peace of mind
Wabi Sabi: The wisdom and
beauty of impermanance
S t o r y a nd P h o t o s b y W i b M iddlet o n
A
s we try to negotiate our
increasingly busy and stress-
filled lives, we often find
ourselves longing for a more
peaceful inner landscape, time to stop,
breathe and just be. Unfortunately,
our addiction to comfort and conve-
nience that feeds burgeoning tech
industries often causes even more
stress. Do I need the latest refrigerator
that talks to me and tells me what to
buy? What will virtual reality do to
my kids? Could Alexa be spying on us?
Too many concerns and issues, so little
time to smell the roses. And now we
find out from social scientists that an
entire generation of kids may have to
be taught how to play outside.
But, it’s not just about taking time
to connect with nature again, to spend
time in the present moment, to take in
the beauty around us. It’s also about
recognizing and appreciating the
ephemeral nature of things—one of
the keys to a more peaceful life. As the
Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephe-
sus once noted, “Everything flows and
nothing abides, everything gives way
and nothing stays fixed.” And Bud-
dhist Zen master Thích Nhat Hanh
offers this insight: “It is not imper-
manence that makes us suffer. What
makes us suffer is wanting things to
be permanent when they are not.”
Most of us find change unsettling,
unless it meets and supports our life
plan. Plan making has been raised to
a fine art in Western culture as we
measure, score and desperately try to
stay on track. Then, when life hap-
pens in its beautifully spontaneous,
organic way, if we are attuned to its
flow and lean into it, we can gain a
greater appreciation and reverence for
the precious life we have.
In Japanese culture there is a
deeply rooted philosophical aesthetic
called wabi sabi, with its ancient roots
in Zen Buddhism. Like Zen, it is dif-
ficult to put into words. Some Western
interpreters break
it down into three
observations: “Noth-
ing lasts, nothing is
finished, and nothing
is perfect.” Think of
a beautiful bouquet
of roses, grown to
engage the senses
with their beauty
and scent as they
open and transform
the space they oc-
cupy into something
extraordinary. They
peak, then begin to
fade, lose their color,
and droop with petals
falling. Do we give
them a moment’s
consideration in their
IMAGINE
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