Mahalo
The Sacred Hawaiian Word
of Thanks and Gratitude
In Our Native Hawaiian culture - Mahalo (MAH-HA-LOW), the word used to express thanks and gratitude, is much more than just a polite gesture of thankfulness, it conveys a powerful spiritual understanding that reinforces an Ancient Hawaiian understanding. This spiritual understanding is "hidden" in the roots of the word.
Kaona (COW-NAH) in Hawaiian means "hidden meaning" and it is often realized as a double entendre and sometimes can have a layered complexity of meaning that can be quite profound. Hawaiian cultural tradition celebrates and enjoys the art of word play which it expresses through music and chant. Often employing the Kaona in words to delight or provoke the listener with subtle innuendo and or pointed irony.
In Native Hawaiian culture words are considered to be embedded with sacred energy or mana and are possessive of great power to do both good and harm. To speak carelessly and without proper intent is like playing with a loaded firearm, it has the potential to go off and harm both the speaker and anyone targeted by the words. It is why choosing the right words and understanding the Kaona or hidden meaning was and still is very important today.
To understand the Koana or hidden meaning of Mahalo one must examine the roots of the word.
- MA- in this case means “within”
- HA- refers to the “breath of life” or “Divine breath of life”
- ALO- means “in the presence of”
The complete translation including the hidden meaning reads. “Thankful to be in the presence of the divine breath of life” It both recognizes the divine breath in ones self and the individual one is thankful for.
In Native Hawaiian tradition the Kalo(Taro) is considered our Kupuna or ancestor, it's mana helped give and sustain the life of the first Hawaiian and for Kalo, we are eternally grateful and offer our Mahalo. Wai Ola, the water of life sustains the life of all who live in Hawai‘i nei, for without our precious water there would be no life, and for Wai we are eternally grateful and give our Mahalo. The ‘Aina, our priceless earth and soil which sustains the Keiki O Ka ‘Aina and our future, we give our Mahalo, for without it's form and shape we could not hold the Wai that gives us life and without it's warmth and mana we could not grow the Kalo which feeds and supports our bodies upon Papa, our earth mother. It is for all these things Native Hawaiians give their Mahalo! I am thankful for my Hawaiian heritage and offer my Mahalo.
Ho‘opa‘a i na pahuhopu
To set the foundation in order to move forward
Creating Goals for the New Year
My Pahu Hopu(goal) for Makahiki (a sacred holiday that would be equivalant to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New years rolled into one) is to share Hawai‘i's unique culture with the world and honor my Kupuna and the sacrfices they made inorder to save our amazing cultural heritage from extinction. Part of my Pahu Hopu is to work on my geneology and joining an Aha Hipu‘u(An Hawaiian Royal Society) so that I may give back to my community and support my heritage and the Restoration of Hawaiian Sovereignty.
Oli Mahalo
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