The Kahuna Religion of Hawaii

by Daddy Kaonohiokala Bray

Online Huna & Ho’oponopono . Hawaiian Shamanism

The Kahuna Religion of Hawaii (1980) includes a short tract by Daddy Bray and some commentaries by Douglas Low. It was republished in 1990 by Borderland Sciences Research Foundation (ISBN-13: 978-0945685050) and it is probably out of print.

I found Daddy Bray’s words and Douglas Low’s explanations fascinating … they helped me piece together the diverse concepts I gained from Hawaiian teachers and healers, such as George Naope, Papa Henry Auwae, John Kaimikaua, Laura Kealoha Yardley and other of Daddy Bray’s students.

My friend Barbara Moore (soul proprietor of the Dragonfly Healing Ranch in Honaunau) had studied with Daddy Bray’s son Papa Bray – and she taught me more of Daddy Bray’s work. In the Kamuela Museum in Waimea, another of Daddy Bray’s students showed me some of Daddy Bray’s Hawaiian ritual items, although only Daddy Bray’s feathered kahili were on public display.

THE MEANING OF KAHUNA by Daddy Kaonohiokala Bray

“Who is a kahuna?” I am asked. A question that prevails even today. Very few modern people can answer it.

Kahuna is a priest or priestess, a spiritual teacher. Kahunas act as human bridges between the spiritual world and its laws and the material world with its trials, sadness and problems.

Kahuna was originally a word applied to such persons who were members of the learned professions. Kahuna is a compound word from kahu, meaning an honored or high servant who has or takes charge of persons or property, and na, meaning calmness and quiet freedom from passions. Kahuna also equals ka, standing for the, and huna, meaning concealed knowledge or wisdom protected and defended like a treasure. Huna is the mystery and key to something hidden. A kahuna is thus a priest who has achieved calmness and dignity in character so that the gods trust him to keep the secrets of nature protected while using wisdom in helping mankind.

Kahuna was an institution common to all Polynesians, similar to your medical profession today. The kahuna in ancient Hawaii was an essential part of the native life and social structure. The Hawaiians depended on him for advice in matters important to their welfare.

A kahuna might be a judge, doctor or head of a church. In any case he was the expert in his particular field. Kahunas had to be intelligent and receive long training. They were the power behind the chief.

Many people of the present time have heard of the Kahuna Ana’ana (An-nah-ah-nah) who prayed a person to death. Some kahunas gave in to the temptations of jealousy and power. They had knowledge of the poisons, hypnosis and deeper secrets of nature. This type of kahuna, fortunately, was only one among a large class of trained people who served humanity for goodness and truth.

The REAL Aloha

To be a kahuna, a person is taught all about the material things of life, the negative part. He has to know what harmony and unity is within himself, God, and humankind. He must live according to the secret meaning of Aloha:

A: ala, watchful alertness

L: lokahi, working with unity

O: oiaio, truthful honesty

H: ha’aha’a, humility

A: Aahonui, patient perseverance

Aloha to the Hawaiian of old is God in us. It means, “Come forward, be in unity and harmony with your real self, God, and mankind. Be honest, truthful, patient, kind to all forms of life, and humble.”

Kahunas had to learn these things. When they learned them, they found God. They beheld nature as God created it. Beauty in nature is found in flowers, trees, and every living thing on earth, sea, air and fire. Even the rocks and stones and earth have life, according to this way. Kahunas saw beauty, but many of us create ugliness in our hearts and call life sin. Sin is self made law, not God’s law.

The kahunas learned from the beginning to be fearless and over­come doubt. Fear causes emotional confusion. Doubt causes emotional confusion. When the mind is confused we say that matter controls mind. Broken homes, loss of friends, and ruin in business result. Fear and doubt create false gods. The forces of darkness surround you and come to dwell in you. Kahunas teach freedom from Satan, whom (Christian) Hawaiians call Milu, by conquering fear and doubt.

This booklet tells my story of life as a kahuna. I am one of an old tradition. Many of old were greater than I am. The world is seeking truth, and for this reason I am telling these events.

May the Great Power bless you!

David Kaonohiokala Bray

In his book, The Kahuna Religion of Hawaii, Daddy Bray includes a commentary by Douglas Low that I found very instructive and continue to refer to and meditate on. The following excerpt helped me understand the basis for what I later called relationship bonds in my Soulwork systemic coaching.

33. Anatomically, the negative polarity is localized from the stomach down through the sex and evacuation organs. This is called Ka Lua Ka Inaina or Cave of the Beast. Besides biological processes, this center is composed mostly of unreal love and attachment to the senses.

34. Emotional attachment of unreal love creates negative emotions which attract illusory experiences and the lowest earthbound intelligences. Some of these emotions are: (a) love or craving for the pleasures of this earth; (b) the search for earthly wealth; (c) the search for self-gain and glory; (d) greed; (e) selfishness; (f) envy; (g) lust for things that satisfy the illusion of separation; (h) hate; (i) jealousy; (j) slavery to the will of others; and (k) fear which makes a god of the unreal, which is the strongest of the negative emotions.

35. Kahuna do not strive to suppress these emotions, but to understand their sources, how they act, and why they are clung to. The negative is refilled with the positive, but does not vanish. Instead, Kahuna are able to feel negative emotions and release them, thus not being trapped by their consequences. To do this requires meditation and advice from a trained expert.

Hawaiian Spirituality

Ho’oponopono . Huna, Healing and Ohana . Kumulipo . Soulwork

Will you join us in Hawaii? Will you sit with us under the trees by Kealakekua Bay? Will you walk with us into the craters of Volcano Park and the jungle of Waipio? Or will you help us come to you? We bring these teachings to the world under their old name of Huna Kalani.

Consider joining us on the beaches, forests and volcanoes – bring strong walking shoes. We can help you make Hawaii a journey of a lifetime. Come stay in South Kona and visit some of the most beautiful, most sacred and most haunted places on Big Island.

Huna Kalani . Awaiku . Soul Mentorship

Huna Workshops

E komo mai. Welcome.
We teach in many countries – usually on secluded beaches, forests or parks.
We can meet and work online – or in beautiful places.

We bring this wisdom to the world under the name of Huna Kalani.
Do you want to heal your life? We seek people who wish to bring back this ancient magic.

We offer experiential introductions to old Hawaiian mysticism and healing. People can experience the beauty and power of Huna Kalani in a series of workshops that can expand their perception of reality. Hawaiian magic refers to a technology that few understand. Within this old healing magic are some of the roots of the systemic magic that I integrated into our online services.

Online Huna & Ho’oponopono . Hawaiian Shamanism