The Three Selves: A Hawaiian Fable

Long ago, in a village by the sea, there lived a young seeker, restless and burdened by a sense of incompleteness. Though the village was filled with love and community, the seeker felt adrift, longing for something they could not name.

One morning, unable to ignore the ache within, the seeker set out on a journey to find wisdom and balance.

The path first led to the depths of the forest, where the air was thick with shadows and the earth pulsed with life. There, the seeker encountered the unihipili — the childlike self who whispered from the roots of the trees.

“Why do I feel so lost?” the seeker asked.

The unihipili spoke gently, “Because you have forgotten your foundation. I am your memory and your emotions, the roots of who you are. The pain you carry cannot be released until you turn to face it. Mend the torn threads of your past, and you will find your strength.”

The seeker knelt among the roots, closing their eyes and allowing long-hidden memories to surface: moments of fear, joy, loss, and love. As tears fell, the forest seemed to breathe with them. When the seeker stood again, they felt steadier, though the ache had not fully lifted.

Next, the seeker climbed to the cliffs, where the world stretched wide beneath an open sky. Here, they met the uhane…