I was exchanging ideas with a friend today and he asked if i knew of the concept “wabi-sabi.” I did not and he sent me on a google chase while briefly noting that it explained the Japanese aesthetic. Wiki upon wiki referenced the same thought:
It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional.
Needless to say, this aligns quite well with Zen, but it also hold great power in the context of the conversation. We were discussing why people bother to know one another, what creates draw. I was noting that the most interesting people for me are those that i don’t understand, those that challenge my constructs, the differences. Everything is changing; everyone is evolving and it is that process that is so beautiful to me, far more than some completed picture. I’ve never believed in a universal and thus this concept really sits well with me.
Yes, Grasshopper.
Next time you’re in Kyoto. Try this. Ask people what the meaning of wabi-sabi is. They will usually squirm and grimace or not answer. Most will say that they don’t even understand the first thing about wabi-sabi. It’s interesting because at a meta level, Japanese talk a lot about wabi-sabi but it is not really allowed to be truly understood or be defined. The moment you try to explain it, it is no longer wabi-sabi. (As if that made any sense…)
karma is a word. like love.
There’s a display of wabi-sabi up at my school. It’s really beautiful, and I’m not very eloquent.
that is a “beautiful” and amazing concept i would love to explore in some art work. i am always trying to explain to people how imperfection and sadness and distress are so amazingling moving to me. that quote is goin’ on my wall. thanks again!