Wednesday, September 9, 2015

The Aloha Spirit: An Example of Inclusiveness



The “Aloha Spirit” is something unique to Hawaii.  While other cultures may have similar concepts or ideas, few places on Earth seem to resonate this way of life as does Hawaii.  Those lucky enough to be born and reared here, the “Aloha Spirit” is a way of thinking and way of life they absorb through the living examples they see all around them.  There are some key words in Hawaiian that exemplify this way of life.

Hawaii’s state motto is “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono" (“The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness").  Two key words in the motto are “Aina” and “Pono.”


Aina (sounds like I--like the pronoun for me + nah) means land.  Hawaii is one of the most remote island groups in the world.  It is about 4,023 km / 2,500 mi from the nearest continent.  The islands are a land oasis in the midst of the vastness of the Pacific Ocean.  For the inhabitants, it is the source of life.  It provides for their needs, but is a limited resource.  As such, they respected and protected it in order to sustain themselves and future generations.

Modern research shows many people experience a calm, soothing sensation when outdoors and surrounded by greenery.  This can happen even in urban gardens when a field of view is dominated by gardens.  New York City residents report this sensation even when in small roof top gardens.  This is, in part, why the National Parks Conservation Association encourages people to visit and support the US National Park System.  The National Wildlife Federation attempts to bring Nature to the people with their “Backyard Habitat” and “Schoolyard Habitat” gardening programs.

Pono (sounds like poe—as in Edgar Allan Poe + no) generally means “righteousness.”  The sense in the State’s motto essentially means Hawaiian people living respectfully on the land do the right thing in all things as a way of life.  They respect each other and the environment.  This concept empowers people to do good or right things for others without expectation or consideration for reward or recognition.  You simply do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.  [Note: Originally there was no private property.  All people had a vested interest in protecting the land in order to get food and sustenance in the middle of the ocean.  The land division system of old Hawaii (ahupua’a; sounds like ah-who + pooh-ah-ah) created wedge-shaped parcels of land extending from the mountains to the sea.  Essentially this assured ecologically sustainable units.  Westerners brought concepts of private land ownership that destroyed the Hawaiian system.  The land was fragmented by special interests seeking sections for waterfront, agricultural, commercial and other special interests.  This segmentation of the environment was arbitrarily based on self-interest and counter to the natural order for Hawaiians.]

Three related concepts give more insight to the “Aloha Spirit.”  Hawaiian culture is communal.  The word “Ohana” (sounds like oh + ha + nah) loosely translates to “family.”  The word originates with taro (the basic staple food plant for the islanders).  Many shoots come from the same root.  This connotes the sense that all people come from the same “root” and are thus all one big family.  The term applies equally to biological family members as well as friends and co-workers.  It recognizes that people are social by nature.  And as Gandhi said, ““Interdependence is and ought to be as much the ideal of man as self-sufficiency.  Man is a social being. Without interrelation with society he cannot realize his oneness with the universe or suppress his egotism.  His social interdependence enables him to test his faith and to prove himself on the touchstone of reality.”

Mana (sounds like mah-nah) relates to power.  But the Hawaiian sense of power is through life force energy not mere physical strength or material possessions.  As a dynamic entity, mana changes by increasing or decreasing based on your live actions relative to pono.  The more righteous your actions, the more mana you have.    Harmonious relationships and being helpful to others gains mana.  This is how pono and mana work together and make for a sustainable way of life.

Aloha (sounds like Ah + low + ha) is a very fuzzy Hawaiian term.  It embraces and embodies love, charity, empathy, compassion, sympathy, kindness, gentleness, and much more.  This word is used when greeting and when parting.  The context is intended to remind people that love is an all embracing life force.  Some translate it as “Joyfully sharing life.”  When you do your work and conduct your relationships and business with a aloha, life is more harmonious. 

The Aloha Spirit is an inherent part of life in Hawaii.  When people born and raised in the islands move away, the Aloha Spirit goes with them.  These migrants export the Aloha Spirit from the islands and dispense it wherever they go.  They plant the seeds of Aloha everywhere.  The Aloha Spirit is alive and well in S.E.E.D.S.  


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