Living Pono

My husband and I recently spent two weeks in Kauai, also known as the “Garden Isle” of the Hawaiian Islands. Of the many places we’ve traveled in the past 50 years or so, it remains our very favorite place to be. Yes, the weather is spectacular, and the beauty is spellbinding (which I’ll address in another blog post soon), but it’s more than that. There’s a quality of spirit that abides in that place that is like no other I’ve ever known; a sweetness to its people, a slowed breath of life that hovers over the place in the sunshine and breeze, a quality of living that is hard to define, but intoxicating to both the mind and senses. It is a place and a people that live ‘pono’.

We first encountered the word ‘pono’ our way to Kauai early in September. It was part of the description of the islands on the Hawaiian Airlines flight as they reviewed the safety features of the aircraft (which features and instructions were filmed throughout the Hawaiian Islands - it’s the only time I ever truly watch the “mandatory safety instructions” on any plane - they are mesmerizing and beautiful, if you can believe that!) The narration included several references to “living pono”, and I was curious. Based on context, did it mean to live environmentally responsible and aware? Did it mean to stay safe? To be polite? To treat others kindly and fairly? It was hard to know… so I researched the definition, but more than that, I also observed the natives - the Hawaiians who were our hosts while we were there. And I came to a revelatory conclusion within days of our stay: living pono was far more than any of those things. Pono has come to encompass not only a way of life, but an attitude towards life and living that is heartfelt, genuine, reflecting a deep spirituality that is uniquely Hawaiian.

A google-search reveals that the word pono is part of the Hawaiian state motto, attributed to King Kamehameha III: “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Aina i ka Pono”, or “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”. Here, the word means righteousness, but as is true for many Hawaiian words, pono has many more meanings and nuances than simply ‘righteousness’. The meanings listed in the Hawaiian dictionary are overwhelmingly numerous (goodness, uprightness, moral, correct, proper, excellent, well-meaning, successful, beneficial, in perfect order…) and that’s just a small sampling of the FIRST meaning! It also can refer to the proper stewardship of property or possessions of any kind; or to hope; or to the proper use and purpose of a thing or task.

But even more than a definition, the term has evolved to actually encapsulate the very spirit of life, an approach that underscores a way of living that maintains harmony and alignment with one’s surroundings and one’s community. Stemming from ancient Hawaiian culture, this sense of pono focused on the importance of living in spiritual harmony with each other, in balance with the land and the sea. Living on an isolated chain of islands, such an attitude was critical to survival, and living pono underscored the culture’s commitment to maintaining that balance of life and love through respect and honor; through conservation and care of land, of sea, of each other.

For two weeks, my husband and I watched people living pono, and unfortunately it was rarely the tourists who exemplified that sense of balance and respect, but our native Hawaiian hosts who were gracious, kind, joy-fillled, relaxed. Main-land “transplants” who’d been on the island for many years also exemplified a spirit of pono. It seemed as if a commitment to living in such a beautiful place caused a shift of focus, a gentling of soul and heart, an encompassing of the spiritual and physical beauty of the place they call home.

On Sunday afternoons, we watched families gathered at a small local beach, playing, eating, socializing, filled with laughter and kind words. Children were indulged; older siblings patiently engaging little ones with games and surfing lessons. Food was shared amongst all - between groups of families and strangers alike, and laughter was the order of the day. The peace and harmony of those gatherings was palpable, and did much to bring peace to my heart; here were people who understood love and life in a sweet and powerful way.

One afternoon as we sat and relaxed on an isolated beach, a native Hawaiian stopped to engage us in conversation, full of smiles and questions about where we were from, who we were, and about how we liked his home. He freely shared his love of the island, and asked us about what we liked about his beautiful home. He exuded a peace and calm that enveloped my husband and I as if we were one breathing entity. In that moment, I came to understand living pono in a profound and yet still mysterious way. As he continued his run down the beach after our talk, we couldn’t help but feel we’d shared a special moment with someone who was truly living pono; his sense of peace, respect and honor for all was palpable.

As a general rule, I don’t shop for souvenirs on my trips, (though I did bring home some Hawaiian print fabric for a future quilt!), but this time, I brought home far more than a trinket or object d’art. I returned with a desire for this deep sense of pono, of a way that I want to live my life in the months and years ahead. I want to cultivate that sense of pono in the areas of my life that will not only improve my attitudes and outlook, but that will also help me leave a sweeter, kinder, more respectful imprint on the people around me - family, friends and strangers alike. I want to live pono with respect for the environment and the earth, with intentionality in stewarding resources in ways that will honor future generations.

It’s also not lost on me that living pono is much like living a simply sacred life; there are many things about the two concepts that intersect and meld. Yet, I also recognize that living pono is truly a way of life for many Hawaiians, but that living a simply sacred life is somewhat counter-cultural in this fast-paced mainland culture of ours, and requires us to be somewhat radical in following in those simple, sacred footsteps. Living simply (or living pono) is not a value in our loud, crazy, contentious post-modern world. If we truly want to walk in the steps of the Simply Sacred, I believe we have much to learn from the living pono of our Hawaiian brethren. It seems to me they’ve got it figured out, and are all the better for it.