Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy: how to become happy without straining at all?

Eastern philosophers and sages have no equal in finding mental balance. Great minds, having comprehended the subtle meanings of existence, left many works and teachings in which they tried to answer the question: “Where to find real happiness?

First of all, they proposed to turn to themselves, and then to the surrounding reality. For Japanese philosophers, the main postulate of life was the rule to perceive reality as it is, without trying to remake it for themselves. And fortitude and humility were the main virtues of man. Similar principles are laid down in the philosophy of wabi-sabi. Let’s find out what the term means and how the Japanese lifestyle is reflected in psychology and design.

What is wabi-sabi?

From Japanese, the concept can be translated as “modest simplicity in solitude”. For an accurate understanding of the meaning it is worth to break the term into two components: wabi will mean modesty, lack of brightness and pompousness, sabi – archaic, authenticity, naturalness. That is, Japanese philosophy teaches to appreciate beauty in imperfection, simplicity.

The mood and atmosphere of wabi-sabi are accurately conveyed by natural phenomena and landscapes. For example, a spring garden, starry night sky, moonlight. It is the surrounding space with its transience that for the Japanese is the source of perfection and truth.

Wabi-sabi philosophy is based on Zen Buddhism and Taoism, which emphasize the importance of presence in the present moment, detachment from desires and attachments, as well as harmony with the surrounding world. For the Japanese, this worldview is the basis of beauty, the aesthetics of the world. The observed object should evoke emotions, feelings of melancholy and nostalgia.

The central theme of Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy is meditation, characterized by balance, concentration and self-control. In the process of spiritual search, which aims to comprehend truth and spiritual enlightenment, one is in a position of heightened awareness.

Wabi-sabi also offers a mental practice with mindful observation and awareness of everyday life. It is important to clearly notice thoughts, emotions, body and spirit. One should approach oneself and others with care, grace, and awareness of their feelings.

To achieve true understanding of the meaning of wabi-sabi, as the Japanese themselves say, is possible only through non-verbal communication, without words, only by contemplating the surrounding. That is why the principles of this philosophy have found mass reflection in art, architecture and design.

Features of wabi-sabi style in the interior

See the beauty in simple things call the philosophers of the Land of the Rising Sun. On this concept is based on the arrangement of housing, choice of clothing. The interiors are dominated by calm natural tones, and household items are made without excessive pretentiousness and demonstration of luxury. Let’s highlight a few more principles of wabi-sabi style in design.

Incompleteness

The philosophy of “secluded simplicity” implies the realization of incompleteness, changeability, imperfection of the world. Wabi-sabi style gives the opportunity to constantly update the interior and accept the non-ideality of the renovation. The space should not be filled with flat geometric objects. On the contrary, creating a place to live, wabi-sabi worldview allows you to allow asymmetry and unevenness. Changes can always be made at any time, such as repainting the walls or updating the textiles in the rooms.

Minimalism

At the same time, the wabi-sabi style does not allow for anarchy and carelessness. Despite the adoption of non-ideal shapes, the space should remain clean and minimalist. The philosophy suggests experiencing the delicate balance between the pleasure of possessing things and the joy of freedom in getting rid of the unnecessary and non-functional.

Attention to details

According to the principles of wabi-sabi, each interior item should carry meaning and evoke pleasant feelings of nostalgia. Thus, the space can be filled with inexpensive, authentic, memorable things.

The interior can be filled with old tablecloths inherited from your grandmother, children’s drawings on the walls, handmade clay cups from which it is pleasant to drink tea. Details should give meaning to the living space and correspond to the main values of the owner.

Love for antiques

Special importance in the philosophy of wabi-sabi is given to attachment to memorabilia with history. In the interior are valued shabby, old things that have a patina of time. For the Japanese, it is in them that the real beauty is hidden. Wabi-sabi style involves the preservation and restoration of everyday objects.

Japanese culture even has a separate art of restoring damaged objects – kintsugi. This is a method of preserving broken things, usually ceramics, involving the joining of shards into a single whole with the help of lacquer mixed from gold, silver or platinum powder. The Japanese believe that such a technique makes a thing unique and epitomizes the strength of a person who does not give up under the oppression of time.

Eco-friendliness

Simplicity and aesthetics in the style of wabi-sabi assume the rejection of everything unnatural and plastic. Therefore, the interior is valued natural, organic materials that deliver pleasant tactile sensations. It can be linen bamboo curtains on the windows, wooden or wicker furniture, cotton bed linen.

Imitation of wood, stone is inadmissible in such interiors. It is necessary to use only natural components in the design. Wabi-sabi style suggests replacing expensive species or materials with affordable ones. Naturalness is proposed to withstand and in the color schemes of the space. In the interior of wabi-sabi mainly prevail calm shades of white, light pink, beige, green, blue.

Coziness

The main task of the wabi-sabi style is to create a comfortable zone where a person can maximize relaxation and rest. Carelessly made bed, scattered pillows and plaid on the sofa – a natural picture of the interior of this philosophy.

The imperfectly arranged objects seem to hint that, being in this space, you can be real, sincere, remain yourself. Here, in such a room, you will be accepted in any state of mind and supported. But perfect order and crystal cleanliness, a tendency to perfectionism will be something artificial and repel sincerity.

Principles of wabi-sabi in psychology

Agree that such attitudes of this eastern philosophy strongly echo the practices in psychotherapy. By organizing your space according to the principles of wabi-sabi, you can change your outlook on your life and worldview.

Business and clinical psychologist

“Wabi-sabi is not only a philosophy, but also a psychotherapy that can help you become happier, healthier and wiser. Its postulates are similar to those used in psychology, as they help a person cope with crises, stress, depression and other problems.”

Accepting reality as it is, without resistance, denial or the constant feeling of being a victim of circumstances, enables one to see new perspectives and solutions. Happiness in simplicity means for a person to globally give up excesses, stuffiness and traumatic comparisons of oneself to others.

It promotes the skill of gratitude for what one has and what one has achieved through one’s endeavors. Satisfaction with life increases. Addressing the ideas of the inevitability of aging and the variability of life, inherent in the philosophy of wabi-sabi, reminds a person of the value of each moment, motivates him to creativity and creativity.

Achieving a state of acceptance of reality is not always easy; sometimes it takes decades. But there are various techniques that can help in this process.

Meditation

This is the practice of focusing on the breath, body, thoughts and feelings without evaluation or judgment. Meditation helps to calm the mind, relax the body and realize your oneness with nature.

Acceptance

A skill taken from dialectical behavioral therapy that involves fully accepting reality as it is without trying to change or avoid it. Radical acceptance requires three steps: accepting the fact of the fait accompli; accepting that the event has a reason; accepting that life is possible even with painful events.

Mind Turn

This is another skill from behavioral therapy. It helps us shift our attention from denial to acceptance. Whenever we notice that we disagree with something that annoys or frustrates us, we can shift our thoughts. Direct them in the direction of acceptance.

Willingness

This is the ability to be open to life and participate actively and flexibly. We are not afraid of anything new, ready to apply and activate all available options in the face of previously unfamiliar challenges. Readiness also involves recognizing one’s needs, emotions and values.

It is also possible to see the beauty in the little things, at one’s age and in the conditions one finds oneself in. To do this, one must develop one’s attentiveness, sensitivity and imagination.

They will help to notice details that are sources of beauty and joy, to feel a connection with nature, yourself and other people. And imagination helps you create your own style, express your individuality and find the deeper meaning in life.

However, we must recognize that wabi-sabi is not for everyone, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some people may have difficulty accepting their flaws, failures and aging. There is an addiction to wanting to be perfect, to achieve grand success or eternal youth. Such people risk becoming victims of their illusions, complexes and addictions, losing contact with reality, themselves and others.

Thus, wabi-sabi is not only a philosophy of life, but also an effective way of escape from modern disasters caused by constant comparison of one’s achievements, one’s figure, one’s life with an endless stream of information and photos in social networks.

Everyone should try wabi-sabi and start accepting themselves with their lovely flaws and pleasant achievements in order to live with pleasure. Philosophy can lead to radical changes in a person’s behavior, thinking and values.