I’ve just been reading a great book on wabi-sabi (the beauty of impermanence; the impermanence of beauty). It’s called
Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers
by Leonard Koren
Click here for Leonard Koren’s website.
The book is delightful. I especially like “the wabi-sabi universe.” It goes like this–
Metaphysically, things are either dissembling into, or evolving from, nothingness.
Spiritually, (1) truth comes from observing nature; (2) greatness exists in the inconspicuous and overlooked; and (3) out of ugliness can come beauty.
State of Mind is to accept the inevitable and appreciate cosmic order.
Moral precepts: (1) get rid of all that is unnecessary; (2) focus on the intrinsic; and (3) ignore material hierarchy.
Material qualities include: the suggestion of natural processes, irregularity, intimacy, lack of pretension, earthiness, murkiness, and simplicity.
This feels like the real deal to me–the kind of thing I always suspected but have never seen encouraged in our self-betraying society. This book is so worth it. Consider buying it if you strive for a life where the real things matter.
