“Good To Know “

Six Japanese teachings that will help us improve our productivity and efficiency.”(Contd..)

Series-6

6.Wabi Sabi

Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence

“Wabi Sabi”, Japanese term means “a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.”

Taken from the Japanese words wabi, which translates to less is more, and sabi, which means attentive melancholy, wabi-sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence.

Wabi-sabi is a composite of two interrelated aesthetic concepts, wabi and sabi. According to the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, wabi may be translated as “subdued, austere beauty,” while sabi means “rustic patina.”

Characteristics of wabi-sabi aesthetics and principles include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy, and the appreciation of both natural objects and the forces of nature.

History behind Wabi-Sabi

Wabi-sabi has roots in ancient Chinese Taoism and Zen Buddhism. It started to shape Japanese culture when the Zen priest Murata Jukō (1423–1502) modified the tea ceremony.He introduced simple, rough, wooden and clay instruments to replace the gold, jade, and porcelain of the Chinese style tea service that was popular at the time. About one hundred years later, the tea master Sen no Rikyū (1522 – April 21, 1591) introduced wabi-sabi to the royalty with his design of the teahouse. “He constructed a teahouse with a door so low that even the emperor would have to bow in order to enter, reminding everyone of the importance of humility before tradition, mystery, and spirit.”

Three major principles of Wabi Sabi:

The Wabi-Sabi philosophy was founded on three major Buddhist principles, called the teaching of the three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering, and emptiness.

What is the best example of wabi-sabi?

A great example of wabi-sabi is Kintsugi ( “Kintsugi” is explained in the below paragraph) the practice of fixing broken ceramics with golden lacquer to create beautiful, intricate patterns. While many of us might deem a broken bowl as something to be discarded, Kintsugi celebrates the damage and beautifies the cracks as an important part of the item’s history.

(Kintsugi, also known as kintsukuroi, is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with urushi lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. )

How can we practice Wabi-sabi in our daily life:

Wabi-sabi allows us to embrace serenity and tranquility in our everyday lives. By falling in love with our imperfect selves like things that surround us, we reduce the need to buy as many new things.

The basic idea behind Wabi Sabi Love is that by embracing imperfection (from the Japanese term “wabi sabi”) you can enhance your marriage. It sounds paradoxical, and so it is.