(The disturbance/corruption of the sacred spirit)

“Te whakatūkino i te tapu o te mauri”

(The violation of the sacred life force)

Whakaāio

Meaning: To bring peace, calm, harmony — often in a spiritual or emotional sense. May be used to describe someone who has achieved inner peace or has become spiritually balanced.

Mātauranga wairua

Meaning: Spiritual knowledge, or enlightened understanding from a wairua (spirit) perspective. • Mātauranga = knowledge or wisdom • Wairua = spirit, soul • Someone deeply in touch with their wairua, ancestors, and the spiritual realm — could be considered “enlightened” in a Māori worldview.

Ihia / ihiihi (archaic)

A divine or spiritual spark; presence of a sacred or powerful energy • : Someone who is ihiihi may be seen as spiritually touched or elevated — having a mana-filled presence.

“He tangata kua pāngia e te wairua tapu”

(A person touched by the sacred spirit) – implies someone spiritually gifted or divinely inspired.

Kua whiti te rā i roto i a koe (“The sun has risen within you”)

Not a single word, but a poetic Māori phrase sometimes used to describe spiritual awakening or personal transformation.

Whakakāhoretanga o te pōuri

Meaning: The casting off of darkness (poetic phrase)

Māori philosophy includes concepts of tapu, noa, wairua, mauri, and mana — all of which relate to spiritual balance, sacredness, and life force. The idea of a spiritual state being disturbed or defiled absolutely exists

Hara / Hē – Sin, wrongdoing, transgression

• These concepts point to moral or spiritual fault, which can pollute the person’s mauri (life force) and disrupt their connection to the sacred or their ancestors.

• Such transgressions may result in mate wairua (spiritual sickness).

Whakangaromanga o te wairua – The loss or scattering of the spirit

• A person’s wairua (spirit) can become fragmented, scattered, or disconnected, often due to trauma, transgression, or breach of tapu.

• This disharmony of the spirit can be compared to a defiled or corrupted spiritual state — similar in emotional and metaphysical tone to the idea of disturbing nirvana.

Tapu means sacred or spiritually restricted.

• When tapu is violated or desecrated, it is a deep spiritual offence and causes imbalance.

• The process of removing tapu (whether intentionally or not) and making something noa (common, neutral) can be cleansing or defiling, depending on the context.

MANA(noun)

Mana is a deeply spiritual concept that represents a person’s prestige, authority, power, influence, charisma, integrity, and spiritual force. It is both inherited and earned, and it connects people to their ancestors, the land (whenua), and the divine (atua). Mana is not individualistic; it depends on how you uphold your responsibilities to your people, land, and values. • You uplift your mana by uplifting others, showing respect (whakaute), and living with integrity. You can be born with mana through your genealogy, but you can also gain or grow mana through actions, leadership, knowledge, humility, or service to others.

• Mana is seen as a divine energy or presence, bestowed by the gods (atua) and carried within individuals, places, or objects.

• It reflects your connection to the spiritual world, your lineage (whakapapa), and your sacred purpose.

Mana is the invisible force that binds people to the sacred, to their ancestors, to the land, and to their purpose. It is carried in your name, grown through your deeds, and remembered in your legacy.