HIbiscus / shot on iPhone 12 ProMax (edited by me)
When I arrived and looked within, I saw that it was filled with stones. In that moment, I heard:
Wisdom is the wealth you seek.
A few days later I’d be in conversation with Kumu Pa'a Lawrence and shared with him this experience from my meditation. It was during that conversation that I made the decision to take his Luna Ho'oponopono course.
Prior to and during the course with Kumu Pa'a, with special shares from his students, some who are now Kumu Pa'a as well, and the 51st generation of such Kumu from their tradition, I learned many concepts rooted in Native Hawaiian culture, tradition, and belief that they embodied.
One of these ideas was if we are not solid on our journey, there will be pohaku (stone) that block our connection to the Higher Beings.
To illustrate this, they shared a mo'olelo (story) that told of a bowl we each carry when we come into this life. This bowl of Light harnesses our connection to the Divine. The more pohaku that fill the bowl, the more disconnected we are, which adds to a lack of feeling well in our lives.
As I reflected on the scene from meditation, to the class then, and as my journey from past to that point (and even Here+Now), perhaps the greatest gift I took from my time in that course and the many teachings is the need for pule (prayer).
For me, some days, prayer is hard. I’m just not there, wherever there is, where I’m perfect at it. I’m very much both sides of a Human + Being equation. I recognize the value and my foundation in the spiritual aspect of Life, but every sacred text and tradition teaches that Life has challenges.
A great many.
And I’m still figuring it out, while also cultivating my endurance.
As I continue to work on removing the pohaku, in some cases taking one pohaku out to reveal another beneath it, or even throwing one or few back in, I do my best to be present in my practice of pule.
Some days, it honestly feels like I’m going through the motions, and that’s not isolated to prayer, that’s processing what I’ve learned in therapy while also just doing as best as can to show up and be of service. When I wrote my first book, one of the key thoughts I wished to convey was that the struggle is all too real, and truly that’s okay.
That’s part of what it means to being on the journey.
As we deepen our connection to the Infinite, we enhance our connection to an Inner Knowning. The more we listen for and to the guidance that comes from that quiet space, free from the distraction of the noise that is not ours, the easier it is to let go of the pohaku that block the expansive connection to the Divine.
When we are free from that weight, we can appreciate the fullness of life, stand firm whether the days are Light, Dark, or Other-Wise.
And I believe that’s really what peace is about. It’s the eye of the hurricane. The calm deep in as the storm rages all around.
That why I continue to work at it. That’s true wealth and I’ve been fortunate to encounter people who are able to share their abundance of that gift so freely.