“Wabi sabi” \ stacker news ~BooksAndArticles

I used to think that wabi sabi refers to the natural beauty of worn-out or decaying things. But after reading this book by Beth Kempton, I realised that I have gotten it all wrong. Wabi sabi is a feeling that wells up within you after you experience some kind of transcendental beauty.

Sounds like a philosophy too abstract for me to fathom. Beth unpacks it by saying how it is the appreciation of the impermanent, imperfect and incomplete nature of things. Because perfection is an impossible ideal, all we can do at this moment in time is to try our best and embrace the perfectly imperfect. With this grounding, she discusses how one can seek wabi sabi by seeking refuge in nature, treating failures as learning opportunities, as well as remaining true to his inquisitive spirit by embracing a career philosophy (not goals). Sounds antithetical to the Singaporean mindset of needing to achieve by strategic milestones as a manifestation of how he has “arrived” in life. With wabi sabi, there is no thought of success vs failure, only the desire to create beauty in the here and now.

This book made me want to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius because her words remind me of the Stoic philosophy, and I’m motivated to explore for myself whether there are similarities between being Stoic and appreciating wabi sabi. Did Marcus say about immersing oneself in the lightness of nature?

Japanese beauty is discovered in the experiencing, not just the seeing.
Wabi sabi stems from the three Buddhist marks of existence: 無常　(mujo, impermance), 苦　(ku, suffering) and 空　(kuu, no individual self, a oneness with all things)
It conveys the impression you are left with after an encounter with a particular kind of beauty, which may be visual but could be experiential.
Japanese taste on a spectrum: 派手　hade (showy), いきiki (chic), 渋い　shibui (subdued, subtle), and 地味 jimi (sober, conservative). Wabi sabi lies somewhere between shibui and jimi, according to the author.
Wabi sabi draws our attention to what that beauty reminds us about life.
After a forest-bathing trip, subjects had significantly higher numbers of so-called natural killer (NK) cells, a type of lymphocyte that boosts the immune system’s defenses against viruses and cancers - an effect that lasted for 7 days after the experience. Further studies have suggested that the immune boost was, at least in part, a result of exposure to phytoncides, a substance emitted by plants and trees.
The rhythms of nature remind us to tune in to our own natural rhythms, so we know when to surge forth and when to relax.
Before we can beautify, we need to simplify and make the most of the space that we have.
Make quiet products that can ease themselves into people’s lives and homes, bringing a subtle sense of calm
Stop using shelves just for storage but instead see them as holders of treasures
The key to aesthetic genius is leaving something unfinished to draw the viewer in.
We can pay attention to the visual contrasts and the relationships between what we see and how we feel.
There is a beauty in longing. Can I wait a while for it, to make sure I really want it?
Create tiny corners of beauty in unexpected places.
七転び八起き. It counts the first time you get up, reminding us that we have to show up first, in order to have the chance to fail, and then have the chance to get back up again
Allowing me to relax in the knowledge that I’m not supposed to know everything and makes me curious about what else there is to learn.
Relax in the knowledge that perfection is an unattainable goal. It’s the expansion that matters.
The true beauty is not in the achievement of some kind of perfection but rather in the sharing of the creation itself.
Build creative confidence. Only half the responsibility is yours. Show up with an open heart and watch the universe step in to help.
The same sky looks different through different lens.
Our perception of our problems depends not just on how we frame them but also the lens through which we view them.
How you experience and learn from failure all depends on the frame and the lens you choose.
Falling up, not falling down.
The way you are treated as a traveler is a reflection of the way you travel. If you explore with an open heart and mind, that’s usually how you are received.
The same sense of intuition that leads to Japanese people to feel wabi sabi in the presence of beauty guides them to read you as a person. They recognise how much lives between the words, in the unsaid.
Humility and gentleness are met with humility and gentleness. No drama. No stress. Just kindness.
Mono no aware - an awareness of the fleeting beauty of life
Yugen- the depth of the world as seen with our imagination. The beauty of mystery and of realising that we are a small part of something so much greater than ourselves.
Wabi- the feeling generated by recognising the beauty found in simplicity. The sense of quiet contentment found away from the trappings of a materialistic world.
Sabi- a deep and tranquil beauty that emerges with the passing of time.
A career can unfold to reveal a scattering of shining treasures, only evident when you surrender to the journey and follow your heart, adopting a career philosophy, not a single career goal.
修業　- shugyo, training for intuitive wisdom. The Japanese believe that the harder something is to learn and the more effort that is required to learn it, the more valuable the knowledge or the skill.
Johakyu (序破急) refers to three different speeds of action - slow, a little faster and fast. We must vary our effort level too - sometimes being gentle, sometimes adding a little strength, sometimes really going for it. Using these three gears of speed and three gears of effort can make all the difference to whether or not we enjoy our career journeys and stay well along the way.
Your heart’s response to beauty is the essence of wabi sabi. So what kind of beauty could you create with your career?
The way you get to your results matters more than the results you get.
Every time your dreams seem to be disappearing to the periphery of your life, untie the furoshiki and inhale a little of the magic. Take a moment to bring your dream into your field of vision, then bring yourself back to the present and feel your way to the next step on your path. Ask yourself what is the one thing you could do right now, to take you closer to that dream?
What is one thing you could do to step into the next phase of your career with intention and trust, whether that is deepening what you do or moving in a new direction?
Wabi sabi teaches us that dynamic transience is the natural state of all things.
Less control, more surrender
The bamboo is growing all the time, and is also sensitive to its dynamic environment. It’s firmly rooted, yet flexible. When the wind blows, the bamboo doesn’t resist. It lets go and moves with it.
The Japanese use the word fushime (節目), which means “the node on a bamboo shoot”, to acknowledge that we grow in stages and to describe important moments of transition in our lives. These times of transition are often celebrated with ceremonies and words of thanks to the people who have supported a person through that particular life stage.