Simplifying Spirituality 

As a traditional Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner, I have been trained to recognise the connection that we have to everyone and everything in this universe. There's no concept of nature in the traditional understanding of our ancestors. When we go outside of our homes and we look upon the trees, the rivers, the oceans, the waterfalls, the clouds, in our understanding and thinking as traditionalists, as indigenous people - that's not nature. 

We recognise using the word nature is for the purpose of creating separation. The concept, the word in and of itself. Nature doesn't exist. That's the wind, the trees, the sun, the moon, the stars, the ocean, the land - all of it - that's Ohana - that's family. And because they are family they have a name, they are alive, they have a spirit and we connect to them with that understanding. We understand our place in all of our Ohana - of all of our family.  There's no such thing as nature. If you want to uncomplicate spirituality, forget that one. 

Find a way to completely move whatever it is in your being you have been raised with that you have taken on board, that distances yourself from everything that you find to be in existence around you. We have to break down and remove that belief of separation. Everything that is in existence has its place. When we are able to understand that, then we are able to orient ourselves within that space, with understanding. 

Some of the examples that I would like to share is that a tree, for example, the tree doesnʻt sit around and contemplate what it means to be a tree. The human species, built with its intellect, is the species that sits around and contemplates what it means to be a human being. It is contradictory because what we are talking about in spirituality, is about understanding your being. We speak about this in terms of knowing everything about yourself. When we know everything about ourselves, then we are able to love ourselves. When we come to a place where we know everything about and love ourselves, this is the moment where our ancestors require of us to turn around and share that love, that knowing, that understanding with everyone and everything in this universe. For that is indeed what makes it unconditional. 

The unconditionality of it all is understanding that everything has its place and that we are connected to it. There are many different ways in which we can come to this understanding. We call this understanding Aloha. So Aloha is really is understanding that being a part of all and all is a part of me. The pillars of our lineage, the understanding is how we construct our organic place, station, belonging. In traditional Hawaiian, indigenous cultural understandings, when our people were asked if there was any kind of structured religion - the answer was no. The closest concept that we can come to for example of the english western word of religion goes back to the very first concept I brought forward. The closest thing that we can come to in religion in our indigenous culture is Ohana, is family and understanding those relationships and understanding ones place. The earth, the sea, the sky, they are mine to care for, to cherish and to protect. 

There's also in our language, in our culture in the understanding of our ancestors, there is no such thing as spirituality. Even that concept, in the mind, in the consciousness of the human being creates a layer of separation. This is why when we share it, when our ancestors are teachings us about it, we talk about it in the terms of understanding the way of life, the way of thinking and the way of being of our ancestors - and that's not spiritual. That's not spirituality, that is simply understanding what it is. And then moving from there. 

Mahalo deeply for allowing me to share.

Kumu Pa'a Kawika on Clubhouse with Scottie Ocean and Melinda Hogvard- 

Spiritual Not Religious Club: 17 Jan 2022 - ʻUncomplicating Spirituality - Using Nature to your advantageʻ Room