The Art of Japanese Living

OUBAITORI
[O-bai-toe-ree]
Everybody is different and should value their own unique traits – the same way that cherry, apricot, peach and plum trees are different but are all beautiful and have their own purpose.

The wound is where the light enters you.
Rumi

CHANGE IS A PART OF LIFE
Kintsugi also reminds us that change is an inevitable part of life and that who we are is always changing too. Instead of clinging to an ideal of who we should be, or who we have been, we should simply accept who we are in this moment. We are not fixed in time, and we are never either whole or broken. We are simply changing, from one moment to the next. Life will always leave its marks but, just like the pots covered with gold, these marks are our history, and they show us how we’ve grown.

The philosophy of wabi sabi is deeply connected to Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that there are three characteristics, of existence: impermanence, suffering and the idea that there is no permanent and unchanging self, and that wisdom lies in being able to accept these three things.

Seeing beauty in imperfection, and accepting that life is transient

, while you’re taking that time, remember that, even if you don’t have your ikigai defined completely, every day spent paying attention to what inspires you and brings you joy will help you to live a richer, more fulfilled life.

you enjoy finding beauty, structure or progress in other areas of your life too? Once you start looking, it is likely that you will start to see patterns in your answers. This is the start of finding your ikigai.