People like Garr Reynolds

As any visitor to Japan will notice, the reigning aesthetic is anything but wabi-sabi. This is not a post-Western development. There has always been a tension between the tea-ceremony / Rikyu aesthetic and the Kinkakuji / Hideyoshi aesthetic. In fact some speculate that Rikyu was killed over this conflict. We shouldn't say unapologetically that wabi-sabi is THE Japanese aesthetic. It's just one of several.

I am a long-time Zen practitioner and student of spirituality in general, and I must say, this is an excellent description of this concept! It truly captures this subtle, beautiful, deep and spiritual feeling quite well. Well done folks! Jan 16, 2006

I have known of this concept for the past five years or so and, through my personal lens, it has freed me for the cultural straight jacket of perfection that continues to bind and restrict true growth and acceptance of the human mind and spirit. By this I mean that Wabi Sabi has allowed me to see the imperfections in my life as the character of my life. The emotional, intellectual, interpersonal and for that matter the scratches and dents of everyday life, all mark time and bring the fallacy of perfection in true focus. I don't believe anyone of us would not marvel at the power of our wounds to heal, the way in which our most beloved objects have changed over time, have yellowed or torn in ways that only make them more valuable. I now let the newest scratches in my life act as daily reminders of the journey and its cumulative value to the meaning and intent of my life. September 29, 2006 MEH