Essay: Wabi-Sabi: Anugachhatu Pravaha by Aditya Kumar Panda

Aditya Kumar Panda shares a thought-provoking essay on Wabi Sabi, Japanese aesthetic philosophy that teaches us to accept things as they are.

I always explain to my little daughter about the rules of living on earth. These are not the moralizing ones but preparing one to face the challenges and circumstances that life on earth throws on humans. Whenever the toy, she is playing with, is broken or cracked. Or whenever she makes a house out of blocks only to have it fall down, making her angry or upset. Sometimes she cries out also. And I come to help her realize the first rule of living on earth- things get broken-we need to mend them. Walls of a house fall down, we have to build those again. There is no need to worry much, sit again, think again, and make it again. I always tell her there is nothing on earth that can’t be broken or changed. Thinking that my little angel goes on playing! 

We, grown-ups, always think that children’s playtime does not seem to have more meaning-sometimes they play one game again and again and we think it is boring. But here comes a great lesson of life. A child lives a life as a play as he/she does not go after the meaning goal or purpose as we adults do. Purpose-driven goals not only give us mental satisfaction but it also causes frustration as we are not sure whether we will reach there or not. But this does not mean that one should not have purpose-driven goals. One must have this goal but should realize that there is no guarantee of getting to the goal and this is why one must have the thought of detachment from the goal. Goals are required, purpose is required but while pursuing the goals we forget living a life. Every creature except human beings fulfills this purpose completely.