In a world rife with high stress levels, fast-paced living, unrealistic ambitions of perfection, and a debilitating addiction to worldly materialism, an old Japanese way of life may be just what we need right now to preserve us.
Wabi-Sabi is a beautiful Japanese philosophy that refers to a more connected way of life—a way of life in which we are closely connected to nature and hence to our own inner selves. Wabi-Sabi encourages us to look for beauty in imperfection and accept life's natural cycle. It serves as a reminder that everything, including ourselves and life itself, is transient, incomplete, and flawed. As a result, perfection is impossible, and impermanence is the only option.
Wabi and Sabi are two distinct notions when considered separately:
• Wabi is about recognising beauty in basic simplicity. Essentially, it encourages us to detach from materialism, and instead, involve ourselves with spiritual richness.
• Sabi is fascinated by the passage of time, how all things develop, age, and decay, and how it presents itself in items in beautiful ways. It implies that beauty can be found beneath the surface of what we see, even in what we originally consider to be broken.
Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, ephemeral stages of life: these two notions, when combined, form an overarching philosophy for handling life.
Within the very fabric of this age-old philosophy, there lies a wealth of insight. Here are five Wabi-Sabi teachings to help you entirely move away from the modern-day problems of moving quickly, aiming for perfection, and chasing inorganic kinds of achievement.