This Monday, Feb 22, Andy will facilitate.
This evening I thought I would take us in a slightly different direction than our dharma sharings in recent weeks. For a long long time I have been very interested in certain aspects of Japanese culture. One concept from early on captured my attention, that of Wabi-Sabi. There are many ways in which to think about this idea, but if someone asked me to briefly explain I would say something along the lines of there being beauty in imperfection. If you dig a little deeper into the term you will find it can be used to describe a group of feelings and ideas related to impermanence, imperfection and also extends to include feelings of melancholy.
Interestingly, this concept is placed at the center of many aspects of Japanese aesthetics, art and culture. The idea that nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect can be contrasted with what we in the West place at the center of our own notions of beauty and perfection. In his wonderful book Wabi-sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers Leonard Koren explores how this truth comes from the observation of nature:
All things are impermanent – the planets and stars, and even intangible things like family heritage, historical memory, scientific theorems, great art and literature all eventually fade into oblivion and nonexistence.
All things are imperfect – even the sharp edge of a razor blade, when magnified reveals microscopic pits and chips. As things begin to break down they become even less perfect and more irregular.
All things are incomplete – including the universe itself, and in a constant state of becoming or dissolving. The notion of completion has no basis in wabi-sabi.
Koren writes beautifully, but re-reading the following passage seems to have a particular resonance at this time.
“Greatness” exists in the inconspicuous and overlooked details. Wabi-sabi represents the exact opposite of the Western ideal of great beauty as something monumental, spectacular, and enduring. Wabi-sabi is not found in nature at moments of bloom and lushness, but at moments of inception or subsiding. Wabi-sabi is not about gorgeous flowers, majestic trees or bold landscapes. Wabi-sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral: things so subtle and evanescent they are invisible to vulgar eyes.
This evening I would be interested in hearing your own thoughts on the concept of wabi-sabi and how it might manifest in your life and practice.
I look forward to seeing you on zoom this Monday.
- Andy