The Japanese have a knack for bringing ancient wisdom to the modern world, from wise proverbs to life-enhancing philosophies. There is ikigai, the method of finding your life purpose or reason for being, and shankankan, a philosophy which teaches the virtue of patience. The Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with liquid gold is called kintsugi, teaching you to embrace your own flaws and imperfections. If you could absorb all these traditional zen ideas into one philosophy, it might just be wabi sabi.
Pronounced "wah-bi sah-bi", wabi sabi is a concept from Japanese aesthetics that encourages us to see beauty in the "perfectly imperfect" and to accept the transient nature of life (of which the fleeting cherry blossom season is an apt analogy, the delicate flowers inevitably falling within weeks of blooming). Much like a sudden sense of nostalgia or an overwhelming emotion that you can't quite explain, the concept is a heart-centred experience and its meaning differs for everyone. As such, there is no universal definition for wabi sabi in the Japanese language, making it impossible to translate.
The phrase itself is derived from two separate ideas. Beth Kempton, Japanologist and author of Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life, explains: "Wabi is about finding beauty in simplicity, and a spiritual richness and serenity in detaching from the material world. Sabi is more concerned with the passage of time, with the way that all things grow and decay and how ageing alters the visual nature of those things. It's less about what we see, and more about how we see."
Bu hikaye WellBeing dergisinin Issue 200 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye WellBeing dergisinin Issue 200 sayısından alınmıştır.
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SYNTHETIC FOODS
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Embracing the power of nature
Menopause is more than just a biological change, it represents a significant life stage that can present numerous challenges - from hot flushes and mood swings to fatigue and sleepless nights.
Jan Fran
From a young age, Jan Fran's deep curiosity and keen interest in social issues sparked her journey into the world of journalism. As an accomplished journalist, media commentator and broadcaster, Fran's passion for storytelling has always been driven by a desire to explore, question and shed light on the world around her.
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The bottom line
During the Couid pandemic, we were shocked to see people fighting in supermarkets over toilet paper and to see empty shelves that had once held roll after roll. The reasons behind the run for toilet paper during this time reflect the unique place that it holds in our psyche and are deeply rooted in our history.
