Spiritual Paia

Peace, Waves and Buddhism

Temple of Peace, Haiku, Maui, HI

Where there are sea turtles, there is peace. It’s too hard to fight their slow, persistent vibe. And turtles are common visitors to the beaches around Paia. Care, is of course, required when walking or swimming near these beautiful creatures, but a nice sit or float nearby is healing.

The peaceful vibe persists, even with the incursion of tourists and campers. Some of the gathering places, however, have moved inland,

Temple of Peace (Haiku)

Not far up the road is the Temple of Peace Healing Sanctuary. If you want alternative healing, they probably have it. Colon cleanse – √. Hypnotherapy – √. Good ole Reiki – √. And there’s yoga and a traditional spa with a hot tup and steam room.

From Buddha to Christ at the Sacred Garden Retreat

The spirituality isn’t limited to Paia. Up the hill, away from the tourists and surfers, there are a number of retreats and temples.

Sacred Garden Retreat

[LINK] If you’re up for a labyrinth walk, stop in to the Secret Garden Retreat, one indoor and one outdoor. Buy local plants, and even stay a while, as long as you plan in advance. The retreat rents two cabins.

Makawao Union Church

Slightly higher in Makawao you’ll find the historic Makawao Union Church. Besides being a cool building, they offer a variety of community entertainment including music and dance, from tango to ecstatic,

Maui Zen

The Rinzai Zen Mission, (Link) down by Baldwin Beach, was founded in 1932 and has one of the nicest locations in the area. From their site: “It is the only Rinzai Zen temple from the immigration era in the United States, and it was also a temple for the Okinawan community on Maui”

Mantokuji Soto Zen Mission, (Link) pictured below, is located on the north side of town, just past its graveyard. For some reason, the cemetery drew us. We’re not recommending it as a tourist destination, such as the cemetery in Deadwood (not what we consider Deadwood a New Age town) but the one in Paia drew us in–twice. If you go, you can decide if it has a pull.

The center was founded in 1906, and offers services throughout the year. Check their FB page for more information. Their web-site, (Link) is under construction, but they’ve shared links to their monthly newsletters, current as of June, 2017.

Paia Mantokuji Soto Zen Mission, Paia, Maui, Hawaii