You could almost see the thoughts rising from each individual, forming a collective wish in the room.
"We want this."
Esteemed Hawai‘i attorney Beadie Kanahele Dawson gave a lunch talk this week at the State Judiciary on ho‘oponopono, the traditional Hawaiian system for resolving disputes. As Dawson described it, the process gets to the heart of complicated, highly emotional matters through the concepts of truth, forgiveness and absolution.
A great burden is lifted when someone is forgiven, Dawson said.
And when someone forgives. And there is joy in letting go of a problem with no conditions.
Although Dawson was talking more about family fights and neighborhood troubles, her words offered such hope that thoughts soon turned global.
"What about the Ehime Maru?" someone asked.
Several people in the room let out long, slow breaths. Yes, how do you heal a hurt like that? How do you make things right?
Dawson talked of ‘oia ‘i‘o, absolute truth. In ho‘oponopono, she said, the concept of truth is not a moving target. It is fixed, whole, without shades of gray or hints of spin.
There hasn’t been much ‘oia ‘i‘o from the Greeneville.
The Navy’s court of inquiry is one thing, regimented and bureaucratic, but the public court of inquiry is another, where matters of responsibility and accountability are simple.
And as each news story reveals yet another blunder aboard the sub, the call to make this pono is growing.
Calling the collision an "accident" means there was no malice or intent involved. It doesn’t mean that someone wasn’t wrong.
Full acknowledgment of mistakes, sincere apologies and restitution are still required.
It would be overly simplistic to suggest that the Navy and the Ehime Maru families go through a process of ho‘oponopono, but perhaps it is useful to be reminded of the elements that lead to kala, the releasing of a problem.
The people who let this happen have to tell the absolute truth, ‘oia ‘i‘o. The court of inquiry offers a path to get to this truth, if defensive maneuvering doesn’t get in the way.
Then the men who had the honor of responsibility for the sub have to hold up the burden of responsibility. They have to ask, with open hearts and all defenses down, for total forgiveness.
And if the apology is heartfelt and complete, it must be accepted.
Total and mutual forgiveness is a requirement of ho‘oponopono, Dawson said. Only through forgiveness, both parties, the injured and the responsible, are healed. And we all want that.
