Is Zen Life Wabi-sabi?

[Guest]

Hello everything,

I came across this lovely video from our friend Muho at Antai-ji ... I tired to see if I could spot Mr. K, but no luck. Enjoy! =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Geika]

Thank you, Shingen. I enjoy collecting videos like this on YouTube... Gassho

Sat today

[Jishin]

Very cool Shingen. Thank you.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Myosha]

Hello,

Thank you for the link.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Washin]

Thank you, Shingen. Nice video.
I'll share this with an outside Wabi-Sabi group if don't mind.

Gassho
Sergey
sat-today

[Kakunen]

Is Zen Life Wabi-sabi?

Feel small sound.
Respect our nature.
Concentrate our attitude.

When I saw video like this,I want to write a poem.

When I sit here,I am at my planet.
So I need to go nowhere and need nothing.

Always thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

I will just add one historical footnote ...

First, what is "wabi-sabi"? Here are some definitions, although hard to nail down:

Wabi means things that are fresh and simple. It denotes simplicity and quietude, and also incorporates rustic beauty. It includes both that which is made by nature, and that which is made by man. It also can mean an accidental or happenstance element (or perhaps even a small flaw) which gives elegance and uniqueness to the whole, such as the pattern made by a flowing glaze on a ceramic object.

Sabi means things whose beauty stems from age. It refers to the patina of age, and the concept that changes due to use may make an object more beautiful and valuable. This also incorporates an appreciation of the cycles of life, as well as careful, artful mending of damage.

Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional. ... The closest English word to wabi-sabi is probably "rustic". ... Things wabi-sabi are unstudied and inevitable looking. .. unpretentious. .. Their craftsmanship may be impossible to discern.

Wabi-[sabi] is characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry [emphasizing] simple, unadorned objects and architectural space, and [celebrating] the mellow beauty that time and care impart to materials
http://www.scribd.com/doc/171707110/...History#scribd

Wabi and Sabi where aspects of traditional Japanese "high" culture centuries before Zen came to Japan. Such values fit well with Zen practice when it came to Japan, but the values are by no means exclusive to it or due to Zen's influence in Japanese history. It would be wrong to say that Zen priests introduced such values to Japan, and really, it was from other sources. The aesthetic is found in Japanese art and "high" culture having nothing to do with Zen Buddhism.

Also, wabi sabi is not the most common aesthetic value in Japan. A longing for wabi and sabi are really the exception, more than the rule, in Japanese culture among ordinary people. The average Japanese person is much more interested in the new, shiny, fun and flashy, and more interested in the latest Paris fashions than the beauty of old and torn cloth. Also, it is expressed in strange ways in Japan, with folks sometimes spending the equivalent of thousands of dollars for an item such as a tea bowl meant to emphasize "poverty" and "simplicity". It has been so throughout history too. Great samurai of the past spent fortunes to build elaborate gardens and pavilions meant to capture artificially this "rusticity". Perhaps the greatest example of this was a tea house of a famous Shogun which he proceeded to cover in real gold leaf on an elaborately designed man made pond. Some have said it is more noveau riche conspicuous consumption than a true appreciation of humility and the unpretentious, not much different from having a Hummer in the driveway to show off one's wealth.

I suppose what I wish to say is that "wabi-sabi" is a beautiful aspect of traditional Japanese culture, and certainly we can all learn to appreciate the minimalism, simplicity, respect for age, finding the beauty of imperfect and worn items. We can benefit much, and it is something of an antidote to our modern consumer mentality (unless we make expensive "rough" tea bowls and fancy "rustic" gardens our consumer items, as many Japanese do in practicing "wabi-sabi").

But don't think that "wabi-sabi" is the same as Zen practice any more than other aspects of Japanese culture ... any more than sushi and Sumo wrestling are necessary to Zen Practice.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Washin]

If I may add, here's also some interesting view of the author about "wabi-sabi"..
Sorry the article's a bit lengthy

http://www.breakawaycook.com/blog/2011/06/23/what-the-hell-is-wabi-sabi-anyway/

Gassho
Sergey
sat-today

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo ... good to have some clarification on Wabi-sabi. I did like the reflective piece at the end ... goes along with what you are saying about the value of Wab-sabi. =)

If I may add, here's also some interesting view of the author about "wabi-sabi"..
Sorry the article's a bit lengthy

http://www.breakawaycook.com/blog/2011/06/23/what-the-hell-is-wabi-sabi-anyway/

Thank you Sergey, I will have a read. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Joyo]

Thank you, Shingen. I really enjoyed watching this video.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Kyotai]

Thank you Shingen. I found the discussion afterward interesting as well.

Gassho, Kyotai
Sat today

[Mp]

Thank you Shingen. I found the discussion afterward interesting as well.

Gassho, Kyotai
Sat today

Yah, I too found that little reflection helpful too. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday