Embrace the beauty of imperfection and transience with the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi. Discover five profound teachings that can transform your perspective on life, fostering a deeper appreciation for the world around you and enhancing your overall well-being.
In a world that is riddled with high-stress levels, fast-paced living, unrealistic pursuits of perfection, and a damaging affliction with materialistic wealth, there’s an ancient Japanese way of life that can be just what we need right now
Wabi-sabi is an elegant philosophy that denotes a more connected way of living-a lifestyle, where we are deeply connected to nature, and thus, better connected to our truest inner-selves.
- Taking wabi and sabi together, they create an overarching philosophy for approaching life: Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, transient stages of life.
Zen is about how you face the challenges and difficulties life throws at you
Zen is in your response
- As you continue to resist, so will you compound your suffering
- Practice gratitude and acceptance
- You will find freedom and growth, once you begin yielding and surrendering to the imperfect flow of life
To be content exactly where you are with all that you already have, is to be happy.
Our obsession with seeking happiness has blinded us to what happiness actually is: An emotion. We feel happy and unhappy just as we feel angry, sad, scared, or excited
- You can’t be happy all the time. You must be intentional about being content.
The wabi-sabi philosophy teaches us that all things, including us and life itself, are impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect
Perfection does not exist because imperfection is the natural state of life-you are whole, the entirety of you, as you are
- Strive not for perfection, but for excellence instead
- Do your best to be the best that you can be
The Core Teaching of The Wabi-Sabi Philosophy
Life is fragile and temporary, it is as impermanent as anything else in nature, so why not give yourself permission to be just that, yourself?
- Wabi sabi encourages you to do your best but not make yourself ill in pursuit of an unattainable goal of perfection.
- It gently motions you to relax, slow down, and enjoy your life. It shows you that beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places, making every day a doorway to delight.
Appreciate the beauty of all things, especially the great beauty that hides beneath the surface of what seems to be broken.
Kintsugi: mend broken objects with gold fillings, giving them “golden scars”
- There will be many times in your life when you will feel broken. Why hide these imperfections or golden scars when we are meant to celebrate them?
Slow down and simplify your life
Simplifying your life is the antidote to living a complex one
- As soon as you slow down, you begin creating the space for you to pause and reflect, to wonder and ask questions
- You naturally become more present
- Only by slowing down will you allow yourself to become more in tune with the world around you
