Huaka'i to Wood Valley Temple
By Kylan Constantino | Japanese Studies Major
Going to the Wood Valley Temple in Pahala was such an enriching experience. Being able to go to such a calm and beautiful place while also learning about meditation with Dr. Ben Zenk was great. At the temple Dr. Zenk led the group through meditation while giving clear and intriguing information on Buddhism and how mediation came from its basic principles.
The area around the temple really was able to set the mood perfectly and made relaxing very easy for college students that were in the process of getting ready for final exams. Along with that, there was also a person inside of the temple who we were told to be a regular. He was on the inside meditating as well. This gave a great example of all the meditation techniques that we were learning about from Dr. Zenk. There we did several meditation sessions that weren’t that long and not really short either. Within the sessions we would focus on ourselves and the energy we had within. A very interesting and thought provoking experience.
After the meditation we went to go get lunch on the south side of the Big Island and explore some of the area as well. Being able to take in all the great views of the coast after all that time meditating in the mountains. Overall the trip to Wood Valley Temple was great and I would definitely go again if I had the chance.