- OF THE VOICE OF AUMAKUA -
(A Commentary on Huna)
(A Commentary on Huna)
by
JON SONALL
A brief comment on Huna from a different standpoint may interest those who have read Mr Max Long's excellent pamphlet. Kahunas and fire-walkers are well-known, but we did not realize that within the religious system of these so-called primitives was concealed such a remarkable philosophy.
I do not believe there are different truths about the relation of mind to the world, but only different aspects. I think the Over-self of Brunton and the Superconsciousness of Huna are the same.
Huna interests this writer because of unusual experiences occurring some four years ago, shortly after developing what is called automatic writing. A great volume of material followed coming either from my subconscious or from higher levels as claimed. I do not know. There were no visions or trances, altho some apport phenomena.
The point here is, that one communicator, in the course of many philosophical discussions, emphasized most strongly the necessity of contact with the High Self within. This was said to be a great secret, and no other endeavor of comparable value. Efforts were made to discourage contact with any mind other than the one within, who knew all things and would never betray. The impressions, High Self, Low Self, and Earth Mind were used to explain the methods.
These methods were, quiet surroundings, stillness of thought, the will to consciously probe deeply within, asking what was needful and quietly awaiting results.
This brought no result until after about a year of Work with the writing, when there came suddenly an odd indescribable experience, after which it was possible to hear words before they were written, and then to dispense with writing entirely.
The definite rules given covering this system of mental communication with whomever or whatever it was, included the positive admonition to permit the High Self to pass upon all minds who came to communicate, in order to bar those of ill-Will. Also the High Self was to be used to reach those desired. I cannot say if this was the same High Self described in Huna, since the low self is said to be the medium of telepathy, but the method worked perfectly.
You will remember all this was with me an experimental, matter-of-fact study and had nothing to do with belief.
This High Self which was contacted seemed to have its own voice, entirely different from any other. No words can give an idea of the delicate quality of this voice or its effect upon the recipient. It may be considered impossible for the High Self to speak to the earth mind directly. Not much is written on this abstruse subject. But I know what happened to me. Like the Words of the Sage of Salon - before the fact there is no meaning; but after something of this nature happens to you, your reactions will be quite different.
At the instant of the sudden odd experience referred to above, there seemed to be a guard set upon the earth mind, to prevent the slightest thought of a mean nature from forming. I, who was of a slightly critical, sarcastic nature, found that the least thought of this kind caused actual physical pain, until with effort it was instantly destroyed by the aid of this same Self. Without such a guard, I was told, until right habits of thought became natural, further contact with this High Self was not possible. This corresponds with the Huna teaching that the mind must be cleared of all guilt thoughts, which certainly includes the gossipy, sometimes slanderous gabble which forms the waking concern of the majority. It may not be true that one who thinks kindly of all creatures will automatically contact his High Self; but it is certainly true that this cannot be done rightly unless you do think in this manner and guard against base thought with an iron will.
On one occasion I used this contact for self-healing with, to me, absolute and astonishing success. The disturbance was influenza, the symptoms most pronounced, and the cure instantaneous - at least, in about two minutes.
These remarks may aid others. Minds differ in reactions and approaches, but I have found the personal experiences of others in these matters of value to me (as an indication, for one thing, that if I was crazy I was not alone). I have not begun to scratch the surface of this subject.
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The italics (underscoring) of phrases is a liberty taken by the editor, for the emphasizing of certain points.
We are deeply indebted to JON SONALL for an extraordinary personal narrative, told with dispassionate restraint and concise expression.
Apparent communication with discarnate beings, by auditory means, or by writing or other material manipulations, is by no means rare. Almost invariably these communications are attributed to guides, friends, Masters and other helpers in the invisible. We say at once, that in our opinion these attributions are often correct.
But in our belief, the voice of the High Self is sometimes heard also, though rarely identified.
If one should undertake the examination of mystical and occult literature from this standpoint, a very great number of instances might be collected, where the High Self might reasonably be regarded as the Communicator.
Let us repeat once more, that the existance of the High Self as a conscious Entity on its own plane of being is recognized in many schools of esoteric thought, and in all lands and throughout recorded history. It is called also Yechidah, The Holy Guardian Angel, the Divine Augoeides, the Superconsciousness, the Only One, the Unique One, the Khabs, the Star, the Atma, and by other titles. The identification of these concepts is of course approximate, yet substantial.
This is the "real man", who is yet of triune nature. "Below" him, below the Abyss, is the Ruach (lower Manas, mental sheath, subtle body), composed of memory, will, imagination, desire and reason. With these processes, Yechidah, Aumakua, the High Self has naught to do.
This is the knowledge deep-hidden in the Huna. Aumakua does not reason, knows not logic nor desire; it has immediacy of knowledge and perfect rapport with all other High Selves.
We wrote some time back, in RR, of the English journalist Stewart, who studied Huna with a native instructor among the Berber tribes of North Africa. Once he asked to see the High Self, and obtained a glimpse of a "huge bird with a human head." RR friend Mr. Jack Tate points out the connotation we missed. This Bird is the BA of the Egyptians, the form under which the High Self was pictured by them. What shall we say of the form itself? Is it an astral entity, created by human thought, ensouled by centuries of worship, and hence a real existent on the planes of subtle matter? Or perhaps only a mirroring of the astral light, from the memory of Nature? At any rate, there could hardly be more striking evidence of the integration of the Huna concepts with the ancient worship of the land of Khem.
And Jon Sonall tells us of the Voice of indescribable delicacy, audible only to the viceless ones (of Chokmah of the Tree of Life), whose guilt complexes have been drained away (the methods of Huna). It was the great secret, of value above all others - and it healed the body in an instant, once the channels of its approach were cleared. We cannot sin against God (said the Kahunas); we are too small, too unimportant for that. "He" is the Cosmic Life. Friends and loved ones, even Guides and Masters may perhaps be drawn away from us. But the High Self cannot leave us nor forsake us, for in some mysterious way our being is united with His. Perhaps we cannot "sin against" this Self either - but we can and do close the channels, of life, health, strength, wisdom, power, worldly prosperity even. And this sin, and the folly of it and the penalty paid for it, are all one and same thing.
Yes, Mr. Jon Sonall is quite right. Neither he nor anyone else has done more than scratch the surface of this subject.
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Round Robin asks the attention of its readers to a small innovation.
"To begin with," wrote Professor Charles Richet, "we must get rid altogether of this word occult - or else give it the only sense it ought to bear, which is simply unknown."
We agree emphatically with this. And there is real need for a generic term to cover both occultism and mysticism - including, of course, spiritism. All three of these terms have a bad flavor in the mouths of the uninformed. And probably any generic expression should include studies in telepathy and psychokinetics, which are departments of parapsychology. Dion Fortune pointed out this situation many years ago, and proposed the term ILLUMINISM.
To illuminate is to lighten or enlighten, and the Enlightened Ones have long been known as Illuminati. We propose ILLUMINISM and Illuminist. We hope that the terms will be understood and approved of. We would like to see them established in general usage.
We wish to thank A.F. Gronberg, scholar and bibliophile, for bringing this matter once more to our dilatory attention.