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WHAT IS WABI SABI
Wabi Sabi is the material expression
of Zen Buddhism. The two combine into a relationship
where wabi sabi helps understand Zen and enhances
the practice of Zen whilst Zen provides the
inspiration and state of mind for creating wabi
sabi art forms and design.
Originally wabi sabi was applied
to creating the ideal environment to meditate.
The Zen practitioner could walk through a garden
that brought about a mood of introspection and
reflection, enter a teahouse that had an atmosphere
that made it easier to be of an empty mind,
completely engaged in the reality of the ritual
of the Japanese tea ceremony. The objects used in the
ceremony would further enhance the process of
appreciation and gaining mental freedom.
Today Wabi sabi is therefore
most readily applied to gardens, homes and household
objects, however, the same ideas could be applied
to anything. In a modern context it is used
to help shift a little closer to living in the
moment through creating a more calming, peaceful
atmosphere at home. It is the ideal tool for
turning your home into a sanctuary from the
stress of modern living.
ZEN BUDDHISM
To understand wabi sabi it is
first essential to absorb the philosophy of
Zen. Zen is often taught in riddles and mystical
sayings making it subjective and open to personal
interpretation. Zen is something you ultimately
discover for yourself. My current interpretation
of zen is this. As children we live life like a game.
We play and in that play we learn the rules.
Every school playground is full of children
making up rules and acting them out. We take
this forward into social behaviour, work and
self. We all live by certain rules and play
a game in which we expect outcomes. The most
common is the career game. We work, try to be
of value to other people, conform to the rules
of the game in anticipation of rewards. What
will my rewards be, a house, car, holidays?
The same game can be applied to anything and
strangely often gets applied quite rigidly to
new age, spiritual pursuits where a new set
of doctrines are bought into in return for greater
well-being, a new career or spiritual superiority.
Zen is the times when you escape
the game altogether and just live without preconceptions,
expectations or assumptions. This is a non-judgemental
attitude where curiosity, wonder, interest stir
an open, questioning mind with no expectation of outcomes.
WABI SABI
The words wabi and sabi have
evolved in meaning over many centuries and have
a new meaning again when put together. In the
Zen style the meaning is subjective and open
to interpretation. Wabi can be applied to a
way of life that is simple, unmaterialistic,
humble, appreciative, considered. A wabi person
would be happy with very little and content
within him or herself, someone who has transcended
the need for material wealth to define him or
herself. Sabi can be applied to an imagery that
is transient. The look of something that shows
its age, that imparts something of its life.
This could be the patina of an old leather jacket,
weathered stone or seasoned wood. Sabi represents
the passing of time and is tinged with sadness,
perhaps a longing for the carefree existence
of childhood. When put together wabi sabi would
logically mean being in a simple state of living
placed in the context of the passing of time,
however, I will leave you the freedom to develop
your own feel for the words by studying wabi
sabi further.
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WHY USE WABI
SABI
Bringing wabi sabi
into my life resulted in subtle changes to the
way I reacted to the world around me. With a
similar influence you might find you see things
that once irritated you in a new light, you
may find that there is more to the parts of
life that once seemed mundane, you could discover
greater patience and acceptance with other people.
It is impossible to predict how you will react
but I have found a gradual shift in my perception
of myself and everything around me. There seems
to be a little more time, I look for greater
quality in every experience, I want to explore
and enjoy deeper experiences. I would like to
think I treat people with greater compassion,
that I am more accepting and understanding.
As a result my relationships have evolved to
a new level.
SELF EMPOWERMENT
One of the benefits
of Zen thinking is that it takes power away
from the kind of beliefs, ideologies, doctrines
or concepts that often get imposed upon us and
allows us to take back control of those areas
of our life. Living in a wabi sabi home reinforces
the idea that there are no rules, that it is
all inside us. Cultivating a Wabi Sabi attitude
develops inner strength, greater self-reliance
and an independence of thought. The Zen personality
stands out as his or her own person who does
not get blown in every direction by trends,
gossip, fashion or other people's theories.
HAPPINESS
The main point of
wabi sabi is to make more of your life as it
happens. Settled in your wabi sabi surroundings
you will find it easier to appreciate the moment
and learn to enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Wabi sabi is about your ability to be happy
with what you have not how much you need to
feel happy. Happiness is internal and comes
from within. You can encourage yourself to be
happy more of the time regardless of what is
going on around you. This is preferable to relying
on external factors to be happy and find your
happiness is victim to other people's whims.
This is linked to an appreciation of the aging
process and an acceptance of death, helping
to diminish common sources of fear, anxiety
and depression.
MOVING FORWARDS
When playing the
games of careers, success, relationships or
social life it is easy to find ourselves trapped
in patterns we are no longer get the same buzz
out of. I notice people get stuck in the high
points of their lives, even though life moves
on. This could be the pub and party culture
after leaving school, a high point in a career
or first taste of wealth. Sometimes we become
so attached to these highs that they remain
the main reason for living even though life
and the world has changed. These periods of
elation can ultimately hold us back or in extremes
even be destructive. Wabi sabi helps escape
those superficial distractions making it easier
to move forwards into new phases of life, ultimately
enjoying a bigger journey in life.
A BIGGER LIFE
Too many concepts
and beliefs can make our world smaller. Our
minds will tend to block out things that do
not fit our belief systems. For example if a
pink elephant flashed across Oxford Street,
even though we would see it with our eyes our
minds would block it out. A child would register
it as he or she would not have been conditioned
into thinking a flying pink elephant is impossible.
Entering a wabi sabi mind set helps reverse
the process of adopting rigid beliefs and reopens
our minds to new possibilities, to be able to
see our world in its entirety. It gently leads
us to rediscover our childhood appetite for
wonder and curiosity
BALANCE
Naturally wabi sabi
is the antithesis of a modern materialistic
world, full of rampant consumerism and provides
a welcomed contrast for anyone wanting to get
a better balance in life and experience a different
perception of him or herself.
ENVIRONMENT
Wabi sabi is the
ultimate in environmental conservation as it teaches us to
be happy with very little and places an emphasis
on natural materials.
HEALTH
In terms of health
wabi sabi has all the components to escape stress
and develop an attitude that makes it easier
to rise to challenges without suffering the
ill effects of severe stress. Under stress we
tend to become more acidic and many people claim
illnesses start after a period of great stress.
The Taoist view is that we can greatly improve
your health and life expectancy by freeing ourselves
of emotional upsets, by taking a bigger, longer-term
view of life and using meditative arts like
tai chi to spend more time in the now rather
than getting stressed by our perception of the
future or past. Wabi sabi creates an environment
where it is easier to be kinder and gentler
with ourselves, to escape some of the pressures
and expectations we put ourselves under. It
is the emphasis of acceptance, lack of attachments
combined with living life as it happens that
brings greater freedom from measuring ourselves
against self imposed targets.
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KEY WABI SABI
IDEAS
Living in the
moment - escaping unnecessary thoughts of
the past and future.
Simplicity -
putting the greatest attention into the few
things that are most important to you.
Emptiness - leaving
the space for new things to come into your
life.
Sobriety - retaining
dignity, self control, common sense and level
headedness.
Intuition - to
be able to understand without analytical or
logic reasoning.
Transient beauty
- an appreciation of beauty that comes and
goes.
Nothing is complete
- understanding that life is a process without
clear beginnings and ends.
Acceptance -
to adapt to changing circumstances and make
the best of any situation.
Imperfection
- embracing and loving people, things, nature
as they are.
Asymmetry - to
be free from trying to make objects and layout
symmetrical or in regimented patterns.
Appreciation
- to cultivate an attitude of endless appreciation
for ourselves and the world we live in. Seeing
the best in everything.
Tranquillity
- to free ourselves from all the unnecessary
noise, clutter and distractions that distract
us from find that inner peace.
Naturalness -
living close to nature, using natural materials.
Nothing contrived
- to express yourself freely without trying
to satisfy superficial trends or fashions.
Non attachment
- freedom from doctrines, concepts and beliefs.
Humbleness -
being yourself without projecting your ego.
Leading an unassuming, unpretentious, unostentatious
life.
Modesty - to
live a life that is varied without indulging
in excesses or extremes.
Austerity - to
be free from pandering to luxuries and making
the most of very little.
Embracing change
- enjoying the idea that everyday is new and
different, that our world is full of variables
and that nothing is static.
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WABI SABI IN
THE KITCHEN
The wabi sabi approach
to choosing crockery and kitchen equipment requires
a change of attitude to one that embraces Zen
ideology. Here you would not look for a sterile,
pristine, shiny kitchen with everything in the
right place but something that is more earthy,
organic and tactile.
Interestingly
research indicates that eating food that is
too clean and drinking water that is too pure
may make us more susceptible to food poisoning
and allergies as our intestines and immune system
loose the ability to regularly work with a range
of bacteria and viruses.
The kitchen would
ideally be a place you would feel tranquil and
calm and most importantly a room you would want
to spend time in. In an age of pre-packed meals
and processed foods it helps to get biologically
closer to nature by preparing your own meals
using whole living ingredients.
The wabi sabi mentality
does not recognise the need for matching sets.
Using your intuition and creativity you can
mix styles and materials at a table setting.
Different sizes, textures and designs all add
to the interest and atmosphere of the eating
area. In a family you can let each member choose
his or her favourite dishes. When inviting guests
you can intuitively choose the crockery you
think best suits each friend. This will be more
interesting for each person than everyone having
the same matching set of plate, bowl and cutlery.
Chips and cracks
Try to re-orientate
your mind to accept chips and cracks as part
of the aging process of your crockery. The obvious
exception to this is anything that results in
a sharp dangerous edge, for example a chipped
glass, and these should be discarded or ground
down to make safe.
Crazing and
yellowing
Glazes can craze
with age adding an attractive patina to a plate
or bowl, whites will yellow and colours fade.
In addition to reflecting the passing of time
these items take on a special appearance that
can only come through age.
Asymmetry
Resist the temptation
to 'lay' the table. Look for ways to intuitively
place items in a way that is functional and
yet does not follow an obvious pattern.
Individuality
and craftsmanship
Wabi sabi objects
would generally be hand made and demonstrate
an easy uncontrived appearance. Ideally each
piece would be recognisably individual and even
better might show something of the maker's identity,
a small flaw or certain mark. Looking at the
object you would hope to gain some insight into
its maker.
KITCHEN OBJECTS
Tea Kettle
The classic wabi
sabi tea pot would be of a simple design and
made leaving a rough, textured surface. Look
for tea pots with a functional shape but made
of a material that feels interesting and perhaps
has a texture that holds your gaze, something
meditative.
Cups
There is no need
to have a matching set and here you can mix
mugs with cups and saucers. Indeed the saucers
do not need to match the cups. Typical wabi
sabi styles would be simple, earthy and hand
made.
Iron Pot
Traditional Japanese
cooking employs an iron pot with a handle and
wooden lid. This simple pot is ideal for soups,
stews and grain or bean dishes. Season the inside
with oil to resist rust. The heaviness and course
finish of the pot helps give your food that
rural, simple but satisfying feel.
Frying Pan
Cast iron frying
pans will bring more of a wabi sabi feel to
your kitchen. They tarnish and age well and
give a more rustic feel to your cooking. Try
to get a pan that is uncoated and season it
yourself with oil.
Wood plates
and bowls
Wooden plates and
bowls carry a more textured, mat, porous finish
than glazed crockery and make for a simple surface
to eat your food from. Also consider wooden
utensils and chopsticks. Simple designs would
best represent wabi sabi thinking. Rough clay
bowls, dishes and plates Look out for interesting
plates, bowls and serving dishes. These do not
have to be round. You may find an attractive
square plate or hexagonal bowl. Seek out designs
that are asymmetrical and look out of balance.
Simple, elegant dishes may help you feel in
the mood for more healthy, natural foods. More
modest, humble designs will let the food provide
the colour and forms on your table.
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GARDENS
INTENTION
To create a part
of your garden where you can experience the
wabi sabi emotion of tranquillity and find
a mood where you can meditate and remain in
the present.
CHANGE
Walk through
your garden at different times of the day
in a tranquil, meditative mood paying attention
to your emotions. Be aware of any parts of
your garden that feel calmer. Make a note
places you would want to spend more time.
Try this over a period of several days to
see if you are consistently attracted to the
same places. When you feel happy you have
found a tranquil spot look to see if you can
introduce a wabi sabi feature here. Clear
an open space and then place an interesting
feature in this space so it stands out in
a captivating and interesting way. You will
need a space of one square meter or yard or
more. Look to see if you can introduce an
interesting path to this site, a path that
would gently guide you to a meditative experience.
SIMPLE PROJECTS
Clear out the
space you have. You can cover the area with
gravel or mulch. This becomes your canvas
for your wabi sabi feature. Traditionally
a large stone was used as the focal point.
This would be a large stone taken in its natural
condition. This requires you to spend time
looking in the wilds for a stone that would
help you feel tranquil and meditative. If
you use gravel as your background this can
also be the place you rake your gravel.
Ideally such a
stone would have a shape, colour and texture
that holds your interest. If you manage to
drag such a stone out of a river it will also
an interesting pattern of wear. Similarly
soft stones may weather in a fascinating way
if they have been exposed to the elements.
When you get the stone into your garden, play
around with it until you find a position and
stance that feels natural to you.
Resist any temptation
to place your stone right in the centre of
your space or to set it in any contrived manner.
If you find it difficult to find one large
stone you could consider arranging several
stones in an appealing style.
As an alternative
to stone you might consider a large piece
of wood. Scour beaches for a captivating large
piece of driftwood. Driftwood can pick up
a fascinating texture and shape and will hopefully
provide something to meditate on in your garden.
If appropriate you could mix the driftwood
with a stone, although one of the desires
here is to keep the whole feature as simple
as possible.
Another option
would be to find an interesting piece of rusting
metal and bring that back to be your feature.
If the metal is thin enough you will be able
to witness parts of it rust away leaving interesting
textures on the surface and holes in the material.
Part of the wabi
sabi tradition is to consider how you want
to approach your feature. What experiences
could you or your guests enjoy on the way
to help you reach the best emotional state
to meditate on your feature. In your design
of the path you will need to think about the
route the path takes, the size of the path
and the materials you use for the surface.
A winding path
would add a sense of mystery and perhaps surprise
when you reach your feature. To use wabi sabi
thinking the path would be made up of weathered
and seasoned materials such as old broken
flag stones, aged wooden railway sleepers
or a mixture of different left over paving
stones.
From a wabi sabi
perspective there is no need to make the path
continuous or to use the same materials along
the path. You could simply place a few stones
to step on and leave grass between and you
might find it more interesting to change the
material according to the emotion you want
to bring to the surface. For example a soft
path made from mulch though a wooded section,
hard stones in an open environment and wood
to slow you down as you approach your feature.
Try to work with
your garden in a way that you leave your option
for the future open. By keeping everything
flexible and avoiding costly fixed items you
will be able to experiment and change your
garden from one year to the next if you feel
like it. In this spirit it is easier to work
intuitively as there is not the same pressure
to avoid making a mistake. With this attitude
you can follow your heart in the knowledge
that you can always change anything you do
not like.
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WHAT I LEARNT
FROM WRITING PRACTICAL WABI SABI
I whilst I was writing Practical
Wabi Sabi (a few years ago now) I was able to
make some wonderful changes to my relationships,
particularly with our children. I also noticed
a great improvement in the quality of my life
and so far this has just kept getting better.
Everyday there are now many memorable high and
moments of great pleasure.
This is the body of work that
changed Dragana's life so much. I know she will
not mind me telling you that she was a bit of
an uptight, irritable, stressed, even angry
mum and suddenly changed to being someone who
loves being around the children. As you can
imagine all our lives changed dramatically as
a result!
It not only the ultimate in stress
free living but also the ultimate in environmental
consciousness as through Wabi Sabi we can be
happy with very little (and not have to work
so hard to make money!).
One of the ideas behind Wabi
Sabi is to discover how to be ourselves and
happy as we are. Through this we can develop
an honest relationship with ourselves and the
rest of the world, whilst learning to gain the
greatest pleasures from those aspects of life
that mean the most to us. As a result I have
found greater contentment with myself.
I have found it works really
well with a macrobiotic lifestyle and philosophy
and if anything I have found it easier to eat
well since immersing myself in the subject.
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Practical Wabi Sabi Simon G.
Brown
Specifications 253mm 195mm
Binding Paperback Size 253 x
195mm
Extent 128 pages
Colour Images Approx 150
Wabi Sabi, which translates roughly
as humble beauty, is a practical philosophy
that infuses the concepts of ecology and sustainability
with human emotions and spirituality. It aims
to refine notions of beauty so that you begin
to value items that are organic, imperfect,
simple and old Ð even falling apart Ð and your
personal connection with them.
A home that has been created
using wabi sabi will be uncluttered, simple,
and clean. It will have a natural, unpretentious
atmosphere where nothing appears contrived.
Its furnishings will celebrate the transient
nature of things, the asymmetrical shapes and
forms of nature, and the evolutionary nature
of life. There will be movement, space, and
growth.
Because a wabi sabi home embraces
the passing of time by including objects that
are old and perhaps deformed by the passage
of time, its rooms will be full of character,
personality, and life. Living in such an environment
can endow you with a view of the world that
naturally can help you through difficult times.
You become more in tune with nature, flowing
with it, rather than fighting it. This flexible,
open approach makes it easier for you to adapt
and respond to our ever-changing world.
¥ Practical guidance on the principles
of wabi sabi and how to apply them to your home,
your outlook and your personal relationships
¥ Easy ways to make your home
more supportive, less cluttered, and more natural,
and more in tune with the concepts of ecology
and sustainability
¥ Guidelines for producing homes
that are spacious, and full of character, personality
and life
¥ Advice on connecting with things
so that you become more accepting, flexible,
appreciative, calmer and open to change
¥ The means necessary to face
what life has to offer and to meet the challenges
of what life has to offer
ISBN 9781904760559 £ 12.99
Buy this book now at amazon.co.uk
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