Pursue the Precious: A Maori Blessing
Filed Under: Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koutou me he maunga teitei.
Pursue that which is most precious. If you should bow down, let it only be to a lofty mountain
— Maori blessing
Sometimes in life, we find ourselves fortunate enough to be surrounded by so much beauty that we can feel a bit like we are drowning. In these moments, we need a dose of wisdom, an aid in context that allows us to grasp it all at once, to properly honor it, to put it into perspective.
Beauty aloft: The Emerald Lakes — Mount Tongariro, New Zealand
And so it has been with our experience in New Zealand. Breathtaking moments, sweeping landscapes, pure adventure — the word abundance doesn’t quite do it all justice.
Then we heard the words above. Shilo, a young leader in the Maori community, offered them during a traditional Maori welcome at a Marae (a Maori meeting house) just outside the town of Rotorua. He was a relatively young man dressed informally, but he exuded wisdom beyond his years. His words — in both Maori and English — were beautiful, softly powerful and devoid of cliche.
Shilo’s words poetically cut to the quick — of why we do what we do, why we are in New Zealand, and how life has conspired to bring us to this place, among these people, at this moment.
I live. In particular, I live for these moments, where just a few words are cast before us in a way that captures the fullness of life in a fleeting moment.
“Pursue that which is most precious. If you should bow down, let it only be to a lofty mountain.”
—–
Disclosure: Our New Zealand Encompassed Tour is provided by G Adventures in cooperation with its Wanderers in Residence program. Our flights are kindly sponsored by Air New Zealand. As always, the opinions expressed here are entirely our own.
February 11th, 2013 at 10:50 am
Beautiful words, and the colour of the lake is unbelievable – it looks truly spectacular.
February 11th, 2013 at 11:27 am
I was just talking to Kiwi friend (she’s also a Maori descendant) on which cities to visit when we go to New Zealand.
February 11th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Beautiful words.
February 12th, 2013 at 2:09 am
Love that quote. I’m so excited to do NZ this year!
February 12th, 2013 at 4:35 am
I can so relate to your comment about drowning in beauty as I’ve been to places that have touched me in the same way. I haven’t yet been to NZ, but it is high on my list of places to visit…all the more so from following your travels there. I love this quote. It touches my heart in a way I can’t put into words.
February 12th, 2013 at 6:26 am
The photograph is unbelievable the lake looks more turquoise then the color itself. Loved it.
February 12th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Love that quote:
“Pursue that which is most precious. If you should bow down, let it only be to a lofty mountain.”
Also love the New Zealand pic. That place seizes to amaze me.
February 12th, 2013 at 8:55 pm
Amazing photo! Ever since I found out that lord of the rings was filmed in New Zealand, I have always wanted to go for the amazing landscapes.
February 17th, 2013 at 5:06 am
What a powerful wisdom! I find it interesting especially after a traveler whom I met in China thought that I was a Maori.
Pursue that which is most precious. Yes, keep on traveling, seeing the world, and spreading the stories!
February 25th, 2013 at 9:22 am
thank you for sharing with us such great words few but strong gets me think twice before i pursue anything
March 14th, 2013 at 7:03 am
@Jessica: The Emerald Lakes at Tongariro were truly spectacular. Not a photoshop chop job. Pretty much just nature. Seemed to match the words.
@Susan: NZ, definitely worth a visit and a worthy ‘bucket list’ candidate. I’m glad this quote touched you like it did me. Very special quote, not only in the words but also how it was delivered.
@NE: Like we said, it’s the real deal.
@Jeremy: Lord of the Rings landscapes in New Zealand…that’s only the beginning.
@Bama: That’s the idea: travel, see and share the stories! Thanks.
March 25th, 2013 at 4:21 am
“Pursue that which is most precious. If you should bow down, let it only be to a lofty mountain.”
I am very much thankful that you shared this here. Sometimes, I think it really takes a great place and an out-of-the-box experience to discover the simplest things which we always refuse to see when we’re drowned in our typical environments.
March 25th, 2013 at 5:57 am
@Angel: One of the great benefits of travel is to get you outside your regular routine and comfort zone to gain perspective and learn from others. That’s how this experience in New Zealand was for us. Glad you enjoyed this quote as much as we did.
March 26th, 2013 at 11:51 pm
wow, surprisingly there is another exotic lake with turquoise color. in Indonesia, we have “Danau Tiga Warna” or 3 Color Lake in English.
March 27th, 2013 at 5:36 am
@Robee: I suspect the Emerald Lakes of Tongariro are that color because of some natural chemical compound. Are yours the same?