Keoni's Dream

"I found Keoni's Dream to be filled with Hawaiian Heart and Spirit. For the author, Jack Kelly, it was a labor of love, a calling, and a mission. A beautiful book." - Dan Millman, author of "Way of the Peaceful Warrior"


"In Keoni's Dream, Jack Kelly has woven a magical story with a message for our time about ancient values. The same dreamlike sense of wonder is expressed in Calley O'neill's superb illustrations." - Herb Kawainui Kane, artist and author of "Voyagers" and "Ancient Hawaii".


"This is a book I would like to see in all of the libraries, school and public." - Pali Jae Lee, retired librarian and co-author of "Tales of the NIght Rainbow."


Every culture has a set of values that defines what that culture considers valuable or important. These values are passed down from generation to generation and evolve with time as the attitudes and focus of the people change. Although the culture as a whole may accept certain values as defining elements of that culture, individuals in that culture may not accept those values. Hence, we have individuals in every culture who exhibit “anti-social behavior”. Regardless, the values that are held as important by the majority of individuals in that culture are the cornerstones upon which their civilization is built.

The ancient Hawaiians held a strong sense of values. Their sense of connectedness with God, with nature, and with the spiritual elements of their existence, enabled them to develop a strong sense of values based on goodness, love, responsibility, cooperation and kindness. A constant flow of energy was seen to exist between Spirit and man and nature that could be influenced by various deities, who were seen as individualized aspects of the Universal Mind. These gods could act as intermediaries between the Infinite and all the creations of earth, including man. Achievement and the pursuit of excellence was held in high regard because the purpose of all work, and play, was to glorify the godliness in all, and was meant to be offered up to God in thanks. Competitiveness in sports also was valued as a medium to express the pursuit of excellence and offered to the gods and ultimately the Supreme Being.

These values ring true for all of us, whether we accept them or not, because they lie at the root soul of our beings as humans. They are alive and well today, not only in the Hawaiian culture, but in the hearts and souls of peoples all over the world. There is a reaching out in the world today for an existence based on values such as we find here; values like huikala (forgiveness), ku–pono (honesty), and ku–ha‘o (self reliance), rather than the values of consumerism, wealth, and capitalist expansion that have fed the fires of Western culture for so long. There is a spiritual renaissance underway around our world and all we have to do to stem the tide of environmental and social degradation is to join the cause of Light, practice the values of righteousness in our hearts, our homes, our communities, and we will triumph not only in this dimension of life, but also in the hereafter.

This is Keoni’s Dream.