Posted by Vince on June 18, 2001 at 18:42:13:
In Reply to: Huna posted by Marie on June 17, 2001 at 05:07:02:
Dear Marie,
Thank you for posting your thoughts on Huna. You're right.
>When I showed my auntie some books on huna, she
>shook her head and did not have anything to say.
I'd like to know specifically which books you showed your auntie and which, if any, she'd read.
>We as Hawaiians were made to believe that our
>ancestors ways were offensive to "White man's
>God". So we were banned to practice our way of
>life. We even bought this degredation.
Guess what... this little scenario isn't limited to just Hawaiians or to white men.
>Do you know how it feels to read books by Max
>Freedom Long and see how a white man had
>excitedly claim to capture Hawaiian spirituality
>or the rituals of the Kahuna?
Help me here; where did Max make that claim?
>Someone claimed
>(in this message board) that he believes in Max
>Freedom Long's religion. Then I respectfully ask
>to stop using Hawaiian language within your
>beliefs. Why would you call yourself a kahuna
>just because someone certified you?
Don’t let him bother you.
>All the kahuna I've known will never bother to
>defend, much less argue about their practices.
>They won't even say they are a kahuna.
That's because they really are Kahuna.
>Using Hawaiian words just makes Huna seem
>Hawaiian. Even the way these words are used are
>wrong. Isn't that disrespectful to the Hawaiian
>people?
The way certain Polynesian words are used in Huna is different from the way the same words are used in everyday conversation in modern Hawaiian. Likewise, when freemasons use certain words they mean something entirely different from what they mean in everyday language.
I can't speak for everyone who calls their system "Huna," but I've found that those of us in Max's organization (Huna Research and The Huna Fellowship) use the Hawaiian words out of respect for the Kahuna of old.
>Max Freedom Long is a white man, a psychologist.
Actually he wasn't a psychologist; he was a schoolteacher. Have you read his books or have you just listened to what others say about him?
>He [did] not know Hawaiian culture, how could he
>ever understand the spiritual beliefs and
>practices of Hawaiians?
He did know some of Hawaiian culture from living on the islands. But that was not what he was researching.
>...Max Freedom Long failed to
>capture the social context of Hawaiian concepts.
Not possible. To have "failed," means he would have had to try to capture the "social context of Hawaiian concepts." That was not the context of his research. It's not the context of my research.
Let me try to explain the prevailing social context of Huna Research throughout its history as I see it.
Max's research could be summarized in one question: "If I could do it, how would I do it?"
Kahuna practices various forms of fire immunity. This would be a valuable skill to teach our firemen. If I could do it, how would I do it?
Kahuna were able to see into the future. If I could do it, how would I do it?
Kahuna were able to heal instantly or almost instantly. If I could do it, how would I do it?
Kahuna were able to eliminate complexes like guilt, sadness, anger, etc. This would be a valuable tool to teach modern man. If I could do it, how would I do it?
Max did not try to steal your culture, "expose" your beliefs or rituals to the world like some kind of museum artifact, or anything of the kind.
Perhaps he was trying to make the world a better place.
I think you are, too. Thank you!
--Vince
Rev. James Vinson Wingo, DD
Huna Research, Inc.
1760 Anna St.
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701-4504 USA
1-573-334-3478