath! Walk abreast, shoulder to shoulder.
- Be of one accord, for great effort is required in the task at hand -
I
EMBODY
ALOHA
For a world distraught with division, chaos, and individualism, ALOHA is the hope for humanity. In this first tenet, we uphold the necessity of embodying the Spirit of Aloha in our every day lives. In the wisdom of Hawaiian culture, it is ALOHA that maintains the cohesive reciprocal connection that we have with 'āina (land), akua (spirit), & kanaka (humans).
Personally, we all have the ability to embody spiritual attributes such as love, compassion, empathy, understanding, acceptance, humility, and joy, all which describe the very essence of ALOHA. Yet, this ALOHA can only be shared, if we are overflowing with it. In other words, we must practice these attributes in our relationship to ourselves in order for us to apply them in our every day lives.
ALOHA means you both give & receive with gratitude
Relationally, EMBODYING ALOHA can only bring deeper levels of understanding and harmony with those we love. In the human experience, we are all faced with relational hardship that challenges our abilities to adapt and evolve through conflict. In those challenging times, we have the noble choice to ground into the present moment & share ALOHA for the purposes of peace & harmony for those involved.
ALOHA means you care
Professionally, EMBODYING ALOHA is what creates cohesive, harmonious partnerships & work environments. This entails caring for one another, valuing each relationship, & knowing the needs of your team, collaborators, and customers. Fostering an ALOHA environment can be made possible when leadership understands that production is directly correlated with the company culture & the work experience of their staff.
ALOHA means you cultivate those under your care
II
LIVE
PONO
LIVING PONO is existing with a deep sense of morality, honor, & uprightness. PONO, literally meaning balance, righteousness, justice, goodness, and sound morality (amongst other meanings) is a state of total wellness, described by some Hawaiian philosophers as supreme equanimity, where our natural state is whole & well. Living in a state of PONO means that we are grounded in truth, connected with our moral center to think and act in a way of ALOHA, and we willfully share that sense of connection with everything within our environment.
Personally, we have the responsibility to ourselves & our 'ohana to identify what PONO feels like within our being, as well as become aware of the factors in our lives (internally & externally) that destabilize our natural state of LŌKAHI (harmony). To LIVE PONO is beneficial to all because when we are ONE with ourselves, our environment, & deeply connected in our relationships, we impart that MANA (life force) to everything that we interact with.
PONO means living in a state of WHOLENESS
Relationally, PONO is the foundation of thriving connections with other humans. As human beings, we all have the potential to connect in both healthy & unhealthy ways. For us to live more in PONO, we should all strive to create relationships that are grounded in love, compassion, understanding, respect, and honor. When these principles are not present, we are sure to create instability & conflict within our relationships. When these conflicts occur, HO'OPONOPONO (to set right) is implemented to re-harmonize that relationship. We can build stronger, long-lasting connections, when PONO is the kāhua (foundation) of how we build our relationships.
PONO means to maintaining healthy relationship with all things
Collectively, LIVING PONO requires us to clearly define our values & to ensure that those values align with LŌKAHI for the collective. Throughout history, most civilizations & empires valued power over PONO, leading to systematic challenges for the human experience. We are all raised being influenced by the value systems of others around us, and we subconsciously live out those values throughout our lives. Yet, at times those imposed value systems do not align with ALOHA, PONO, & creating a world where we can all co-exist in an equitable fashion. Therefore, we must be willing to HULI (override) those pre-disposed value systems and adopt values that support the prosperous society that we all desire for our children's children.
PONO means creating an EQUITABLE world
III
FULFILL
KULEANA
EVERYONE has a KULEANA. KULEANA, meaning responsibility, privilege, & duty, was a vital part of ancient Hawaiian society. In the ahupua'a (land division / management), every kanaka had a clear KULEANA to the entire community from mauka to makai (mountain to ocean). This KULEANA was often passed down generationally & linked to the familial responsibility that one had to the village. With each kanaka / 'ohana exercising their KULEANA generationally, it ensured the long term prosperity of the ahupua'a as a whole because of the contribution of all members within the system. Today, KULEANA is seen along the same lines yet modernized to fit todays society & our own lived experience.
Personally, our KULEANA is our sacred duty to fulfill. We all have an inherent responsibility to fulfill the potential within ourselves. This KULEANA could be caring for your children with love & compassion, serving your community with your gifts, or fulfilling a global need by your innovation and entrepreneurship. In other words, whatever your KULEANA may be, it is ALWAYS contributing to the greater good. You can identify this KULEANA by discovering your gifts passed down to you genealogically, connecting those gifts to your passions, & finding where your gifts can contribute to the greater societal ahupua'a that we all live in.
To live with KULEANA is to live a fulfilling life
Culturally, we are all given KULEANA to perpetuate & further the practices of our ancestors. Since the time of the Roman Empire, many indigenous cultures have faced extinction or have been on the brink of erasure. Minority groups from around the globe are still facing this systematic ethnocide. Our KULEANA as descendants of these great ancestors is to reinvigorate the indigenous practices, worldview, and lifestyle that was replaced with global commercialism, militarization, & consumer culture. This ancient wisdom lives within all of us and can be re-birthed into the world by taking up this duty to de-colonize our minds, re-culture our lifestyles, and re-indigenize our families.
KULEANA is bringing honor to your people & culture
Professionally, we all have a KULEANA to uphold sound principles & values in our workplaces. KULEANA always focuses on contribution to the people first, and profits second. The age old business model of profiteering off of ideas without care for the people, community, and audience being served is obsolete. For a more equitable world, we must think from our hearts and allow service to be the driving force of the marketplace. In order for this PONO marketplace to become a reality, our businesses must be inspired by sound values that perpetuate, appreciate, and uplift humanity rather than exploit, appropriate, and ignore the very earth we live on, cultures we come from, and communities we engage with.
KULEANA is being an agent of positive change