Honolulu / Chicago
No
Swimming, No Surfing, but Chanting
In late 2015, I trekked from Pearl Harbor
to the north shore of Oahu, where waves are ideal for surfing. However, I haven’t seen that many people are taking
advantage of the waves the south shore has to offer. It’s mostly middle-aged men who very
religiously show up at that early hour to catch the best wave possible.
This year, Gurudas, Kapu and I walked along
the beach at Magic Island, aka Aina Moana, where the exotic banyan trees tower
above grassy domains, while the surfers pull out their boards. Speaking for myself, I’m looking for that
perfect moment when I'm chanting with clarity, and with attention. Often I find myself missing the boat, so to
speak, but making an endeavour to sound it out right, softly, while using my
beads.
As we leave the surfing beach behind and
pace along with more walkers, it’s a greeting of “Hello!” and “Good morning!”
in mutual exchange. Kapu and I are in
traditional garb. It catches people’s
attention.
Kapu, 23, who is a native Hawaiian, was
demonstrating to Gurudas and me how they used to greet one another. “It’s rare to find someone doing it today,”
he told us. It’s interesting. “You put your foreheads together, even noses,
and take your right hand to brace the other person’s neck.” Rather intimate isn’t it?
Kapu also told us that it was illegal to
speak Hawaiian until more recently.
Rather sick, I would say. Can you
imagine living in a place where it is illegal to chant on beads, something that
you’re thoroughly accustomed to doing?
May the Source be with you!
5 km
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