A Wabi Sabi look at life

by Cheryl Lindemann

I’m sure we’ve all experienced that “aha moment” where we hear something and think, “Yes, that makes so much sense to me.” These moments can happen when talking with a good friend, coming across a particularly good quote, watching a TED Talk, or reading a thought-provoking article.

I had this experience when I first discovered the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi. While it resists a firm definition, Wabi Sabi encompasses ideas of imperfect beauty. It acknowledges that everything deteriorates and ages; not only is perfection an impossible goal, but there is beauty in nature and transience.

Wabi Sabi is the subject of many books and has served as a conceptual muse for artists, designers and poets. It is found in rustic simplicity, asymmetry and natural materials. A chipped bowl in a tea ceremony is Wabi Sabi. So is a worn wooden stool, or a quilt that visibly shows its many years of use.

A concept that can be applied to so many situations in our daily lives, Wabi Sabi is both inspiring and liberating. Reading about it led to my discovery of another Japanese concept, that of ikigai. The word ikigai can be

broken into its two sections—iki (to live) and gai (reason). Living with ikigai means embracing life with meaning and purpose.

Tokyo-based neuroscientist, author and broadcaster Ken Mogi has spoken about Wabi Sabi, including a brief YouTube video on the concept. He is also the author of Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day. The book outlines the five pillars of ikigai, and how you can apply these to your own life. Find this title in a variety of formats, along with others on the topics of Wabi Sabi and ikigai, at cadl.org/catalog.