Aloha

Ooo, ooo! Ya know when you have one of those synchronistic thunderclap moments when puzzle pieces fall into place and you close a circle of understanding that you didn't even realize was still left open? I had one of those moments in hula class this evening and, at the risk of boring you silly, I have to write this down.

In my previous post on the Tao, I sorted out that connection with the unfathomable - the wondrous divinity of natural beauty or true compassion - produces a peace and a radiance in people that shines from the inside out, and that phenomenon is a manifestation of love.

Tonight our kumu hula was explaining that the word "Aloha" means love, but its literal meaning adds great significance. "Alo" means 'face to face with' or 'in the presence of', and "ha" means 'breath, spiritual life force'. So literally, Aloha means "in the presence of the breath of the divine". Kumu pointed out that there is an implied reverence and wonder in the meaning of "Aloha" that often gets lost in modern usage.

My jaw almost hit the floor. That peace and radiance I feel and see in the presence of the ungraspable *is* love made manifest; it is the true meaning of...

... Aloha ...

It's the Tao, Dude!

Sunday evening, in a course I'm taking, we were discussing the Tao Te Ching of Lao-tzu (abt.551-479 BCE) and we were presented with this portion of his teaching:

21.
The Master keeps her mind
always at one with the Tao;
that is what gives her her radiance.

The Tao is ungraspable.
How can her mind be at one with it?
Because she doesn't cling to ideas.

The Tao is dark and unfathomable.
How can it make her radiant?
Because she lets it.

Since before time and space were,
the Tao is.
It is beyond is and is not.
How do I know this is true?
I look inside myself and see.

We were asked to reflect on this and come up with what we think it means, or what it means to us. Most in the group found it confusing and "ungraspable" in and of itself, but I must be odd, because this was so easy, so clear to me. This radiance in the presence of the ungraspable is exactly what I feel when I look at those I love, and when I go to my church...the beach. Here's a somewhat feeble attempt of mine to put this into words from this blog posted August 6, 2008:

"...And always, there's the island, the sea and the sky; constant yet ever-changing in the light. It's a haven of peace, truly. To be surrounded by such soul-opening beauty is wonderfully healing and inspires a sense of peace and contentment. There are normal stresses of life here, certainly, but I've never felt them melt away with quite the same evaporative ease as they do here. All it takes is a sunset, a rainbow, the scent of flowers on the air, a view from on high, a walk on the beach. And I can see the same reaction on other faces, too. Absorbing such natural loveliness visibly changes people; muscles relax, eyes blink slowly, soft smiles warm into being from the inside and light people up like tiki torches...."

Connection with natural wonder, the unfathomable, produces a radiance from within. To me, it's a manifestation of love; think how the face lights up when the heart sees someone it loves. It's not necessary to understand it in order to feel it, to be part of it. The very fact that it is ungraspable makes it all the more wondrous. To me, that's the Tao.

At which point another participant added that he'd once heard Lao-tzu referred to as "the original surfer dude". Makes sense to me. :)

Aloha pumehana...

Fun in the Sun

What a gorgeous day today! A little windy, but the sun was shining and beckoning us outdoors.

First, Kevin's swim training, followed by some basketball with his mom at the park in full view of the beautifully green Diamond Head. We had so much fun playing around, and I even made some free throws...whoosh!...not too bad for Kev's old mom. Afterwards, I needed a swim, so I called a friend for a beach run. Our normal haunts were crowded, so we decided to explore a bit, but still close to home.

Lo and behold, we found the prettiest little beach, one my friend had never found in twenty years of living on O'ahu. It's perfect. It has an access off the beaten path, a curved sandy cove protected by two outer breaks, perfect for swimming. The cove itself is surrounded by lots of reef perfect for snorkeling and fishing, and along the beach there are tide pools for exploring. For the more adventurous, Franko's O'ahu Surfing Map says it's also home to two "expert only" level surf breaks.

Heaven five minutes from home. We spent the rest of the afternoon there. Next time, I'm bringing our snorkel gear...oh, and a camera. :)

Aloha pumehana...

Small Miracles

"Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man, that he didn't—didn't already have."
~America

If there's one thing I've learned over my lifetime, it's that searching for your heart's desire is unnecessary; it's already there right under your nose if only you choose to see it. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Menehune Hill

[Update 2/7/09 - We were eating lunch at Big City Diner today, and there was an historic photo of a little astronomical observatory right over Kevin's head. I recognized the location as the very spot this post is about. There was an explanation with the photo that said this little observatory was built on top of this hill with community funds in 1909, in anticipation of Halley's comet in 1910. I found some more info on it HERE. Pretty cool!
A little more research reveals the ti ovens were used by the menehune to distill ti mash into an 80 proof liquor called okolehao. Intewesting....]

There's a legend behind the name Kaimuki. The name of our neighborhood means hot ti ovens, Ka Imu Ki and refers to the great ovens used by the menehune, or Hawaiian mystical little people. So we live on the slopes of Menehune Hill, which, for anyone who knows me and my history with gnomes, fairies, leprechauns, etc., is kinda cool. :)

About three blocks away from us is a little park set up on top of this hill, which is fairly steep and high. For that reason, it's where the old electric lighted Kaimuki Christmas tree sits, since when it's lighted up, you can see it from everywhere. The little park is quite hidden up there, so often empty, but affords some lovely 360 views, particularly at sunset, and it's on one of my walking routes. Here are some photos I took last night. Not a spectacular sunset, but pretty, and hopefully you might get a feel of how it looks up there.

The photo above is looking toward downtown Honolulu with the sunset over the water.

This is a view of Kahala with Koko Head in the distance:


The Firehouse tower, and the Wilhelmina Rise:


Toward Waikiki:


Again toward Waikiki with Diamond Head outlined to the left:


So many pretty spots here just a wee walk away. I love where we live!

Aloha

Navel Gazing With Dorothy

[Update 2/8/09 - Headline this morning Mosaic Project Seen As Wasteful..lol..is it a sign?]

A Fairly Sad Tale

I think that I shall never know
Why I am thus, and I am so.
Around me, other girls inspire
In men the rush and roar of fire,
The sweet transparency of glass,
The tenderness of April grass,
The durability of granite;
But me- I don't know how to plan it.
The lads I've met in Cupid's deadlock
Were- shall we say?- born out of wedlock.
They broke my heart, they stilled my song,
And said they had to run along,
Explaining, so to sop my tears,
First came their parents or careers.
But ever does experience
Deny me wisdom, calm, and sense!
Though she's a fool who seeks to capture
The twenty-first fine, careless rapture,
I must go on, till ends my rope,
Who from my birth was cursed with hope.
A heart in half is chaste, archaic;
But mine resembles a mosaic-
The thing's become ridiculous!
Why am I so? Why am I thus?

~ Dorothy Parker

Pua Mae`ole

Enjoying some peace this morning before watching a local boy from Kahuku win the Superbowl :)

It's a beautiful morning here, so I walked down to Leonard's for some malasadas, and since I got home I've been listening to some music, including Pua Mae`ole, which is one of my very favorite songs. Searching on YouTube for a vid of Na Leo's version to share, I found this one instead. I have no idea who this is, but the simplicity of this gorgeous song on the ukulele just touched my heart....lovely...



Gonna go to church (read the beach) now for a dip before the game.

Aloha pumehana...