The Haumana (student) bowed to his Kumu (teacher). He had just finished the initiation process that moved him to a new level of training. He was excited. He had hoped for years, he had dreamed of this day. He knew what he wanted — he wanted to go all the way. He wanted it all — to learn everything there was to learn. He had, it seemed, passed all the tests; some of which he knew, some of which he did not know. Although he was not aware of it, up to this point, those who had instructed him were mostly interested to be sure that he understood, and had learned what he was supposed to learn.

This was the first time he had met with the Kumu. To this point usually, it had been just the Alaka’i (instructor, assistant) teaching the classes. The Kumu began to speak, and as she spoke her voice reverberated with waves of eternity.

“E pule kakou.
E Ku,
E Lono,
E Kane,
E Kanaloa,
E hoe.
E Iho ana o Luna
E Pii ana o lalo
E Hui ana na moku
E Ku ana ka paia
E ola mei makou
E ola mei makou
Ho mei ka mana, ka ike, ke ola no
Amama.”

The Haumana’s head began to expand. As the Kumu continued, the Haumana found it hard to focus on the words the Kumu spoke. Finally, he managed to focus on, and the first words he heard and understood were, “You need to understand, my son, we know why you’re here. You’re here for your gain, you’re here for your power, and what we want is your enlightenment first. Then we want your service. You can’t understand that now, but you will, you will.” The Kumu continued,

“Ai, Ai, Ai.
Ho’opuka e-ka-la ma ka hikina e
Kahua ka’i hele no tumutahi
Ha’a mai na’i wa me Hi’iaka
Tapo Laka ika ulu wehiwehi…”

“Now, sit and meditate on the light as you have been instructed, my son, and pay attention to what you see.” The Haumana closed his eyes and rolled them up to the right, then to the left, then the rolled them straight up, and just as he did, the Kumu touched him between the eyebrows and a burst of light-filled his head. At that moment, he was free! He floated straight upward and into the sun, and he became one with the infinite light of the sun. As he merged with the sun, his entire body seemed to be disappearing, or so it seemed to him. The first head, then his neck, then his torso, his limbs — all disappeared in the light. Then finally his conscious awareness became one with and merged in the light. As it did, his consciousness expanded to the size of the universe, and he became one with the light, the glorious light!