Beneath this Hawaiian flag, is a beach-front reliquary for ancestral bones, "Iwi," disturbed in the construction of modern Waikiki. The bones were hidden in days of old, so their "Mana" would bless the land and the descendants. Forensic pathologists can tell from bone composition, where someone lived their life. In a very real sense, the place we live becomes mineral-ized into our very bones. Additionally, the Hawaiians believe that one's spiritual state and actions taken also "make ones bones." Weapons or ritual implements made from Pono (righteous) Iwi hold energy and power to their purpose. That is why the bones of great chiefs were hidden away. Kamehameha the Great's burial place is unknown, though suspected to be in some coastal cave on the Big Island, Hawaii. A Descendant of the royal retainer trusted to hide those bones is today the care-taker of the Royal Mausoleum containing the bones of subsequent Hawaiian Majesties. Kamehameha continues to influence our islands through the Mana of his hidden Iwi, as do our other Kupuna Iwi (ancestral bones) . . . .
"Charm is a way of getting the answer "yes" without asking a clear question."- Camus
"We are all stupid, just on different subjects."- Twain
"I am not a glutton. I'm an explorer of food."
- Erma Bombeck
"Fast food" lunch at Shirokiya
Mochiko (mochi-rice-flour, fried) chicken
& Ebi (shrimp) shumai (dumplings)
. Ono, Des!
. Ono, Des! Coke grows on palm trees!
Why are these palms bent?
"through the windshield"
"If you can recognize illusion as illusion, it dissolves. The recognition . . .is also its ending. Its survival depends on your mistaking it for reality. In the seeing of who you are NOT (the normal illusion) the reality of who you ARE emerges by itself."
- Eckhart Tolle A L O H A ! Cloudia
17 comments:
beautiful history lesson, thx cloudia :)
Interesting how bones become imbued with the hopes and dreams of the living. It happened with the Sainted relics in the Christian religions, especially the Catholic Church.
I also enjoyed he history lesson!
Fascinating, as always, Cloudia. My bones seem to be disintegrating, so maybe I'm not living right?
Mahalo LaughingWolf!
Excellent, point, Charles.
Mahalo, Dear
Gran.
Junosmom: You know, as we mature we become more aware of the frailty of these bodies. Kids have the illusion of indestructability - we learned better. As we learn wisdom, we often feel it as a 'dis-integration.' It is illusion that is disolving. Your writing suggests that yours is a well-lived and a well-loved life!
This is great! I love Hawaii... I went there for summer and cannot wait to go back... By the way.. great find!
This is fascinating. (The Coke bottle too.)
I worked this year at several digs, salvaging the bones of 4,000+ year old Canaanites before new housing would destroy their shaft tombs. It is a strange feeling to hold old bones, especially a skull, in your hands.
These bones are treated with respect and later reburied. A rabbi was attached to our dig every day of the excavation.
Aloha to you and the Iwi.
Hi Cloudia, So nice to meet you. Wow! You sure know a ton about the islands and its history. I've just returned to the islands after being away for some 34 years and am getting acclimated again. I loved seeing all the familiar places on your post. I'm going to have to look for those bent coconut trees some time.
Interesting history lesson and well received.
Wonderful, another Eckhart Tolle fan!!
I love these history of Hawaii lessons. :)
The Tolle quote is undoubtedly true of visual illusions, so there's no reason why it should not be generally applicable, though I've never thought of applying the one to all the others. Fascinating thought..
Cloudia, good point. My goal in life is to use "me" all up.
Always lovely to be in Hawaii if only through your posts.
Your blog is BETTER than any guide book! Thank you!
Darn, why did Erna and not I come up with that quote :-)
I enjoyed what you say on the bones. (Also fascinated to learn that a US state still flies the Union Flag in some form!)
Leon, Dina, Kay, Barbara M, Ake (!)
Dave King, Junosmom, pattinase, Dina, Fida & Dear Brother Tobias: MAHALO for taking your valuable time to visit Comfort Spiral and even taking time to leave your interesting and encouraging comments! You are all appreciated more than you probably reaize! Being a writer is lonely work, well I don;t need to tell YOU folks . . . aloha, Buds!
Cloudia,
It is nice taking a break from the internet for a week (especially when you have cached a week's worth of postings to cover your absence) and it is great to be back.
Especially when you being back meant that you get to be blissfully blown away by the power of e-friends postings.
I always look forward to visiting you. (I think of this as visiting you, not your site. Your writing just comes across as so personal.)
All the best and thanks for sharing your best,
e-Chris
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