Writing
Wabi Sabi – No Mud, No Lotus
by Siobhan Farrell
The lotus flower, a symbol of awakening in the Buddhist tradition, blooms in the muddiest swamps. Its roots lie under swamp water and its buds reach their way to the surface where they bloom into exquisite pink or white flowers. If you want the beauty of the lotus flower, you must also accept the mud.
The heart of wabi-sabi comes from the tenets of Buddhism. The three facets of existence – impermanence, suffering, and not-self – apply to all phenomena and aspects of life. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete” in nature. It is prevalent in many forms of Japanese art.
Image @ Siobhan Farrell
Wabi refers to living with humility and simplicity while being at one with nature. Sabi is defined as the ability to accept the lifecycle of anything as it is—flaws and all. A chipped cup and saucer are cherished perhaps because they came from a special place or were a gift from a special person. A tearoom is simple, minimal, rustic, even weathered. It allows one to focus on the tea ceremony.
I practice Zen Buddhism which translates into an attitude or way of life. Zen teaches that through meditation, one can awaken to one’s inner nature, compassion and wisdom.
Wabi sabi is often reflected through language. Haiku for example speaks to the transient beauty, “abiding qualities” and clarity of perception. Successful haiku allows the reader to appreciate the poem it for what is, nothing more. Stories and poems can also be a compass to help navigate through our memories, our lives and to discover ourselves. With the passage of time, transience is reflected in our gaps and fading memories.
The following is an excerpt from a poem I wrote titled Pursuit of Wabi Sabi.
Find beauty in your imperfection,
in your scarred flawed stained
well-used life.
Ignore the wreckage,
the empty beer cans,
make friends with that face
in the mirror,
the unruly mind
that won’t be tamed.
Give in to the chaos,
regrets
treasure your one life
that strews bliss and heartache
hand in hand.
Embrace wabi-sabi
Become broken,
become human.
About the Author
Siobhan Farrell lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada on the north shore of Lake Superior. Her writing has been published in NOWW Magazine, Dark Winter Literary Magazine, the Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature, The Walleye, LAIR (Lakehead Arts Integrated Research Gallery), and other journals. She has also recently published a Chapbook titled Catching the Moon. She likes to infuse her writing with Wabi Sabi, finding beauty in imperfection.
