The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – wabi-sabi (侘寂).
Wabi-sabi (侘寂). A unique Japanese worldview centred around accepting imperfection, impermanence, humility & simplicity in our lives. It highlights the value of finding beauty, joy, hope in the moment. Wabi-sabi rests on three simple truths – nothing is perfect (imperfection), nothing lasts forever (the impermanence of life), nothing is ever complete (incompleteness). “Nothing lasts. Nothing is finished. Nothing is perfect.” Things wabi-sabi can appear accidental, crude or unfinished, yet they are deeply moving.
Wabi-sabi shares that real beauty is irregular, not symmetrical. “Perfectly imperfect.” Therefore, meaning is in the moment, not eternity. It doesn’t try to fix our reality, it urges us to accept it fully. Examples in real life – a cracked ceramic bowl repaired with gold (kintsugi), faded wooden toys, worn edges of old books, a hand painted scarf by a kid, autumn leaves just before they fall. Nothing is perfect & that’s exactly the point. “Perfection is a closed door, imperfection invites us in.” Wabi-sabi encourages us to find beauty in the cracks, the creases, the marks & the memories of time. It invites us to nurture peace & serenity within & in our environment.
In modern life, it shows up as choosing compassion & simplicity over excess, letting go
