Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life

Wabi sabi is a philisophy that Beth Kempton describes as ‘Japanese wisdom to live a perfectly imperfect life’. This is done by embracing simplicity, nature and the fleetingness of life. Beth’s book is beautifully written, inspiring and quietly transformative. There’s a big section on the ancient ceremony of drinking tea in Japan and it’s relationship with wabi sabi. This stripped back and slow ritual of tea drinking allows people to take the time to connect in a serene environment. The simplicity, grace and soulfulness of this ceremony is at the heart of what wabi sabi is about. Beth talks of how the Japanese prioritise spending time in nature and that ‘forest bathing’ is a big thing in the country. Not literal bathing, but hanging out in a forest and bathing in it’s beauty and peacefulness. This represents another aspect of wabi sabi – the importance of spending time in nature (which has also been scientifically proven to be very good for health and wellbeing). Beth frequently mentions the ageing process and the value that wabi sabi places on the beauty of the old and weathered. As she rightly points out, the world we live in makes a lot of money from convincing us that youthfulness is something we should all strive for. There’s profits to be made in selling youth defying creams, sugery, make up, diets etc. But what if we all learnt to be a bit more wabi sabi and appreciate the elegance and character of age? Wabi sabi doesn’t shy away from death. It actively contemplates it. Which is in fact a healthy thing. The more we appreciate how brief our existence is, the more we can cherish the world around us and be in the present. Beth has a lovely practical exercise in the book to do, that asks you to make plans for your life if: 1) you have a full life ahead of you 2) you have ten years left 3) you have just one year left I have never done an exercise like that, but it makes absolute sense. Any of us could die any day. We have no control over that. But planning a shortened future actually makes you feel more joyful and appreciative of that time. And I hope going forward I can hang onto that outlook of trying to soak up every day as if it’s my last. I’ve noticed since reading the book that I am looking at the world differently. I’ve slowed down and made a point of going for lots of walks in nature. And I’m figuring out how to have richer, more soulful days in 2019. Hopefully the wabi sabi effect will linger with me.

I wouldn't have usually bought a book on Japanese wisdom but because it was by Beth Kempton, I knew it would be worth reading. I wasn't wrong. This book has completely changed the way I view my life and the world. It's the most beautiful calming book. It has helped me let go of the stuckness of 'if it's not going to be perfect it's not worth doing', to nothing is perfect, simply let go and enjoy every moment and live, appreciate those tiny moments, and that aging is beautiful. There are many things I wanted to do but wasn't doing because I had wanted them to be impossibly perfect. I'm now able to get on with these things because I'm okay with them not being perfect, and my projects are now being chipped away at, instead of stuck waiting for perfection first, such as my personal wellness/fitness, business dreams, my creativity & garden. Wabi sabi is a magical philosophy that can be applied to so many areas of life. It has given me so much comfort. I already had a big appreciation for nature but I appreciate it even more now. For example there is a large dead tree within the grounds of my garden that isn't easy to get to and it used to bug me and I wanted to cut it down. And now I see its bare branches all year long and I see the beauty in its simple form. I see the memory of what it once was. I look at it and I see history. Simple things like that have changed. You have to read this book to really appreciate it and understand what it's all about. I especially enjoyed the whole chapter on letting go which made me cry in a good way and I can relate so very closely to those moments with little ones around. I myself have those wrinkled balloons in the house and toys around. I will be reading this book many more times, as there's a lot to take in and appreciate. It's honestly one of the best books I've ever read.

Although it felt repetitive at the beginning, it is a nice book that contains many scientific and historical details around wabi sabi.

This is a beautiful book. It makes you embrace and see the importance of imperfection in our often busy and stressful lives. Imperfection - often something we see as a negative and want to overcome, the Author enables you to appreciate it and to understand that it helps you to achieve a balance in your life when you shift your perspective towards it. Thus, allowing us everyday humans to revel in a deeper gratitude of the brief snapshot moments of beauty and perfection. The book transported me back to places from my past, to moments when I had been utterly content. It also made me hopeful of the future which a positive and accepting mindset and a slightly altered perspective in embracing the bad with the good. This may appear to be a 'feminine' book, but that barrier can be removed as I am a young 23yr old male and have recommended this to a number of my male friends of the same age (even purchasing it as a present for my best friend to bring him some solace). We often live in our own 'bubble' of reality. Having travelled and experienced other cultures (but not Japans') it really helps you develop a sense of (i) acceptance, (ii) gratitude and (iii) perspective. The Author superbly achieves this with her personal stories from her time in Japan across the years. I wouldn't be surprised if many readers are now itching to visit Japan and I say GO! You only live this fantastic, crazy and unique life once. Take the jump! Thanks Beth for a wonderful book - it also looks 'wabi sabi' crafted in any home on a shelf or bookcase.

This book is astonishing. It's beautifully articulated, presented and thought-provoking. It's timeless wisdom is powerful and the timing of its message could not be more pertinent for the high speed, jarring world that so often seems to have us all stuck in fight or flight mode, jammed on autopilot. It spoke to me on many levels, but most of all as a musician. Reading about the concept of wabi sabi triggered me into remembering the famous Debussy/Miles Davis quote that music is actually the space between the notes (you need to 'play' the spaces too). However, the principle of wabi sabi could also really help listeners as well, stimulating their curiosities beyond just the content fed to us all by the algorithmic conveyor belts of profit-driven streaming platforms, because by applying its principle we would gain the rewards of discovery, better aural concentration (as in real listening) and subsequently heightened powers of imagination and feeling. Accompany its delightful author to cryptic Japan through its pages and feel the adrenaline drain away. Tom Waits once said - "we live in a deficit of wonder right now" this book teaches the antidote to that.

Aesthetically pleasing.

It’s a lovely book and described as ‘new condition’ but I had to clean up the cover (with an eraser) so I wonder about the ‘new’ claim. Shame as it’s an attractive book.

I have purchased and read many books in search of a path to happiness and am proud to say that I have made some headway. I bought Beth Kempton's book on a whim because I am drawn to Japanese culture. Now, when I am again at a crossroad in my life, her experiences, love, wisdom and gentle advice in the book have had a calming influence, slowed me down and reconfirmed my direction. I thoroughly recommend this book, not only as a great reading experience, but as an insight and a guide into the freedom of love and imperfection. Thank you Beth Kempton.