Epilogue : The Three Stages of Awakening
My job here on earth is twofold. My job is first of
all to make amends. My second job is to awaken
people who might be asleep. Almost everyone is
asleep! The only way I can awaken them is to
work on myself.
—Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
The other day a reporter asked me,“Where do you
see yourself a year from now?”
In the past I would have given him a sincere
accounting of what I hoped to achieve. I’d talk
about my plans, goals, and intentions. I’d tell him
about books I wanted to write or things I wanted
to be, do, create, or buy. But because of all the
work I’ve done with Dr. Hew Len, I no longer
state goals or intentions or make plans for the
future. So I instead replied with the truth of this
moment:
“Wherever I’ll be will be far better than what I
can imagine right now.”
There’s more depth to that answer than you might
first notice. It came from inspiration.The answer
surprised me as I said it. It also revealed where
my mind is these days: I’m more interested in this
moment than the next one. As I pay attention to
this moment, all the future ones unfold quite
nicely.As I once told Dr. Hew Len,“My intention
these days is to honor the intention of the Divine.”
I relayed the reporter’s question and my inspired
answer to a friend just a few minutes ago. He
loved it. He’s been doing ho’oponopono with me
for a few months now, so he understood the
ultimate truth: When you let go of your ego and
the ego’s desires, you allow something better to
guide you: the Divine.
This new me, and new understanding, is all part of
my vivification.This didn’t all happen overnight,
of course. But by saying “I love you” and the
other statements, I’ve been led to a deeper
awareness, what some might call an awakening,
maybe even enlightenment itself. I came to
understand there are at least three stages to this
awakening, and they’re almost a map of life’s
spiritual journey. They are:
1. You’re a victim.We are virtually all born feeling
we are powerless. Most of us stay that way.We
think the world is out to get us: the government,
the neighbors, the society, the bad guys in
whatever form they seem to take.We don’t feel we
have any influence. We’re the effect of the rest of
the world’s cause. We gripe, complain, protest,
and gather in groups to fight those in charge of us.
Except for a party now and then, life, in general,
sucks.
2. You’re in control. At some point you see a life-
changing movie, like The Secret, or you read a
book, such as The Attractor Factor or The
Magic of Believing, and you wake up to your
own power.You realize the power of setting
intentions.You realize the power you have to
visualize what you want, take action, and achieve
it.You begin to experience some magic. You start
to experience some cool results. Life, in general,
begins to look pretty good.
3. You’re awakening. At some point after stage
two, you begin to realize your intentions are
limitations.You begin to see that with all your
newfound power, you’re still not able to control
everything.You begin to realize that when you
surrender to a greater power, miracles tend to
happen. You begin to let go, and trust.You begin
to practice, moment by moment, awareness of
your connection with the Divine.You learn to
recognize inspiration when it comes to you, and
you act on it.You realize you have choice but not
control of your life.You realize the greatest thing
you can do is agree to each moment. In this stage,
miracles happen, and they constantly astonish you
as they do. You live, in general, in a constant state
of amazement, wonder, and gratitude.
I’ve entered the third stage, and maybe you have,
too, by now. Since you’ve come along for the ride
with me, let me try to further explain my own
awakening. It may help prepare you for what you
will soon experience, or help you better
understand what you are currently experiencing.
I had a glimpse of the Divine in the first seminar
with Dr. Hew Len. It was during those first days
with him that I stopped my mental chatter. I
accepted all.There was a peace almost beyond
understanding. Love was my mantra. It was the
song always playing in my brain.
But this glimpse didn’t stop there.
Whenever I was in the presence of Dr. Hew Len, I
felt peace. I’m sure it was the tuning-fork effect.
His tone affected mine. It brought me into
harmony with peace.
During the second seminar I began to have what
some would call psychic flashes. I saw auras. I
saw angels around people. I received images. I
still remember seeing invisible cats around
Nerissa’s neck. When I told her, she smiled.
Whether the image was real or not, it sure altered
her mood. She beamed.
Dr. Hew Len often sees question marks floating
above people’s heads, which tell him which
person to call on in an event.Whenever he sees
invisible symbols or beings, he adds,“I know it
sounds crazy. Psychiatrists would lock someone
up for saying things like that.”
He’s right, of course, but once an awakening takes
place, there’s no looking back. In my first Beyond
Manifestation weekend, I read some of the people
’s energy fields.They were in awe. I can’t say this
is a gift so much as it is an opening. A previously
unused part of my brain turned on and lit up. Now
my eyes see, if I let them. I told Dr. Hew Len,
“Everything seems to talk to me. Everything
seems alive.” He smiled knowingly.
By the time of my second Beyond Manifestation
weekend, I had another satori experience. Satori
is a glimpse of enlightenment, a taste of the
Divine. It’s as though a window slides opens and
for a moment you merge with the source of life.
It’s as difficult to explain as describing a flower
from another planet. But by seeing that I could
disappear and experience zero limits transformed
me. I have that experience as a touchstone. I can
recall it and return to it. On one level this is
wonderful, as it’s my ticket back to bliss. But on
another level this is just another memory, keeping
me from experiencing this moment. All I can do
is keep cleaning.
Sometimes when I’m in a meeting, I’ll relax and
unfocus my eyes, and I’ll be able to see the truth
behind a situation. It’s as though time stops or at
least slows down.What I then perceive is the
underlying tapestry of life. It’s a little like peeling
off the top level of a painting to find a masterpiece
under it. Call it psychic vision, X-ray vision, or
Divine sight. I’d say that “Joe Vitale” (and even
“Ao Akua”) disappears into the zero state, or my
eyes perceive it.There are zero limits.There just is.
At that place, there’s no confusion. It’s all clarity.
I don’t live in that state. I still come back to so-
called reality. I still have challenges.When Larry
King asked me if I had a bad day, I said yes. I still
do. Dr. Hew Len said we would always have
problems. But ho’oponopono is a problem-solving
technique.As long as I keep saying “I love you”
to the Divine and I keep cleaning, I return to the
place of zero limits.
The signal from zero is, if we try to put words on
it, “love.” So saying “I love you” nonstop helps
us tune in. Repeating it helps neutralize the
memories, programs, beliefs, and limitations that
are in the way of your own awakening. As I keep
cleaning, I keep tuning in to pure inspiration. As
I act on that inspiration, better miracles than I
could have ever imagined take place. All I have
to do is keep at it.
Some people think they understand the voice of
inspiration by paying attention to the tone of the
voices they hear in their heads. A friend once said
,“I know the difference between my ego’s voice
and inspiration’s voice because the ego has an
urgency to it and inspiration is gentler.”
I think this is deceiving. A voice that sounds harsh
and a voice that sounds gentle are still voices from
the ego. Even right now, as you read these words,
you are talking to yourself.You are questioning
what you are reading.You’ve come to identify
with that voice and to think it’s you. It’s not.
Divinity, and inspiration, are behind those voices.
As you keep practicing ho’oponopono, you keep
getting clearer about what is actually inspiration
and what isn’t.
As Dr. Hew Len keeps reminding us,“This is not a
fast-food approach to healing. It takes time.”
I’d add that awakening can happen at any time.
Even while reading this book. Or taking a walk.
Or petting a dog.The situation doesn’t matter.
Your internal state does.And it all begins, and
ends, with one beautiful phrase:
“I love you.”
My job here on earth is twofold. My job is first of
all to make amends. My second job is to awaken
people who might be asleep. Almost everyone is
asleep! The only way I can awaken them is to
work on myself.
—Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len
The other day a reporter asked me,“Where do you
see yourself a year from now?”
In the past I would have given him a sincere
accounting of what I hoped to achieve. I’d talk
about my plans, goals, and intentions. I’d tell him
about books I wanted to write or things I wanted
to be, do, create, or buy. But because of all the
work I’ve done with Dr. Hew Len, I no longer
state goals or intentions or make plans for the
future. So I instead replied with the truth of this
moment:
“Wherever I’ll be will be far better than what I
can imagine right now.”
There’s more depth to that answer than you might
first notice. It came from inspiration.The answer
surprised me as I said it. It also revealed where
my mind is these days: I’m more interested in this
moment than the next one. As I pay attention to
this moment, all the future ones unfold quite
nicely.As I once told Dr. Hew Len,“My intention
these days is to honor the intention of the Divine.”
I relayed the reporter’s question and my inspired
answer to a friend just a few minutes ago. He
loved it. He’s been doing ho’oponopono with me
for a few months now, so he understood the
ultimate truth: When you let go of your ego and
the ego’s desires, you allow something better to
guide you: the Divine.
This new me, and new understanding, is all part of
my vivification.This didn’t all happen overnight,
of course. But by saying “I love you” and the
other statements, I’ve been led to a deeper
awareness, what some might call an awakening,
maybe even enlightenment itself. I came to
understand there are at least three stages to this
awakening, and they’re almost a map of life’s
spiritual journey. They are:
1. You’re a victim.We are virtually all born feeling
we are powerless. Most of us stay that way.We
think the world is out to get us: the government,
the neighbors, the society, the bad guys in
whatever form they seem to take.We don’t feel we
have any influence. We’re the effect of the rest of
the world’s cause. We gripe, complain, protest,
and gather in groups to fight those in charge of us.
Except for a party now and then, life, in general,
sucks.
2. You’re in control. At some point you see a life-
changing movie, like The Secret, or you read a
book, such as The Attractor Factor or The
Magic of Believing, and you wake up to your
own power.You realize the power of setting
intentions.You realize the power you have to
visualize what you want, take action, and achieve
it.You begin to experience some magic. You start
to experience some cool results. Life, in general,
begins to look pretty good.
3. You’re awakening. At some point after stage
two, you begin to realize your intentions are
limitations.You begin to see that with all your
newfound power, you’re still not able to control
everything.You begin to realize that when you
surrender to a greater power, miracles tend to
happen. You begin to let go, and trust.You begin
to practice, moment by moment, awareness of
your connection with the Divine.You learn to
recognize inspiration when it comes to you, and
you act on it.You realize you have choice but not
control of your life.You realize the greatest thing
you can do is agree to each moment. In this stage,
miracles happen, and they constantly astonish you
as they do. You live, in general, in a constant state
of amazement, wonder, and gratitude.
I’ve entered the third stage, and maybe you have,
too, by now. Since you’ve come along for the ride
with me, let me try to further explain my own
awakening. It may help prepare you for what you
will soon experience, or help you better
understand what you are currently experiencing.
I had a glimpse of the Divine in the first seminar
with Dr. Hew Len. It was during those first days
with him that I stopped my mental chatter. I
accepted all.There was a peace almost beyond
understanding. Love was my mantra. It was the
song always playing in my brain.
But this glimpse didn’t stop there.
Whenever I was in the presence of Dr. Hew Len, I
felt peace. I’m sure it was the tuning-fork effect.
His tone affected mine. It brought me into
harmony with peace.
During the second seminar I began to have what
some would call psychic flashes. I saw auras. I
saw angels around people. I received images. I
still remember seeing invisible cats around
Nerissa’s neck. When I told her, she smiled.
Whether the image was real or not, it sure altered
her mood. She beamed.
Dr. Hew Len often sees question marks floating
above people’s heads, which tell him which
person to call on in an event.Whenever he sees
invisible symbols or beings, he adds,“I know it
sounds crazy. Psychiatrists would lock someone
up for saying things like that.”
He’s right, of course, but once an awakening takes
place, there’s no looking back. In my first Beyond
Manifestation weekend, I read some of the people
’s energy fields.They were in awe. I can’t say this
is a gift so much as it is an opening. A previously
unused part of my brain turned on and lit up. Now
my eyes see, if I let them. I told Dr. Hew Len,
“Everything seems to talk to me. Everything
seems alive.” He smiled knowingly.
By the time of my second Beyond Manifestation
weekend, I had another satori experience. Satori
is a glimpse of enlightenment, a taste of the
Divine. It’s as though a window slides opens and
for a moment you merge with the source of life.
It’s as difficult to explain as describing a flower
from another planet. But by seeing that I could
disappear and experience zero limits transformed
me. I have that experience as a touchstone. I can
recall it and return to it. On one level this is
wonderful, as it’s my ticket back to bliss. But on
another level this is just another memory, keeping
me from experiencing this moment. All I can do
is keep cleaning.
Sometimes when I’m in a meeting, I’ll relax and
unfocus my eyes, and I’ll be able to see the truth
behind a situation. It’s as though time stops or at
least slows down.What I then perceive is the
underlying tapestry of life. It’s a little like peeling
off the top level of a painting to find a masterpiece
under it. Call it psychic vision, X-ray vision, or
Divine sight. I’d say that “Joe Vitale” (and even
“Ao Akua”) disappears into the zero state, or my
eyes perceive it.There are zero limits.There just is.
At that place, there’s no confusion. It’s all clarity.
I don’t live in that state. I still come back to so-
called reality. I still have challenges.When Larry
King asked me if I had a bad day, I said yes. I still
do. Dr. Hew Len said we would always have
problems. But ho’oponopono is a problem-solving
technique.As long as I keep saying “I love you”
to the Divine and I keep cleaning, I return to the
place of zero limits.
The signal from zero is, if we try to put words on
it, “love.” So saying “I love you” nonstop helps
us tune in. Repeating it helps neutralize the
memories, programs, beliefs, and limitations that
are in the way of your own awakening. As I keep
cleaning, I keep tuning in to pure inspiration. As
I act on that inspiration, better miracles than I
could have ever imagined take place. All I have
to do is keep at it.
Some people think they understand the voice of
inspiration by paying attention to the tone of the
voices they hear in their heads. A friend once said
,“I know the difference between my ego’s voice
and inspiration’s voice because the ego has an
urgency to it and inspiration is gentler.”
I think this is deceiving. A voice that sounds harsh
and a voice that sounds gentle are still voices from
the ego. Even right now, as you read these words,
you are talking to yourself.You are questioning
what you are reading.You’ve come to identify
with that voice and to think it’s you. It’s not.
Divinity, and inspiration, are behind those voices.
As you keep practicing ho’oponopono, you keep
getting clearer about what is actually inspiration
and what isn’t.
As Dr. Hew Len keeps reminding us,“This is not a
fast-food approach to healing. It takes time.”
I’d add that awakening can happen at any time.
Even while reading this book. Or taking a walk.
Or petting a dog.The situation doesn’t matter.
Your internal state does.And it all begins, and
ends, with one beautiful phrase:
“I love you.”
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