Please note that this article doesn’t intend by any means to promote the endorsement of some Buddhist conception or way of thinking. But rather it aims to shed light on a very essential element of beauty we lack in our modern life; “naturalism”, i.e. valuing things for their own value regardless of their imperfection.. actually valuing them for their imperfection.
In an age where plastic surgeons make fortune out of changing people’s external images – a phenomenon that has developed into a fully fledged industry; gathering myriads of professions investing time, effort, and money to make people look in a certain way, have certain weight, extra white teeth, extra long hair, and extra moist complexion- valuing the true essence and the nature of objects, people, and life is, indeed, a requisite.
It’s time to love life as it is and for what it really means, loving people for who they really are; their true personas rather than their looks, and above all accepting and loving ourselves as we are since we first came to this world- that is to say celebrate our imperfection and see it as “perfect” rather than defective.
This is more or less the domineering conception of the Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese methodology gaining increasing popularity in the West and the Arab world alike that glorifies simplicity, humbleness, and values imperfection and undertasted beauty that is void of any symmetric connotations. It also calls for accepting transience; the fact that all matters undergo a brief cycle of evolvement, growth and death.
The term Wabi Sabi comprises of two sections: Wabi, a Japanese word that stems from the root WA, and refers to peace and harmony. It represents endorsing simplicity as a lifestyle and feeling satisfied with the least valuable things, in other words it’s the opposite of greed.
The second half of the term, Sabi, refers to rust or things that have become dull after once being glorious and sparkling- in other words it signifies impermanence of external beauty and glory that fade as people and things grow old.
This conventional conception originally stems from the very famous Buddhist theory of the Three marks of existence, also referred to as the ti-lakkhana, claiming that everything in the physical universe is marked by three characteristics: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, also referred to as suffering (suggesting that nothing on earth can provide humans with unlimited and timeless satisfaction)- and the third is egolessness or non-self.
Wabi-Sabi represents a controversial aesthetic view of beauty and esteeming imperfection while valuing asymmetry.
This profound conception offers a very romantic interpretation to what is normally perceived as imperfect or defective. It promotes the acceptance of a surely unchanged fact that we, humans, are bound to a cycle that doesn’t stop or exclude any of us, the natural and everlasting cycle of evolvement, growth, and death- This perception helps one understand the true essence of life, and how to live it. It also implies that the time we waste in imperfectly yet persistently attempting to change some universal facts such as growing and looking old, is a waste of time and energy; two essential factors of life that need to be invested in achieving rather than changing the unchangeable.
Richard R. Powel’s “Wabi Sabi Simple”, sums the essence of the Wabi Sabi, giving a very realistic and comprehensive glimpse of the concept.
In his book, Powel says:
“Wabi Sabi is a way of life. It may be helpful to contrast it with what is slick and stylish and plastic and faux. It doesn’t mean we don’t use or appreciate all the positive technological advances of the modern world, but it does mean that we understand the need to balance tech slick with Wabi Sabi”.
This concept relates so much to the notion of “acceptance”, accepting the way you look accepting your job, even if you seek to change career or have a better one, and more importantly accepting people you love for who they are without imposing your own perception and understanding of “beauty and perfectionism”.
Wabi Sabi is not a phenomenon or a way of thinking. Also it’s not some sophisticated concept you need to study and acquire a PHD in it to feel its benefits. Simply put; it’s a subtle view you need to consider in order to value much of your surrounding- in Powel’s own words; “It’s a secret you already know”.
Maha Youssuf
- First published in Magnificent Magazine