| HAWAIIAN CULTURE:
SOMETHING OF VALUE (Everything is Sacred) Humans have arrived at a defining moment. We must assume conscious collective responsibility for creating our future. It is the time of the great turning to a life-sustaining society. We need a vision of where we want to go. Some people see Hawaii as a center of a new beginning - the hope of the world. The old Hawaiians had a strong sense of stewardship toward the land. The land, they believed, is like your mother - you care for it, and it cares for you. To the old Hawaiians, everything was sacred: everything was to be respected not be exploited, destroyed, contaminated, or polluted. Embracing traditional Hawaiian values may be the answer for any emerging integral culture. The world must share in the Hawaiian vision: Loving the Aina (Land): That which provides substance - a gift to be respected, valued, and protected. Embracing Manaoio (Faith): Respect for nature - understanding one's self as part of a larger system. Seeking Lokahi (Unity, Balance, Harmony): To be part of nature - always striving to be in a harmonious relationship with the world. Giving Malama (Caring): Caring - for one another, the land, the sea. Achieve Ike (Knowledge): The most important Hawaiian principle - the core of achieving sustainability. Like the old Hawaiians, we must return to the natural ways. We must sincerely learn that we are a part of all that is. Mother Earth is within us, and we are within her. We must take the rubble from the old taker culture and build something beautiful, harmonious, and sacred. It is no mere coincidence that the state motto of Hawaii is: Ua Mau Ke Ea Ka'aina I Ka Pono which translates: The Life of the Land is Preserved in Righteousness. Hawaii Nei: The hope of the world. Island Tom 4th of July, 2000 |