The Beauty of Imperfection

Nothing lasts.

Nothing is finished.

Nothing is perfect.

The recent surge of interest in minimalism would lead you to believe that it's a new and trendy ideal. But the truth is that it's a way of living that is centuries old and celebrated by many cultures across the globe. While living with less may be a new idea in the United States, it's been a practiced way of living in Buddhist communities for ages. If you look at the core beliefs of minimalism and the choice to live with less, you will find similarities to what the Japanese call wabi-sabi.

Wabi-sabi is a Zen Buddhist philosophy that there is beauty in the natural and imperfect. Instead of seeing a broken heirloom tea ceremony bowl as a loss, the Japanese use gold to not only repair the bowl but to also highlight the cracks as part of the story. This process is called kintsukuroi and is a work of art in itself. Wabi-sabi also emphasizes that there is no such thing as perfection and see moss
covered stones or the color of copper that has oxidized as more beautiful than the siding covered pristine homes and immaculately manicured lawns that are common in the United States.

The name means wisdom in natural beauty and represents humble grace; living with less clutter and modestly.

"Threre is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen

If you're just starting your journey to simplicity or interested in how to implement the simplicity of wabi-sabi into your way of life, here are some ways you can look to incorporate a more natural, accepting and forgiving mindset:

Give things new life

Patch the hole in your favorite sweater or turn it into a pillow cover. Have your grandmothers chair reupolstered. If it's an item that tells a story, it's worthy of the respect and time required to mend it so you can continue to appreciate its beauty and carry on it's story.

See the beauty in imperfections

Aging is something to be dreaded in America and people go to great lengths to dye their hair and have plastic surgery to hide the wrinkles and age spots of time. But wabi-sabi finds beauty and wisdom in crows feet and silver hair. The scars are part of the story. These imperfections are our equivalent to the rings of a tree and how they show it's age. Each ring representing a page of a story.

You see the desire for perfection everywhere in our culture. Grocery stores sell only the most perfect fruits and vegetables, but anyone that gardens or has visited a farmers market knows that beautiful isn't always better, and food grown organically and naturally looks nothing like what you see on the shelves of the supermarket that were grown in a chemistry lab. Everyone knows a tomato grown in a garden may not be as large or perfectly round as a "hot house" tomato, but it has much more flavor and color because it was grown naturally.

Understand the natural order

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose. Wabi-sabi is about appreciating the Beauty of the decaying leaf and the process of age. It's the natural order and the circle of life. We must learn to respect the seasons we are in and understand that it is only temporary. That means appreciating every second we are given, and know that whether it be a good or bad time in our life, this too shall pass and we must learn from it, appreciate it and accept it. It would be a shame to spend our time feeling sorry for ourselves or wallowing in pity knowing our time is precious and few.
It also means using our time wisely in relationships that are meaningful and doing things that bring us happiness.

Respecting the seasons is also an important aspect of wabi-sabi. Instead of buying a bouquet of flowers, forage your yard for flowers in the spring and summer and branches or dried flowers to adorn your dinner table in the cold weather months. Try to plan meals around what vegetables are in season instead of what's available at the grocery store.

Look to nature for inspiration

Nature is to be respected and emulated. When choosing housewares and clothing, choose neutral colors and natural materials so that your living space mimics a setting similar to one you would find in nature. The closest you can get to an organically curated life is ideal. Incorporate as much nature and natural elements into your life as possible and learn to appreciate the cracks in wood bowls, chips in your special chinaware and rusted door hinge.

For more information on the philosophy of wabi-sabi, I suggest the book Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence by Andrew Juniper.