"Pono" by Bodhi Smith

May 13, 2022

"pono" is my brand new impression and blog...
 
"pono means that you are in alignment, balance, and in harmony with what is happening in your life...you are connecting to the universe and all its living things in virtuous and godly ways" ― bodhi, pono
 
right
wrong,
we know
instinctively
the right path,
pono's the right road;
being godly is the right way.
the way to harmony and balance.
righteousness and love is never wrong. 
 
"you are my pono...my support, my partner...my aloha, my pono" ― bo syrotiak
 
"just like a sunbeam can't separate itself from the sun, and a wave can't separate itself from the ocean, we can't separate ourselves from one another. we are all part of a vast sea of harmony and love, one indivisible divine mind" ― marianne williamson, a return to love
 
"one love, one heart. let's get together and feel alright (as it was in the beginning). one love (so shall it be in the end). one heart, give thanks and praise to the lord and i will feel alright" ― bob marley, one love
 
"nature is the best teacher of all that is righteous" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"if there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. if there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. if there is harmony in the home, there will be order with your neighbors. when there is order with your neighbors, there will peace in the world" ― confucius
 
"this life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. we are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. all does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified" ― martin luther 
 
"when you think yours is the only true path you forever chain yourself to judging others and narrow the vision of god. the road to righteousness and arrogance is a parallel road that can intersect each other several times throughout a person's life. it’s often hard to recognize one road from another. what makes them different is the road to righteousness is paved with the love of humanity. the road to arrogance is paved with the love of self" ― shannon l. alder
 
"be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. be a treasure to the poor, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. be guarded in thy speech. be unjust to no one, and show all meekness to all beings. be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of humankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility" ― baha'u'llah
 
"i especially feel pono with my girlfriend. i can stare for hours into her eyes and feel so peaceful, so at home, so in harmony with god and the universe. there's no fear there, only the safe reflection of truth and goodness. there's only a clarity of the certainty in love" ― bodhi, pono (righteousness)
 
"everyone instinctively knows right from wrong, it's inherent in each of us as human beings. we can chose to be truthful and always strive to do what is right and just. being pono means that you walk the path you know is righteous, even if it is the more difficult way" ― bodhi, pono (righteousness)
 
this song is the perfect song to accompany my image and blog today...it's a classic from over 50 years ago, first released in late 1971, this timeless tune has the same meaning it did then...and quite frankly, goes beautifully with the meaning of my blog today, just imagine a world where natural inner beauty is celebrated, and egos are tamed, everyone is in a relationship of harmony with each other (pono), and life is based on peace, not greed: "imagine" by john lennon ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection).... and also, here is a great cover of john lennon's "imagine" done beautifully by jack johnson and his guitar, creating new modern beach vibes to the tune... "imagine" by jack johnson (john lennon cover) 

"imagine there's no heaven. it's easy if you try. no hell below us, above us is only sky. imagine all the people, living for today...imagine there's no countries. it isn't hard to do. nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. imagine all the people, living life in peace...you, you may say i'm a dreamer, but i'm not the only one. i hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one...imagine no possessions. i wonder if you can. no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. imagine all the people, sharing all the world...you, you may say i'm a dreamer. but i'm not the only one. i hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one" ― john lennon, imagine
 
"to be pono means you have the perfect relationship with the creative energy of the universe, however you might describe that energy: god, goddess, prana, mana, chi, spirit, or love...your every thought, word, and deed are in complete harmony with that divine energy" ― bodhi, pono (righteousness)
----------------------
 
MEANING
"be the love you want to see in other people's eyes" ― bodhi, pono
 
i wish to start this part of my blog today by giving my loving thanks for all the beautiful and positive relationships that i get to experience in my life. i'm so deeply grateful for this universe and the relationship it has with me; by letting me experience firsthand in all its diversity of beauty and record some of the real magic this world has to offer with my camera, so others can also see and sense the majesty of this planet and the heavens...and i'm also deeply thankful and grateful for the all the loving relationships i have in my life: with my doggie, with my girlfriend, and with my parents, with my family in oklahoma, and with all those who support me and my photography, for without you, there would be less meaning in my works, i give my mahalo to all of you, thank you and namaste!!
 
i'm sure most people on mainland usa are not aware of this: hawaii’s state motto is "ua mau ke ea o ka ‘aina i ka pono", which means "the life of the land is perpetuated by righteousness"...and of course, the primary word in the saying is "pono"

"pono" (pronounced "poh-noh") is a hawaiian word and translates to mean: "righteousness" but as with many hawaiian words, there is a much deeper meaning than the translation...
 
first let's look at the word "righteousness", which is defined by merriam-webster:
1. a state of freedom from anything immoral, deceptive, sinful, petty, mean, evil or dubious in conduct and character
2. something that is moral, ethical, godly, and virtuous
3. conforming to a higher standard of what is right, truthful, and good

so, to be pono means that you are in alignment, balance, and in harmony with what is happening in your life. it means you have the perfect relationship with the creative energy of the universe, however you might describe that energy: god, goddess, prana, mana, chi, spirit, or love (whatever that higher power is for you). your every thought, word, and deed are in complete harmony with that divine energy...
 
you are connecting to the universe and all of its living things in virtuous and godly ways...
 
everyone instinctively knows right from wrong, it's inherent in each of us as human beings. we can chose to be truthful and always strive to do what is right and just. being pono means that you walk the path you know is righteous, even if it is the more difficult way.  
 
"right, wrong, we know instinctively the right path is the right road; being godly is the right way. the way to harmony and balance. righteousness and love is never wrong" ― bodhi, righteousness
 
plus, this deeper meaning of "pono" means you are in complete harmony and alignment with your custodial relationship with the world. that you operate on the earthly plane as one who is the caretaker of the land during your lifetime. that your stewardship of the land leaves it as good or better than you found it so that succeeding generations can enjoy the resources that were gifted to you in your lifetime and during your stewardship...adding love, and leaving only footprints...
 
and being pono means you have proper and respectful relationships with others: with yourself, with your kupuna (elders), with neighbors, with family, with lover, with fur babies, and with friends...pono means that your relationships with others are just and fair and untinged by ego, anger, jealousy, resentment or any negative energy. you are in harmony and in integrity...
 
i especially feel pono with my girlfriend. i can stare for hours into her eyes and feel so peaceful, so at home, so in harmony with god and the universe. there's no fear there, only the safe reflection of truth and goodness. there's only a clarity of the certainty in love. it's a feeling that cannot be described with words. it's a feeling that can only be felt. it's a feeling that can only be known.
 
"when i look into her eyes, i see the love and harmony of god reflecting back into me. and i understand the true meaning of righteousness" ― bodhi, pono 
 
"pono" in relationships means an absence of any negativity. it means carrying out all of our relationships with positivity, love, and respect for each other...and by further using "ho’oponopono" (practice of forgiveness), you can help to strengthen those relationships if they aren’t pono...
 
discord is resolved with ho'oponopono, the setting right of bad feelings. ho'oponopono must be entered into with a sincere desire by all parties to resolve differences, not an opportunity for "right fighting." a mutually respected arbitrator manages the process of making right so that all parties feel the matter is resolved and no longer exerts any negative energy on the parties involved. when the process is complete, the parties are pono with one another again. harmony is restored...
 
in truth, every action in life is either pono or not pono. and humankind's assignment is to be pono in all things. pono is a concept worth adopting in our own life. if each of us really aspired to be pono, if we accepted our implicit agreement to be a pono spiritual being, a pono guardian of the earths resources, a pono daughter or son, a pono artist, a pono spouse or lover, a pono friend, pono co-worker, pono employer, pono government servant...what a different world we could live in. i think it's a concept worth working for. pono is something that we should all strive for to make this world a better place. so, how is the pono in your life?
 
"we all can sense right from wrong. we need to stop doing what's wrong, and start doing the right thing more often" ― bodhi, righteousness
 
and now here's another truly beautiful tune to listen to accompany my blog today, it's seriously an absolutely perfect song full of the meaning of "pono" that i wish for my impression today to give, especially with us all finding ourselves mired in these crazy stormy times, as we are all trying to walk our path to righteousness and harmony with this world and others in it...almost everyone has heard this song and probably knows it by heart, it's the one tune that has really become a symbol of bob marley and the reggae movement he popularized: "one love" by bob marley ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...this song is just absolutely perfect with its germane lyrics so applicable for our times today...
 
"one love, one heart, let's get together and feel alright (hear the children crying). one love (hear the children crying), one heart (sayin') give thanks and praise to the lord and i will feel alright (sayin'). let's get together and feel alright (whoa whoa whoa whoa). let them all pass, all their dirty remarks (one love). there is one question i'd really love to ask (one heart). is there a place for the hopeless sinners who has hurt all mankind just to save his own (believe)? one love (what about one heart), one heart (what about love). let's get together and feel alright (as it was in the beginning). one love (so shall it be in the end). one heart (alright), give thanks and praise to the lord and i will feel alright. let's get together and feel alright (one more thing). let's get together to fight this holy armageddon (one love), so when the man come, there will be no no doom (one song). have pity on those whose chances grows thinner. there ain't no hiding place from the father of creation (sayin')...one love (what about one heart). one heart (what about love), let's get together and feel alright (i'm pleading to mankind). one love (what about one heart), one heart (oh oh), give thanks and praise to the lord and i will feel alright. let's get together and feel alright (give thanks and praise to the lord and i will feel alright)" ― bob marley, one love
 
and also this song from jimmy buffett, one particular harbour ...it's a favorite of mine by any artist, any genre...it's about that one safe place you feel most at home, the most safe, the most loved...it's about that safe harbour where life is in harmony, it's so relaxed, and everything is peaceful, everything is goodness, and everything is pono...for me, it's her who's my one particular harbour...
 
"for me, home isn't a place, it's a person" ― bodhi, home
 
"ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei...i know i don't get there often enough, but god knows i surely try. it's a magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe...i used to rule my world from a pay phone. ships out on the sea. but now times are rough and i got too much stuff can't explain likes of me. but there's this one particular harbour, so far, but yet so near. where i see the days as they fade away and finally disappear...but now i think about the good times down in the caribbean sunshine. in my younger days i was so bad, laughin' about all the fun we had. i seen enough to feel the world spin, mixin' different oceans, meetin' cousins. listen to the drummers and the night sounds, listen to the singers make the world go 'round...ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei...lakes below the mountain flow into the sea. like oils applied to canvas, they permeate through me. and there's that one particular harbour, sheltered from the wind. where the children play on the shore each day and all are safe within. most mysterious calling harbour, so far but yet so near. i can see the day when my hair's full gray, and i finally disappear...ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura (ua pau te maitai no te fenua), e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei. ia ora te natura (ua pau te maitai no te fenua), e mea arofa teie ao nei, hey now, hey now, hey now...ia ora te natura, e mea arofa teie ao nei...ua pau te maitai no te fenua [bounty of the land is exhausted]...te zai noa ra te ora o te mitie [but there's still abundance in the sea]...ua pau te maitai no te fenua" ― jimmy buffett, one particular harbour
 
"her eyes are that one particular harbour where i feel safe and at home, where only truth and love exist. it's there that everything is in harmony, balanced with the universe in righteousness" ― bodhi, righteousness 
----------------------
 
STORY BEHIND THE IMPRESSION
"hawaii has given me a more positive way of looking at my life, deeper in humility and faith...i'm grateful (mahalo) for having this life and being alive. i'm thankful (mahalo) for all the love (aloha) in my life, thankful (mahalo) for how unconditional love (aloha) flows from my spirituality into me and then into those around me and back in an endless cycle. i'm grateful for all the support (kako'o) i get from the universe, from love, from all the loving beings in my life. and i'm thankful for the righteous balance and harmony (pono) i feel with this earth as well as with all the relationships i have surrounding me...i live in mahalo (gratitude), aloha (love), kako'o (support), and pono (righteous harmony) with each breath i'm blessed to take" ― bodhi, what hawai'i has given me
 
on the beautiful morning that i captured this impression, i was truly feeling pono...connected physically and metaphysically to kauai and the ocean, such flowing positivity...in balance with my world, in harmony with all the nature surrounding me, experiencing everything with all my senses (sight, touch, sound, smell, taste)...but also being pono with my relationships, thinking about my doggie back home, and my girlfriend and wondering if they were at this moment thinking or day-dreaming about me...thinking about my family and all my friends, and how they will feel when i get to share this image with them...
 
when i feel this way, my impressions always come out special, and beautiful...full of all my positive thoughts and the experience of being wrapped up with all my senses in these wonderful moments in life...
 
the beautiful stillness and infinity on high of the stars above, shining down the universe's respect onto our world...the blue waves of the ocean striking the black volcanic rocks of the shoreline, and then going back out to sea, repeating their cycle endlessly...the calm inviting waters of the deep tidepool so crystal clear but still opaque enough to reflect the beautiful sky, as they are protected from the powerful waves of the pacific by an ancient lava flow of love...the morning fog and intermittent showers falling from the heavens, cleansing the earth and giving life to everything in their waters...the tropical trees and adjoining cliffs filled with hundreds of wedge-tailed sheerwater birds, all cosey in their nests, whose unique vocalizations sound like happy moaning and groaning as they bring in a new generation of hatchling chicks into this world...and the effervescent milky way stretching across the sky, peeking through the floating clouds with glowing glimpses of the galaxy's love millions of miles away, so profoundly yet clearly into the depths of time...
 
and for those future visitors to kauai, to get to the queen's bath, you must hike down a pretty steep and slippery ravine filled with exposed roots and red mud (for only about .25 mile). then once you make it down to the shore, you need to carefully hike across fractured lava rocks full of large ankle-breaking cracks (another short .25 mile)...and i had to navigate this all in the pitch dark with my headlamp...
 
going in the wee-hours of the morning is advantageous for not only being in place for the beauty of the sunrise, but also being able to secure one of the few prestigious parking spots at the trailhead, the number of spots is limited to only about 10 and after they fill, the next closest legal parking in about one mile away at the nearby golf course...plus early on you get to hear the strange and cool cooing nesting sounds of the sheerwater birdies (who stop shortly after sunrise), and also especially getting the entire area all to yourself before the masses of crowds show up, because it is such a peaceful and spiritual place without other tourists around
 
"come with me
my love
to the sea
the sea of love
i wanna tell you
how much
i love you
do you remember
when we met
that's the day
i knew you were mine
i wanna tell you
how much
i love you
come with me
my love
to the sea
the sea of love
i wanna tell you
how much
i love you" ― phil phillips, sea of love
 
"this impression yields yet another universal sign, one for me to follow in life while i discover new and lovely sights, in harmony with beautiful souls, all sprinkled with stardust and magically mystical things along my path these days" ― bodhi, sprinkled with stardust 
 
"we are made of the sea, of the stars, of the rocks, of the breeze, of the reflections...that's why it is not correct to say we are in love, for we are in everything, we are love" ― bodhinku, sea of love" ― bodhi, sea of love
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
here is another beautiful song: "unchained melody" by the righteous brothers ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  

"woah, my love, my darling, i've hungered for your touch along, lonely time. and time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much. are you still mine? i need your love. i need your love. god speed your love to me. lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea, to the open arms of the sea, yeah, lonely rivers sigh: "wait for me, wait for me"...i'll be coming home, wait for me. woah, my love, my darling, i've hungered, hungered for your touch a long, lonely time. and time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much. are you still mine?...i need your love...i need your love...god speed your love to me" ― the righteous brothers, unchained melody
 
"helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be constant....helped are those who live in quietness, knowing neither brand name nor fad; they shall live every day as if in eternity, and each moment shall be as full as it is long....helped are those who love others unsplit off from their faults; to them will be given clarity of vision....helped are those who create anything at all, for they shall relive the thrill of their own conception, and realize an partnership in the creation of the universe that keeps them responsible and cheerful....helped are those who love the entire cosmos rather than their own tiny country, city, or farm, for to them will be shown the unbroken web of life and the meaning of infinity....helped are those who love the earth, their mother, and who willingly suffer that she may not die; in their grief over her pain they will weep rivers of blood, and in their joy in her lively response to love, they will converse with the trees....helped are those whose ever act is a prayer for harmony in the universe, for they are the restorers of balance to our planet. to them will be given the insight that every good act done anywhere in the cosmos welcomes the life of an animal or a child....helped are those who risk themselves for others' sakes; to them will be given increasing opportunities for ever greater risks. theirs will be a vision of the word in which no one's gift is despised or lost....helped are those who strive to give up their anger; their reward will be that in any confrontation their first thoughts will never be of violence or of war....helped are those whose every act is a prayer for peace; on them depends the future of the world... helped are those who forgive; their reward shall be forgiveness of every evil done to them. it will be in their power, therefore, to envision the new earth....helped are those who are shown the existence of the creator's magic in the universe; they shall experience delight and astonishment without ceasing....helped are those who laugh with a pure heart; theirs will be the company of the jolly righteous....helped are those who love all the colors of all the human beings, as they love all the colors of the animals and plants....helped are those who love the lesbian, the gay, and the straight, as they love the sun, the moon, and the stars. none of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them....helped are those who love the broken and the whole; none of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them....helped are those who find the courage to do at least one small thing each day to help the existence of another plant, animal, river, or human being. they shall be joined by a multitude of the timid....helped are those who lose their fear of death; theirs is the power to envision the future in a blade of grass....helped are those who love and actively support the diversity of life; they shall be secure in their differences....helped are those who know" ― alice walker, the color purple
 
"when given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha 
 
"nature is the best teacher of all that is righteous" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"the gentleman understands what is moral. the small man understands what is profitable" ― confucius
 
"the righteously great person is one who keeps throughout life their infant heart" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"the heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its flowering pearls too" ― vincent van gogh
 
"soul bare and heart open, find me under the milky way. let me swim in your spirit past the sentry of time and space that stands in the way and let me love you...pull away the unworthiness etched upon your shores by those too blind to see your value and let me breathe you into the depths of myself in appreciation of all that you are...if a million stars fell from the skies whispering their wishful promises into my open ear, not a single one would i entreat to change a single layer of you. let us stretch our fingers towards eternity together wrapped around dreams and laughter, hearts open and souls bare" ― c. ara campbell, soul bare
 
"the secret is to never lose sight of the simple, everyday miracles in life; good food, literature, laughter, music, compelling conversation, nature and art. look for them in every day, and even when it feels like your whole world is unravelling, you will never be too far from a needle and thread" ― beau taplin
 
"a moment of reassurance, even the warmth of a single smile, can be enough to save a person. after all, even in the deepest darkness, all it takes is a little light to illuminate the way forward" ― beau taplin
 
"some nights i wonder if the stars watch us the same way we watch them, other nights i think of you and i'm sure of it" ― beau taplin, playing with fire 
 
"love is thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail

it is most mad and moonly
and less it shall unbe
than all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea

love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive

it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky"  ― e.e. cummings
 
"a morality that comes with effort is immoral. a morality that comes without effort is the only morality there is" ― osho, the power of love  
 
"the top 15 things money can’t buy: time. happiness. inner peace. integrity. love. character. manners. health. respect. morals. trust. patience. godliness. common sense. dignity" ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart 
 
"let's trade in all our judging for appreciating. let's lay down our self-righteousness and just be together" ― ram dass
 
"do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path" ― baha'u'llah
 
"the earth is but one country and all beings its citizens" ― baha'u'llah
 
"i believe that the most urgent need of parents today is to instill in our children a moral vision: what does it mean to be a good person, an excellent neighbor, a compassionate heart? what does it mean to say that god exits, that he loves us and he cares for us? what does it mean to love and forgive each other? parents and caregivers of children must play a primary role in returning our society to a healthy sense of the sacred. we must commit to feeding our children’s souls in the same way we commit to feeding their bodies" ― marianne williamson, a return to love
 
"i go down to the shore in the morning
and depending on the hour the waves
are rolling in or moving out,
and i say, oh, i am miserable,
what shall—
what should i do? and the sea says
in its lovely voice:
excuse me, i have work to do" ― mary oliver, a thousand mornings
 
"if you spend your life competing with others, trying to make right the wrongs done to you, or waste your time trying to look right, you will never achieve contentment and emotional balance. people you encounter in life can’t be controlled by you. you only have control of yourself. build your life around a relationship with a higher power and achieving what you’re passionate about. when you let go of what you can’t control, true peace can then enter your life. this is the path to achieving emotional balance" ― shannon l. alder
 
"happiness comes from righteous living and the development of a noble character. you can observe this by noticing that people who are truly happy are honest, unselfish, kind, responsible and have a high moral standards. on the other hand, unhappy people are invariably selfish, lazy, irresponsible and lacking of self discipline. and people who are miserable tend to be immoral, dishonest, greedy, cruel, or in other ways dark in character" ― helen b. andelin 
 
"if you don't have a righteous objective, eventually you will suffer. when you do the right thing for the right reason, the right result awaits" ― chin-ning chu, sun tzu's ancient strategies

"conventionality is not morality. self-righteousness is not religion. to attack the first is not to assail the last" ― charlotte bronte, jane eyre
 
"the brain may take advice, but not the heart, and love, having no geography, knows no boundaries: weight and sink it deep, no matter, it will rise and find the surface: and why not? any love is natural and beautiful that lies within a person's nature; only hypocrites would hold a man responsible for what he loves, emotional illiterates and those of righteous envy, who, in their agitated concern, mistake so frequently the arrow pointing to heaven for the one that leads to hell" ― truman capote, other voices, other rooms
 
"if your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology. but if your notion of god made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, of self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in god's name, it was bad theology" ― karen armstrong, the spiral staircase
 
"love is a feeling, a real, raw, and unscripted emotion so sensationally pure, unable to dull even under the strain of a world against it, strong enough to heal the broken and warm even the coldest of hearts...innate...unavoidable...undeniable...and sometimes, love is unconventional and it breaks all the rules and blurs all the lines and basks in its glory, shining as bright as the sun, unapologetically glowing even under the narrowed stares of society and its screaming, self-righteous morals, berating and judging that which it doesn’t understand" ― madeline sheehan, unbeautifully
 
"self-righteousness is much like a spiritual egocentricity. it constitutes a secular type of love that thrives under conditionality, one in which is only existent after an individual meets the adopted standards of the condemner; oppositely, unconditional righteous love is a holy love" ― criss jami, salome
 
"the sea is everything. it covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. its breath is pure and healthy. it is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. the sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. it is nothing but love and emotion; it is the living infinite" ― jules verne, twenty thousand leagues under the sea
 
"now if only i may grow: firmer, simpler, quieter, warmer" ― dag hammarskjold, markings
 
"my future is righteousness" ― bob marley 
 
"consult with the assembly of righteous, the minds of men are like lighted lamps, the light of twenty lamps surely gives more light than one" ― jalaluddin rumi, poems of ecstasy and longing
 
"in your light i learn how to love. in your beauty, how to make poems. you dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes i do, and that sight becomes this art" ― jalaluddin rumi
 
"although you appear in my dreams, your essence is pure consciousness. you are the fearless guardian of divine light. so come, return to the root of the root of your own soul" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved
 
"those of you who are scattered, simplify your worrying lives. there is one
righteousness: water the fruit trees, and don't water the thorns" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
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MORE BODHI HAWAIIAN QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhi (a.k.a.bodhinku) from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"i was born into this body, and i said aloha to this world...but where was she? the memory of her mystery cried aloha in my veins, awakening inside me the memories of my soul through the millennia. her soul deep love cried aloha to me in dreams for 50 years. i called out to her with every fiber of my existence. only there she was, and yet wasn't. she existed, but i could only feel her in my heart and know with certainty that somewhere she was longing for me too..." ― bodhi, aloha 
 
"as kindred souls, 
we've said aloha 
in love 
to each other infinitely, 
over and over 
through centuries 
of time and space...
rediscovering each other 
endlessly in aloha, 
living in love together 
until we must let go 
of one another 
in aloha, always 
knowing we'll manage 
to find each other 
again and be 
together as one, 
because aloha lives 
in both of us 
and always will" ― bodhi, aloha
 
"our possibilities together are endless. the universe is conspiring to lead us to our bliss, and the path is ours! we can say hello and goodbye, aloha. but we are always there in the middle, between coming and going, no matter what forever, because i carry your heart, i carry it in my heart" ― bodhi, aloha
 
"i give my mahalo to aloha. because to share aloha is to share life, it's honoring and respecting all of creation in this connected love" ― bodhi, mahalo aloha
 
"every wave says aloha as it kisses the beach...and the beach says aloha to every wave as it returns to the sea" ― bodhi, hello-goodbye
 
"and i'm grateful to breathe, to be alive! i'm so grateful for this moment i'm in right now, and for the next i get to experience! i'm grateful for this planet i live upon, for the water, for the wind, for the ocean, for the stars, for the divine spirit! and most of all, i'm grateful for love and being surrounded by love, and being filled up with love...i'm so thankful for love in my life..." ― bodhi, mahalo 
 
"for this breath, i give my mahalo. 
for mother earth, i give my mahalo. 
for the ocean, i give my mahalo. 
for the rain, i give my mahalo 
for the clouds, i give my mahalo 
for the light shining through darkness, i give my mahalo 
for the stars and the milky way, i give my mahalo 
for the universe, i give my mahalo 
for the divine spirit, i give my mahalo 
for this moment, i give my mahalo
for love, i give my mahalo" ― bodhi, mahalo
 
"and i deeply encourage you to write your thoughts daily...i truly believe that the more we express and record all things we're grateful for, the more magic, blessings, and miracles we see each day...mahalo ke akua!" ― bodhi, mahalo 
 
"today we celebrate earth day, and it's a reminder of how i'm so deeply grateful for this planet. i'm truly thankful to be blessed to be alive and get to see, experience, and photograph all of the beauty that this world has to offer. thankful, grateful, mahalo" ― bodhi, mahalo to the earth
 
"sometimes when i make choices, i feel alone. so i reminded myself of the tender mercies this universe has given unto me on a daily basis: life, love, breath, sunrise, water, food, earth, sunset, sky, stars, sleep, dreams and i know i'm not alone...and i am thankful" ― bodhi, mahalo
 
"mahalo ke akua for life...these words help me find my path through difficulties. they help me to silence the needless noise in my mind. as i express gratitude for all that i have, even my challenges. my mind is enlightened, i'm content. i have more peace....it's about being grateful for all i have, not wishful for all that i don't..." ― bodhi, mahalo ke akua  
 
"mahalo ke akua for the joy that i get to experience in this life. like the hawaiians, i have profound gratitude for the universe and all its creations, for love, for divinity, for mercy, for kindness, for gratitude. words of thanks and praise never will run out... " ― bodhi, mahalo ke akua
 
"remember these simple words, "mahalo ke akua"...be thankful for your life, for the people in your life, for your home, for your health, for love inside and out, for the creations on this earth." ― bodhi, mahalo
 
"i always want to say hello to her, but i never want to say goodbye. i always want to come, but i never want to leave. i want to stay in her arms in love as long as possible...i believe that's the true essence of aloha" ― bodhi, aloha
 
"aloha my love, my love is aloha, you are my love, you are my aloha!" ― bodhi, aloha
 
"she is aloha. she is hello. she is here. she is goodbye. she is eternal. she is boundless. she is faithful. she is dreamy. she is beautiful. she is hope. she is love. she is the divine breath inside of me. she is my aloha" ― bodhi, aloha
 
"i say mahalo nui loa to kauai, and the island responds aloha nui loa a hui hou kakou to me" ― bodhi, mahalo 
 
"sometimes all someone needs is some one, and sometimes all you need is some time for that someone" ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"a huge support network for me is mother nature...when i need to feel better or loved, or just connected to the universe, i go outside into the wilderness and find a tree, a waterfall, a beach, a mountain, or i just simply stand under the stars and thank god i'm alive" ― bodhi, kako'o 
 
"sometimes her hug is all the support i need" ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"some people find support in prayer, some find it in love, others find it in family, some find it in a fur baby, some find it in friendship, and others find it in community. i believe in a combination, for it's in variety that we can always discover our healthier self" ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"support is a two way street, giving and receiving are both equally important...being there for someone when they need us, as well as having someone in our corner when we need them..." ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"i'm definitely better together with her...sometimes she is all the support i need. just by looking into her eyes and seeing love reflecting back onto me, i feel all the added strength and support i need to get through any struggle or difficult time" ― bodhi, kako'o (support)
 
"i'm truly blessed and seriously thankful every day to have my good friends, my parents, my doggie, my students, mother nature, and my girlfriend as a loving support network. without them, my life would have little meaning or purpose" ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"lift up and support another in love, and you will lift up yourself in love as well" ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"support in love, and love in support" ― bodhi, kako'o
 
"she said aloha to me, i said aloha to her, it was the beginning of this world. we loved and lived and loved some more, until we had to say aloha to each other and part for a while" ― bodhi, aloha
 
"we said aloha, we touched our foreheads together and breathed each other in. we hugged and kissed--and kissed and hugged. we danced and danced, then danced some more. so happy with aloha in our hearts, renewing everything blessed since time first began. now i carry her in my arms, as well as in my heart, aloha my love!" ― bodhi, aloha 
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"pono means that your relationships with others are just and fair and untinged by ego, anger, jealousy, resentment or any negative energy. you are in harmony and in integrity" ― bodhi, pono
 
this impression was captured in two separate exposures that were merged into one composition using layers in adobe photoshop cc...one exposure taken just before the sunrise over the large queen's bath tidepool on the east shore of kauai, hawaii (at 6:11am hst on april 16, 2022) merged with another exposure taken earlier in the wee hours of the night (at 4:44am hst on april 13, 2022)...the image of the seascape is a quasi-long exposure  (f/11@14mm for 11 secs, iso-64) and the image of the milkyway and stars is also quasi-long exposure (f'/1.4@24mm for 15 secs, iso-1600)... 
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
to get the effects and balance i was looking for in the seascape exposure of this composition (f/11@14mm for 11 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters along with the progrey g-150z holder to secure these filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens ... 
 
first, a 1.6nd progrey titan filter to bring the light in the image down 6 stops and permit for the 11 second exposure to create the dreamy effect of the smooth flat-calm looking ocean, plus this filter used in a long exposure also helps to naturally saturate all the red, green, and blue (rgb) colors in the image...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 gnd progrey titan filter to help balance in-camera the image overall the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the sky from the pre-sunrise (especially on the right hand side of the image), an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows of the trees, tidepool, and volcanic rocks making up the shoreline to come out better in the exposure... 
 
for the separate exposure of the stars (f/1.4@24mm for 15 secs, iso-1600), and no filters were necessary, so none were used...
 
i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with the induro (now benro) stealth carbon fiber tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if nothing else
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photography
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhi, my diary
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhi, my world
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters... 
  
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
namaste,
bodhi
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please visit me at:

http://www.bodhismith.com
http://www.instagram.com/bodhismith
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

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