The Ho'oponopono Prayer: The Original Prayer vs the Four Phrases

When people search for the Ho'oponopono prayer, they usually mean one of two things: Morrnah Simeona's longer prayer, or the short four-phrase mantra I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you. Most people practice the four phrases daily.

The two are related but they are not the same text, and online sources often blur them together. This page explains where each comes from, how they differ, and how to use the four phrases as a daily prayer today.

The short answer

• The four phrases are the version most people mean today: I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. They were popularized through Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len's teaching and the book Zero Limits (Wiley, 2007).
• The original, longer prayer comes from Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, the Hawaiian healer who adapted traditional Ho'oponopono into a practice for individuals in the 1970s. It is a fuller petition for forgiveness and release, addressed to the Divine.
• Which should you use? For a daily practice, the four phrases are simpler and are what most modern practitioners use. If you are drawn to Simeona's original prayer, learn it from the organization that carries her work rather than from copies that vary from site to site.

Two different things with one name

Part of the confusion comes from the word itself. Ho'oponopono has been used for at least three things:

1. The traditional Hawaiian family process, in which a family gathered, often with a respected elder, to talk through conflict, make amends and restore relationships. 2. Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono (SITH), Morrnah Simeona's adaptation for an individual working with the Divine, which includes her longer prayer and a multi-step process. 3. The four-phrase practice, the short form taught by Dr. Hew Len and popularized by Zero Limits.

When a website labels something "the Ho'oponopono prayer," it may be pointing at the second or the third. Knowing which one you are looking at makes it much easier to decide how to use it. For the full history, see traditional Ho'oponopono vs Self-Identity Ho'oponopono.

Morrnah Simeona's original prayer

Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona was a Hawaiian healer, often described as a kahuna lapaʻau, who began adapting Ho'oponopono for modern use in the 1970s. Her version moved the process inward, so that a person could work on themselves, with the Divine, without gathering their whole family. She taught it internationally until her death in 1992.

Her best-known prayer is longer than the four phrases. We are not reproducing it here, partly out of respect for the lineage and partly because the wording differs noticeably between the versions published online. In our own words, its structure runs roughly like this:

• An address to the Divine as creator, in a form that includes mother, father and child as one.
• A request for forgiveness for any errors, in thought, word or deed, made by you, your family, your relatives and your ancestors, going back to the beginning.
• A request that the hurts, resentments and attachments connected to those errors be released and cleaned.
• A request that what is released be transmuted into light, so that what remains is freedom.
• A closing that affirms the work is done.

Notice what the prayer covers. It is not only about you and this moment. It reaches across family lines and generations, which reflects the older Hawaiian idea that harm and healing are shared within a family, not held by one person alone.

If you want to use Simeona's prayer, the respectful route is to learn it through the Foundation of I, Inc. (Freedom of the Cosmos), the organization associated with her teaching, rather than copying a version from a random website.

The four phrases

The four-phrase form is much shorter:

I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.

You will see these in different orders. Some teachers start with I love you; others start with I'm sorry. The order is less important than saying them with attention.

Each phrase does a particular job:

• I'm sorry acknowledges that something in you is part of what you are experiencing. It is responsibility, not guilt.
• Please forgive me asks for release from whatever in you is connected to the problem, addressed inward or to the Divine, not to the other person.
• Thank you expresses gratitude before you see any result.
• I love you offers acceptance to whatever is in front of you, including yourself.

For a phrase-by-phrase guide, see the four Ho'oponopono phrases and what each one means.

Where the four phrases came from

The four phrases were not Morrnah Simeona's prayer in shortened form, at least not in any documented way. They came to wide attention through Dr. Hew Len, who trained with Simeona and taught Self-Identity Through Ho'oponopono for many years, and through Zero Limits, the book he co-wrote with Joe Vitale. Some writers describe the four-phrase form as departing from Simeona's original teaching rather than simply condensing it.

The reason the short form spread is practical. Four phrases fit into a single breath. You can say them while walking, before a phone call, or lying awake at night. They need no special setting, no other people, and no belief system. That made them easy to carry into ordinary life in a way a longer formal prayer is not.

Side by side

Simeona's prayer

• Length: a paragraph.
• Who it addresses: the Divine, explicitly.
• Scope: you, your family and your ancestors.
• Typical use: a formal prayer, said deliberately.
• Source: Morrnah Simeona's SITH teaching.

The four phrases

• Length: four short sentences.
• Who it addresses: the Divine, your deepest self, or simply the situation, depending on how you frame it.
• Scope: whatever is showing up for you right now.
• Typical use: repeated throughout the day, often silently.
• Source: popularized by Dr. Hew Len and Zero Limits.

Neither is "the real one" in a way that makes the other fake. They are two expressions of a related idea: taking responsibility for what you are experiencing and asking for it to be released.

Is it a prayer if you're not religious?

It can be, but it does not have to be. The four phrases can be addressed to God, to the Divine, to your higher self, or to nothing in particular. Many people treat them as a prayer. Others use them as a reflective discipline, a way to interrupt a reaction and soften toward whatever is happening. The practice does not ask you to adopt a belief.

Christians sometimes ask whether the practice conflicts with their faith. That is a personal question, and we compare the two more closely in Ho'oponopono vs prayer.

How to say the Ho'oponopono prayer today

If you want a practical starting point, use the four phrases like this:

1. Choose what you are bringing to it. A person, a worry, a reaction, or simply the day ahead. 2. Say the phrases slowly, silently or out loud: I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. 3. Repeat for a minute or two, letting your attention return to the phrases when it wanders. 4. Let go of the result. You are not ordering a particular outcome. You are cleaning your side of it.

Most people find it helps to anchor the practice to a few moments in the day: first thing in the morning, whenever something triggers a strong reaction, and before bed. How to practice Ho'oponopono daily lays out a simple routine, and what is Ho'oponopono? covers the basics if you are brand new.

A note on scope: Ho'oponopono is a reflective and spiritual practice. It is not a substitute for medical, psychological, legal or financial help.

Frequently asked questions

What is the original Ho'oponopono prayer?

The longer prayer associated with Morrnah Simeona, who adapted Ho'oponopono for individuals. It asks the Divine to forgive and release errors made by you and your family line, and to transmute them into light.

Are the four phrases the same as the Ho'oponopono prayer?

They are often called the Ho'oponopono prayer, but they are a separate, shorter form popularized by Dr. Hew Len and Zero Limits.

Which one should I use?

For daily use, most people find the four phrases easier. If Simeona's prayer resonates with you, learn it from the organization that carries her teaching.

Do I have to say the phrases in a specific order?

No. Different teachers use different orders. Pick one that feels natural and stay with it.

Can I say the prayer silently?

Yes. Most people say the four phrases silently, especially in public or in the middle of a busy day.

Begin with the four phrases

You do not need to memorize a long prayer to start. The free Ho'oponopono Cleaning Guide walks you through the four phrases and a simple daily practice you can begin tomorrow morning.