Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence
by Andrew Juniper
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Book Summary Information
Author: Andrew JuniperEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-11-15
ISBN: 0804834822
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Book Reviews of Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence
Book Review: Wabi Sabi - Beyond Hobby
Summary: 5 Stars
Although concepts of Wabi Sabi have been around for centuries, it is wryly amusing that no Japanese has ever attempted an analysis. (All the books on this subject seem to be by Westerners with certain orientations.) This is because Zen disdains intellectualism and dismisses rational approaches to satori out of hand. The Japanese logic has always been to avoid the subject, because the very use of prose is to admit one's spiritual failure.
Andrew Juniper has come to satisfy our rational cravings with a cogent, indeed elegant little book. He even attempts a definition of the term on page 51: "Wabi sabi is an intuitive appreciation of transient beauty in the physical world that reflects the irreversible flow of life in the spiritual world. It is an understated beauty that exists in the modest, rustic, imperfect, or even decayed, an aesthetic sensibility that finds a melancholic beauty in the impermanence of all things."
Is not every syllable meaningful? I am very grateful for bi-cultural people who write so well. He explores the nexus between Zen, Japanese culture and wabi sabi in straight forward language that yet remains respectful. He excels at big picture description. "The Universal Spirit of Wabi Sabi" is a short concluding section with prose as jarring as it is graceful.
I am not about to wabi-sabiize my life. Such change is for young radicals. But I do think Westerners as well as Eastern converts to Consumerism should be aware of alternatives that someday may be thrust upon us. There will come a time when planned obsolescence will be regarded as criminal, so you may want to invest a few shares in a good wabi sabi mutual fund. Juniper's book will get you started.
Summary of Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence
Wabi sabi, the quintessential Japanese design aesthetic, is quickly gaining popularity around the world, as evidenced by recent articles in Time, The Chicago Tribune and Kyoto Journal. Taken from the Japanese words wabi, which translates to less is more, and sabi, which means attentive melancholy, wabi sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence. As a design style, wabi sabi helps us to appreciate the simple beauty in imperfection--of a chipped vase or a rainy day, for example.
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