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Wabi-Sabi, Universal Ideal of Beauty

Updated on May 27, 2015

Living Wabi Sabi

Trying to understand Wabi Sabi is trying to understand the aesthetic tastes of Japan and its people. Wabi Sabi represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance and celebration of transience and imperfection. It is a universal ideal of beauty, nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect. Aesthetic, Transience, Impermanence. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete"

Wabi Sabi is simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. "Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature." ~~architect Tadao Ando

Living Wabi Sabi - by Taro Gold

"A universal ideal of beauty, Wabi Sabi celebrates the basic, the unique, and the imperfect parts of our lives. Wabi Sabi is the comfortable joy you felt as a child, happily singing off key, creatively coloring outside the lines, and mispronouncing words with gusto." ~~Taro Gold

Wabi Sabi

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Japanese architect Tadao Ando says, "Wabi-sabi is underplayed and modest, the kind of quiet, undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered. It's a fragmentary glimpse: the branch representing the entire tree, shoji screens filtering the sun, the moon 90 percent obscured behind a ribbon of cloud."

Living Wabi-Sabi

"In learning tea, we're constantly reminded that every meeting is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion to enjoy good company, beautiful art, and a cup of tea. We never know what might happen tomorrow, or even later today. Stopping whatever it is that's so important (dishes, bill paying, work deadlines) to share conversation and a cup of tea with someone you love-or might love-is an easy opportunity to promote peace. It is from this place of peace, harmony, and fellowship that the true wabi-sabi spirit emerges."

-architect Tadao Ando

What is Wabi-Sabi?

"The two word phrase "wabi sabi" originated in the Japanese language but has made its way into English largely because English lacks an adequate equivalent.

Even in Japanese the exact meaning of the phrase is difficult to pin down. It is first and foremost a beauty seen in aged or worn objects; objects that contain deep patterns, patina, character, or qualities of authentic individuality. "

~~Richard R. Powell

"Japanese world view is nature-based and concerned with the beauty of studied simplicity and harmony with nature."

Wabi Sabi - by Semyon Kobialka

"The sound is unique, musicianship outstanding, vocals are warm and pleasing, lyrics are both light-hearted and poetic."

"He plays a CELLO like a slap bass guitar -- which creates a completely unique sound in these recordings."

Creating a wabi-sabi home

Wabi-sabi is not a decorating "style" but rather a mind-set. There's no list of rules; we can't hang crystals or move our beds and wait for peace to befall us. Creating a wabi-sabi home is the direct result of developing our wabigokoro, or wabi mind and heart: living modestly, learning to be satisfied with life as it can be once we strip away the unnecessary, living in the moment. You see? Simple as that.

The Japanese view of life embraced a simple aesthetic that grew stronger as inessentials w

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Wabi Sabi on Rice Paper

I hope this information on Wabi-Sabi was helpful for you. Did you learn something new?

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