Wear and tear

If people only value novelty and youth, then aging has no place.
This is absurd, since we are all aging - and death cannot ultimately be avoided.

Tao and zen see beyond the shiny and the new, and admire character.
Wear and tear are seen as positive values; they make things unique and unusual rather than similar and bland.

Wabi sabi

It is not for nothing that the samurai have chosen for their truest symbol the fragile cherry blossom.
Like a petal dropping in the morning sunlight and floating serenely to earth,
so must the fearless detach himself from life, silent and inwardly unmoved.

(Eugen Herrigel)

Facing death

Japanese samurai used to contemplate death. This was not some morbid fixation.
Admitting their own mortality forced the warriors to accept that life is a precious and fleeting gift.

They regarded the cherry blossom as a symbol of this insight.
Cherry blossoms bloom for a brief period and then fall at the very height of their beauty.
To the samurai this was a melancholy reminder of death amidst life.
It was an example of great beauty and sadness.

Beauty in imperfection

In taoism, beauty is found in different things.

Wrinkles, creases, wood grain and irregular patterns in the sand are all examples of an alternate aesthetic.
They are called 'li' and are seen as being similar to incense smoke rising or the swirling, unpredictable flow of water.

Wrinkles show character and creases add texture.

Nature predominates

Eventually nature has the final say.
Everything rots, deteriorates and dies.
Wabi sabi appreciation is the acceptance of this process instead of seeking to preserve or halt the inevitable decline.

Wabi sabi haiku

Dying cricket –
how full of
life, his song.

(Basho)

Wabi sabi

Zen art can be seen in 'wabi sabi', in the love of the transient, the impermanent.

Our lives are fleeting, and we suffer greatly, either through ill health or other hardships.
This may cause sadness but the beauty of life can only be appreciated in contrast with the difficulties and sorrow we experience.

The symbol for the samurai is the cherry blossom. It is a beautiful flower. Yet it falls at its peak of glory.

Recommended books concerning wabi sabi

Leonard Koren has written an excellent book called Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers.
He examines zen, tea ceremony, aesthetics and design in an attempt to unravel a deeper root significance.
We highly recommend that you purchase it.

Another good book is Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence by Andrew Juniper.

Wabi sabi qualities

Common wabi sabi qualities:

1. One of a kind
2. Variable
3. Relative
4. There is no progress
5. Believes in the fundamental uncontrollability of nature
6. Organic
7. Soft, vague
8. Natural
9. Crude
10. Degradation and attrition
11. Corrosion
12. Function and utility not so important
13. Dark and dim
14. Irregular
15. Intimate
16. Unpretentious
17. Earthy
18. Murky
19. Simple
20. Get rid of all that is unnecessary
21. Beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness

Kitsch

You cannot create wabi sabi. It is not a fashion or a style.
By its very nature it refers to processes that occur naturally as things are used, wear out and eventually break down.

As with 'zen' the term wabi sabi has been adopted in modern UK culture to mean something Asian and exotic.

Is wabi sabi a positive thing?

Yes and no.
You wouldn't call your business wabi sabi.
That would be like naming your martial arts class 'Deterioration Tai Chi'.

Wabi sabi embraces the melancholy as well as the upbeat aspects of life.
Your favourite Uncle has died and you smile at their memory; happiness and love tinged with regret.
An old pair of shoes look broken down and useless but you enjoy their comfort despite their fading functionality.
A vase has a crack in it and can no longer hold water but you can't bear to throw it out.
An old bucket in your garden has rusted in the rain and has a hole in the side.

What is wabi sabi?

Sabi originally meant chill, lean or withered and wabi meant the misery of living alone.
Over time the term has evolved to represent an aesthetic appreciation of the passage of time and its effect.
It refers to things that tarnish, rust, decay and age.