Lahaina’s Buddhist community comes together to heal

LAHAINA >> The ministers of the Lahaina’s three Buddhist congregations met at Kelawea Mauka Makai Park overlooking the town’s charred remains Friday to offer prayers for those lost and for hope for the future.

“The memories of those who were lost and the memories of our Lahaina town shall live in our heart forever,” the Rev. Gensho Hara of the Lahaina Jodo Mission said as he looked down on the burned-out shell of Lahaina.

The reverend’s daughter, Yayoi Hara, who grew up at the temple, said she wished the members of their congregations could have attended “because healing comes from the people who are still alive, and there’s a lot of grief for those people. But I’m glad that they did get together and do this.”

All three temples, where each minister both lived and worked, were among the structures destroyed in the Aug. 8 wildfire. Along with many of their congregants, they lost most of their possessions in the fire.

“The white shirts, tie, pants, socks and shoes I am wearing today are all brand new,” said the Rev. Ai Hironaka of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. “All the clothes I wear every day, dress me up with donations from (the community). … Like me, the town of Lahaina will be dressed up with donations from all over the world.”

Lahaina’s Buddhist community has deep roots.

Many Japanese and Chinese laborers brought their faith with them as they came to the islands to work the plantations. The Lahaina Jodo Mission is known for its 12-foot-high statue of the Amida Buddha that was made in Japan in 1968, then erected in Lahaina later that year for the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese people in Hawaii.

None of the ministers or the congregants have yet been able to get access to the burn area to survey the wreckage of their temples. Officials have continued to keep the burn area under tight lockdown, citing concerns about toxic materials as workers continue to survey the wreckage.

The Rev. Takayuki Miguro of Lahaina Shingon Mission said he hoped to soon access the town so he can see what remains of the temple. Among the clergymen’s concerns is the fate of urns at their temples holding the ashes of congregants’ deceased family members. The ministers have been asking officials for permission to search the rubble for them and ensure they can be cared for.

“Those are our ancestors,” said Hironaka. “Without them there’s nothing here. They built the foundation for everything there.”

State Rep. Elle Cochran, who represents West Maui and attended services at Lahaina Jodo Mission before the fire, said that it’s an issue she’s been trying to raise to authorities.

“They’re mostly metal — my mom’s urn is metal — and that will withstand the fire,” said Cochran. “So I’m sure the whole pagoda went down, but everything in it just kind of is probably one big pile under the ash.”

Cochran said she’s worried that in the effort to remove rubble, the urns could be lost if the ministers aren’t allowed to go in and retrieve them. She said that it’s also a concern for many home and business owners in the area who might still have salvageable or intact belongings that they could lose to the ongoing effort to remove hazardous materials.

“Right now, you know, my biggest thing is the EPA is going through picking up combustibles, pesticides, you know, propane tanks, whatever, then they’re gonna go lay down this thing called tackifier agent so that all the dust and stuff stays down,” said Cochran. “Then they bring in the earthmovers to remove all the hazmat debris; they don’t want everything kicking up, so that’s what they do after fires. But my point is the government, or whoever, needs to let the people in before that congealing agent goes down.”

She said that organizations like Samaritan’s Purse have been actively helping residents in Kula, where at least 19 homes were destroyed by another wildfire the same day the Lahaina fire started, to safely sort through potentially hazardous debris in their homes. But with the strict lockdown on the burn area, few Lahaina residents have had the same opportunity.

On Oahu during an address marking a month since the fire, Gov. Josh Green said that “in the coming weeks we will begin to schedule supervised visits for displaced people to return and view their property under safe conditions. The ash, we are told, is quite toxic, so we need to be careful.”

“Once the EPA has completed its removal of hazardous materials from the affected areas, which is ongoing — this process will take three to four months — we can begin the removal of other debris,” Green said. “To be clear, people will get in soon, but the long-term debris removal is going to take a great deal of time. … This is going to take the better part of a year to remove all this debris and over $1 billion to complete. This will be supported by the federal government.”

The fire killed at least 115 people and displaced thousands. Current estimates by officials are that the fire destroyed 2,200 structures, almost 90% of which were residential. Another 700 businesses in and around Lahaina’s historic Front Street were lost.

“I think like for a lot of people, the closure will be able to come when they’ll be able to at least go back to the footprint of where their home was,” said Yayoi Hara. “I don’t think at this point anyone is really expecting very much, but it just helps with closure.”

Looking forward, the question of how — and by whom — Lahaina will be rebuilt has become a major source of debate in the islands as many of the town’s residents try to think of the future. In his address, Green said local companies and workers will be engaged whenever possible to support the cleanup effort, but the rebuilding process will come with challenges and hardships of its own.

“It seems like those who are hurt become more sensitive to the pain of others, they seem to be more mindful of others,” said Hironaka. “Lahaina, it will be a new town rebuilt by those who have been hurt. Lahaina, our town of history, aloha tradition, culture and diversity, will become a great town that incorporates new value of humility, kindness and compassion.”