I still remember that my piano teacher told me to “play the piano like the rock garden in Ryoanji-temple” when I was 15 years old.
I didn’t know the Ryoanji-temple at the time. I had never been to Kyoto until then.
Later I learned Ryoanji is a Zen Buddhism temple in Kyoto, built in the15th century. It is one of the temples registered as the Unesco World Heritage.
And the rock garden in the temple is known as an expression of “Wabi Sabi,” a Japanese aesthetics.
This is the rock garden.
Several years after my piano teacher told me, I visited the temple and saw the garden.
I didn’t understand the meaning of the arrangement of the rocks and I still don’t understand, but it was so quiet, and I felt some power coming out of the garden toward me.
What in the rock garden is Wabi Sabi?
They are just rocks and small stones spread all over the ground like a carpet. Nothing gorgeous. But the garden is talking to you when you talk to it. It has power to make us feel dignified. I think this is Wabi Sabi.
Wabi Sabi is a Japanese aesthetic where we see values in what is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.
To be accurate, the meanings of Wabi and Sabi are slightly different. Wabi is more for deficiency. Sabi is more for deepness and abundance in stillness.
Simplicity
Anything which has Wabi-sabi elements is simple. There is nothing to take out.
Power inside
When something is expressing Wabi Sabi, it needs to have energy.
The rock garden has been giving power and energy to those who see it since it was built. It is not just rocks randomly placed. The designer of the garden, which is unknown, designed the garden intuitively, but consciously. We can feel the consciousness.
What I would like to say here is when we put energy into something, other people can feel it.
I believe what my piano teacher wanted to say to me is “make it simple, don’t put anything meaningless inside, and pour your energy.” Energy will be conveyed to other people not only to the people in the present, but also in the future.
Let’s do exercises
Where do you feel or see Wabi Sabi in your life?
Where would you like to pour your energy?
Share your idea with us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SakuraWisdomTours
Subscribe our news letter to get our update. You will learn more tips for healthy and happy life. Join our news letter from the link below.
https://www.sakurawisdomtours.com/
Visit our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/SakuraWisdomTours
Comments