Japanese aesthetic concepts do not have clear formulations. But it is in Eastern culture that we find a source of joy, spiritual strength and inspiration. To believe in your own uniqueness and become happier, do just three exercises in the spirit of wabi-sabi.
Wabi-sabi are two Japanese words that help us perceive the world around us and ourselves as unique objects for comprehending beauty, hidden from the hustle and bustle.
Wabi – the absence of pathos, the rejection of luxury, “conscious primitivism.” Sabi, the concept of Japanese aesthetics, can be translated as “serenity”, “sadness of loneliness”, “muffled colors and sounds”. In the combined – and more capacious – concept of wabi-sabi lies the lack of brilliance, artless simplicity, the beauty of things touched by time and carrying the warmth of many human hands – and therefore even more attractive. This concept carries many shades of meaning, but none of them is precise and definite.
You can catch the essence of wabi-sabi if you “learn to comprehend life through feelings, discarding extraneous thoughts,” explains Galina Dutkina, a Japanese culturologist and chairman of the Russia-Japan Society. “The idea is that observing natural, changing, unique objects around us helps us connect to the real world and avoid potentially stressful distractions.
We learn to notice beauty in the most ordinary, natural: for example, contemplating the withering of autumn leaves. Wabi-sabi gives the object a meditative value and in this sense becomes the practical embodiment of the philosophy of Zen Buddhism with its desire for seclusion, self-restraint and at the same time inner strength and concentration.
Aesthetics of modesty
It is no coincidence that the tea master and follower of wabi-sabi Murata Juko (1422–1502) was a Zen monk. In that era, tea was a luxury item, as were the accessories for the ceremony brought from China – exquisite to pretentiousness. In contrast to this fashion, Juko served tea in locally made utensils, which were considered coarse.
A century later, the son of the merchant Sen no Rikyu (1522–1591), becoming a master of the tea ceremony, continued this tradition: he made the tea house look like a peasant hut and supplemented it with a garden and a stone path leading through the garden to the house. He ordered bowls from the famous master of ceramics: they were fashioned by hand, without using a potter’s wheel. Deliberately unsophisticated and imperfect, they eventually became covered with cracks, plaque, chips.
For his commitment to simplicity, Rikyu paid with his life: the overlord, whom he served, preferred magnificent receptions and precious utensils and ordered the master to commit ritual suicide. However, the school of tea ceremony, founded by Rikyu, became the leading one in Japan, and then beyond its borders.
Relationships in the spirit of wabi-sabi teach you to accept another person with all his shortcomings, but not forget to accept your own.
The essence of wabi-sabi can be summarized in three statements, says art theorist Leonard Coren, who has devoted many years to studying this principle: “Truth arises from observation of nature. Greatness lives in secret and forgotten details. Beauty can come from imperfection.”
This philosophy extends to relationships – both to yourself and to other people. “A relationship in the spirit of wabi-sabi teaches you to accept the other person with all his shortcomings, but not forget to accept your own. After all, perfection can be boring,” emphasizes Galina Dutkina. What if we moderate our expectations and focus on the perception of the other person: on what he says and feels, how he relates to the world? If we do not try to fix it, we will have more time and energy to enjoy communication.
You can apply the same approach to yourself: “I already have everything inside me that I need to feel valued and be happy. It is enough for me to pay attention to the most essential. By avoiding the fuss and dictatorship of fashion, I can accept myself for who I am.” Standard perfection and ostentatious luxury is opposed by the uniqueness, imperfection and modesty of wabi-sabi.
One of Leonard Coren’s pieces of advice is: “Simplify everything to the point, but leave the poetry. Keep everything clean and unencumbered, but don’t deprive it of meaning.” We, the people of the modern world, often need advice of this kind. The rejection of catchy beauty and excessive abundance is an ideal condition for understanding wabi-sabi, which has no clear boundaries and bright signs, but can give an enlightened sense of the strict simplicity of the world around us. The three exercises we offer will help you get into the spirit of this philosophy.
Three exercises to…
Reveal hidden beauty. Our gaze is formatted by the prevailing aesthetic principles. But if we want to regain freedom and freshness of feelings, we need a different approach to business: more delicate and attentive, less radical in relation to active changes “for the better”. In the context of wabi-sabi, beauty exists beyond artificiality. Evidence of the superiority of nature over man, the consequences of random changes should not be smoothed out or erased, but, on the contrary, should be carefully preserved.
How? Pay attention to the imperfections of things and people. The faded folds of old fabric, the beauty of dry leaves or a drooping flower, the charm of an old man’s smile and the pattern of wrinkles on his face, the dance of dust in a beam of light – all this is beautiful, and therefore worthy of close attention.
Distinguish shades of emotions and enjoy them. When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, under stress, or simply not feeling very well, it is helpful to make contact with some object imbued with the spirit of wabi-sabi, which, according to the definition, can “arouse in us a feeling of light sadness and spiritual thirst.” It helps to remind oneself of the illusory nature of permanence and perfection, the ephemeral nature of problems and worries, and that no one can conquer time.
How? Wander around the house, touch your favorite clothes, open an old book, take a glass of water in your hand – that is, stop at some wabi-sabi object, feel its weight, shape, texture. Ask yourself: what attracts you to this subject, why is it pleasant to you? What memories and feelings does it evoke? Nostalgia, slight sadness, joy? By understanding this, you will feel more confident and will be able to distinguish a whole range of different shades in your emotions.
Choose what makes us happier. Recognizing basic needs is the best way to get to know yourself and get closer to your uniqueness. Wabi-sabi does not involve self-denial and forced minimalism, but only a conscious choice in accordance with one’s inner essence.
How? For example, make a list of activities that bring you joy. Think about what exactly they are pleasant for you, what deep features of your personality they correspond to. Assign these activities a serial number from 1 to 6, and then ask yourself: do you devote enough time to them – and during each day? What keeps you from doing what you love for longer? How can you fix it?
About expert
Leonard Koren – architect, artist, author of several books, including Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers (Imperfect Publishing, 2008) and Wabi-sabi : Further Thoughts” (“Wabi-Sabi: Further Thoughts”, Imperfect Publishing, 2015).