Postcard #2: Welcome to Mouna Farm

(Disclaimer: sorry it's been a while since I've posted a blog. Living on the farm has had me a lot busier than I was expecting. I wrote this a couple days after arriving, but didnt have time to finish/edit/post it. Thanks for being patient!) We rolled up to the dirt road of an arts and cultural village and farm in Waianae, Oahu. As we passed broken down cars and ramshackle chicken coops, our Uber driver nervously asked us if we were sure this was the right place. Jasper pointed to the sign that read “Sooriya’s Mouna Farm” nailed to a telephone pole. This was it. Immediately the soft dry soil dusted my sandals and toes a rusty brown color I still haven’t gotten out after several days of living on the farm. Initially when we arrived, we were nervous to meet everyone. We wanted to make a good impression, and had no idea what type of people would be living and working on this farm. We figured that anyone working on a buddhist organic farm in Hawaii would be pretty chill, but we had no clue what to expect. Peter is the facilitator, so he acts as our boss. He brought us back to one of the mango trees where two girls were picking mangoes. He gave one of them a bag of potato chips and a soda, and said something about the receipt being in his truck. We got the impression it was pretty laid back here, and more or less that’s been true. So far we’ve worked three days on the farm (though it feels like a week). It’s clear that everything that’s done here is done with purpose. The farm itself has only several acres of usable crop land. The main path on the farm passes two small fields with a variety of crops: kale, beets, green beans, arugula, cilantro, basil, and more. Further down the path is the sun garden, centered around a functional sundial, and the artists village where the community projects and events tend to be (though it seems that covid has put these on hold). The space we have now called home is called Shady Grove, a campsite in the back of the farm accessible only to WWOOFers. One of the things Peter impressed upon us was his priority that we feel safe. Honestly, I appreciated hearing that. Waianae is not exactly the friendliest town in Oahu, and so to know that our hosts care so deeply about us feeling comfortable and safe is imperative. One of my favorite places on the farm is the Bodhi temple. As you cross the bridge on the main path, you come to face a 35' tall Bodhi tree, underneath which sits a statue of the Buddha at an altar. This farm is run in line with many Dharmic principles, heavily inspired by Buddhism and Hinduism, and a mix of everything else. It's a very philosophical and spiritual kind of place, and that is made evident by this temple. As you walk into the tree ring, you feel a calming presence. The chimes humming in the wind. The tibetan prayer flags draped over the branches. It's miraculously quiet here. The farm is generally a steady buzz with roosters and people and machinery. But somehow that all melts away under this tree. The farm is perpetually humid and warm, even at night. Early in the morning is the most comfortable time, though we all end up sweaty and sunburnt by 10am. It rains only about 8-20 inches a year. The blazing sun always reminds you where you forgot to put on sunscreen. Some of the other WWOOFers said they dont even bother putting it on at all anymore. Not worth it. It's clear that everything on the farm is done with intention. That's one of the unspoken principles here. Everything must be done with "heart", as the owner Sooriya puts it. He's a copper artist by trade, but a spiritual and community leader by reputation. He's the only foreign born member of the Hawaiian Council of Elders, because he has done so much to support the native Hawaiians. And the Bodhi tree I mentioned? That grew from a cutting of the actual tree the Buddha achieved enlightenment under. You have to be someone pretty special to get a cutting from *the* mother Bodhi tree. As special as that is to Buddhists, this isn't a Buddhist farm. They don't subscribe or preach any religion. Rather, they encourage you to explore your own beliefs. Every path up the mountain is valid, as explained in Hinduism. I've done a lot of reflective work here so far, and have thought hard about how I view myself in the universe. The friends I've made here have extended my perspective too. Everyone here is looking for something bigger than themselves to connect to. Some choose tarot cards and crystals, some turn to the earth and her plants. I don't quite know yet what I want out of this. Maybe that's part of the journey. I've got some raking to do, so I'll have to leave it here. Aloha, Nola