Remembering With Gratitude

May 2, 2018 is a day we'll long remember. The day Lunel ended up in an unexplained coma and was rushed to the emergency room. During the next 36 hours, lava began to flow in our subdivision, Civil Defense was going door to door with emergency evacuation orders, and Phil was watching his world dissolve around him.

Yes, Ganesh is seated on a large chunk of pahoehoe lava

In that same period, a fire broke out in the forest near our home and it was burned to the ground. Shortly thereafter lava broke out at Fissure 8 and initially began to flow to the east, away from our house. The rest is history as lava built up and eventually covered not only our home but 700 others on it's speedy way to the ocean.
May also happens to be our anniversary month when we celebrate our meeting on May 18, 1986...and our wedding three years later on May 25, 1989. AND, it is TUDOR'S third birthday.

To commemorate this auspicious month, Lunel decorated a cement statue of Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god most widely known for his ability to overcome obstacles. The most immediate connection to that philosophical principle would be a 200 foot high mountain of lava that covered our home, but there is another, less widely known concept that Lunel adopted for herself many years ago.

Elephants are assumed to be terrified of mice. Ganesh, however, decided to overcome his fear -- by  'making friends' with his fear, adopting the mouse as his side kick. In many images of Ganesh you will find him accompanied by his mouse/friend/teacher. Lunel had an image of Ganesh-with-mouse tattooed on her arm for her 70th birthday.

May 2018 brought a package of unbelievable fear, loss, anger and depression for both of us and a two-year journey of ups and downs. We chose to adopt the philosophy that would allow us to look at those emotions squarely and recognize the profound teachings they might offer. We were graced with an outpouring of gifts, support and aloha during that time. Today, on this significant anniversary, we pause to give thanks for each and every blessing.

Aloha and Mahalo

TIS THE SEASON....

...yes, 'tis the season...in many traditions, for family, friends, gift giving and celebration. For many years we have had a special place in our home for a statue of Ganesh – beloved elephant deity of many people, but most particularly people of the Hindu faith. And, of course this particular event coincides with other religious and cultural celebrations at this time of year -- dating back centuries and millennia. 

Our (previous) home altar

Are we Hindu?  No, but the teachings of Lord Ganesh go far beyond a spiritual practice and include adaptations and relevant components of philosophy, psychology and thoughtful heart/mind wisdom.  Some people only know of Ganesh as the “remover of obstacles” – but he is also Lord of Word and Light.

Pancha Ganapati is a modern Hindu festival of the Five-Faced version of Ganesh (pancha means “five”.) This festival lasts for five days – from December 21 through 25. Pancha Ganapati is a Hindu season of worship, gift giving and celebration much like many other faiths and traditions: Christian, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and more. 

Another typical altar for this seasonal event

The idea is that family members work together, in forgiveness and good spirit, and bring Lord Ganesh’s blessings of joy and harmony into five realms of their lives, welcoming in a wider circle of their lives each day: family, friends, associations, culture, and religion. The family creates a shrine in the living room, decorated for the occasion.

This BLUE is the color
 of our new sapphire rings

In learning and using Sanskrit chants in meditation practice for many years, perhaps the most important teaching I have learned is that in all actuality “I” am the biggest obstacle I will ever meet.  You don’t have to ascribe to a Hindu belief system to appreciate that “getting out of our own way” is a valuable life teaching.

When we lost our Leilani Estates home in May (fire/lava) several of our friends, knowing our appreciation for this charming deity, gave us Ganesh statues -- all of which will be thoughtfully placed in our new home. Maybe while Ganesh could not save our home  he DID (along with the help of our attorneys) manage to "move" Lloyds' of London to pay up!! And here we are, today, bruised but not broken, moving into a house the same color as one of the most famous statues of Ganesh!

"Waiting Is - I Grok"

Mid-right you can see the ship in the open nook.

"Steady there wahine."

Admittedly the title of this blog will connect with a certain group of people.  Then again, it also ties in with some of the PUNATIC philosophy like "Go With The Flow," or, "It's Just a Matter of Time."

When we bought our Hawai'i hale (house) early in 2012, Phil saw a little triangular open space in the high wall between the open plan living area and the kitchen. He felt that his model sailing ship, a British Frigate (HMS Victory) would fit perfectly there -- and so it did (see photo.)

Inset shows detail 

I on the other hand, felt that the long beam (16' high) running the length of the house and through the living area would be the place for my own very special piece -- a hand made Hindu wedding canopy we bought from a trader when we owned Many Hands Gallery in Eureka.

It has hand embroidery, tiny mica "mirrors," scenes of Ganesh, dancing wedding couple, Krishna playing his flute, peacocks, Sanskrit blessings and other traditional scenes of India.

For many years it hung in our (built-in 1860) Victorian -- and I had always planned --- to put it up here in our Hawai' house..

(waiting is....) Four years later, we find we ourselves changing all the many light bulbs in the house -- to make our now full-house solar set up the most efficient and thus, now have the appropriate ladder to ALSO (finally) hang up the wedding canopy....kind of a perfect thing for this year's Christmas

Celebrating Christmas with FOUR generations!!!  Grandma REBA-BO-BEBA standing on the side, I"I LANI watching baby TASHA on GREAT GRANDMA's lap.  What a family!!

Remember to "CLICK" on any photo to enlarge.

Ganesh

Ganesh - Greeter at our front gate.

For many years we have had a special place in our home for a statue of Ganesh – beloved elephant deity of many people, but most particularly people of the Hindu faith.  Are we Hindu?  No, but the teachings of Lord Ganesh go far beyond a spiritual practice and include layers of thoughtful heart/mind wisdom.  Some people only know of Ganesh as the “remover of obstacles” – but he is also Lord of Word and Light. 

 

During the 22 years we owned Many Hands Gallery in Eureka, we always found people were attracted to Ganesh.  Ganesh was such a popular image  that I began to create

meditation rocks using a variety Ganesh images

New altar with Ganesh for the New Year

In learning and using Sanskrit chants for many years, perhaps the most important teaching I have learned is that in all actuality “I” am the biggest obstacle I will ever meet.  You don’t have to ascribe to a Hindu belief system to appreciate that “getting out of our own way” is a valuable life teaching.

When we retired and moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, we were thrilled to find an artist who made a BIG Ganesh statue in cement which we bought for the garden area at the front gate to our property.  And, for the New Year we set up a altar -- decorating it with all white treasures to represent a fresh new beginning for 2015.