LAWA‘I — Generations of mothers have been drawn to Lawa‘i Valley over the years. From the ancient Hawaiians to Japanese immigrants, many have felt its healing touch. Sunday was no exception. The Lawa‘i International Center embraced mothers young and old
LAWA‘I — Generations of mothers have been drawn to Lawa‘i Valley over the years. From the ancient Hawaiians to Japanese immigrants, many have felt its healing touch.
Sunday was no exception. The Lawa‘i International Center embraced mothers young and old as they stopped by to make a Mother’s Day pilgrimage to the sacred South Shore site.
“We all need a place to go and rejuvenate our spirits,” said Pam Hoffman, a volunteer for the nonprofit organization, Sunday.
Lawa‘i Valley has continued to be a magnet for many spiritual seekers since ancient times and recently captured the heart of Lynn Muramoto, president of the Lawa‘i International Center.
In 1990, Muramoto set out on a mission to help revive the area and restore the shrines, which had begun to lose their glory.
Now, the smell of incense lingers in the air and offerings, such as money and candy, adorn each of the 88 Shingon Buddhist shrines. Purple orchids even dressed up the site as a tribute to Mother’s Day, Hoffman said.
The natural healing powers of the valley were recognized long ago by ancient Hawaiians, yet their spirit of aloha is thought to linger to this day.
“The innate aloha spirit is captured here,” said Mari Anderson, another volunteer for the Lawa‘i International Center who was there Sunday to assist those who came to visit.
When Japanese immigrants first ventured to Kaua‘i, they were also pulled to the valley.
In 1904, wanting to retain a connection to their homeland and culture, the 88 shrines that dot the hillside were created as a miniature replica of the approximately 900-mile long, 88 Temple Pilgrimage that circuits the island of Shikoku, Japan.
Though it is reportedly one of the oldest Buddhist temple sites in the nation, the center has been deemed non-denominational and individuals of all faiths and backgrounds are invited to traverse the steep narrow trail that pivots up and down the lush, green hillside.
The path is a lot like the journey of life, said Hoffman. You start at the belly button — a puka in the hill at the beginning of the pilgrimage — and you stay on the path all the way to the end; you don’t get too close to the edge and you watch where you put your feet. The trail is steep and hard at the beginning, but halfway through it mellows out and you’re heading downhill to the end, she added.
Volunteers like Hoffman are part of an ongoing effort to bring the shrines and valley “back to prominence as an international center for compassion, education and cultural understanding,” the organization’s Web site states.
“To me, it’s such a healing place; a compassionate place,” Anderson said. “I wanted to give something back to the island and here it felt like I was coming home.”
Lauren King, another volunteer for the organization, agreed.
“The feeling I get when I’m here is peaceful and serene; a nice energy,” she said.
The Lawa‘i International Center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every second and last Sunday of the month.
The organization’s Ninth Annual Pilgrimage for Compassion will be held in July, with a guest appearance by world-renowned shakuhachi (Japanese flute) Grand Master Riley Lee.
“It’s an honor that he puts us on his agenda,” Hoffman said.
For more information, visit www.lawaicenter.org
• Coco Zickos, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
