Books: “The Beauty of Everyday Things” by Soetsu Yanagi

A gift from my good friend Jamie @ BooksActually. We have yet to go grab a coffee and really hash things out about boys, cats, and our shared love of the written word, with the lock-down in effect. But the heart knows when it meets a kindred spirit.

I must say…this was a difficult read for me. I have been trying to read more essays, mostly at Jamie’s and Kai’s (name-drop! author of best-selling book “Get Together”) behest. Essays are tedious, and I find my mind wandering, requiring repetitious reads.

Yanagi’s eye, his passive way of seeing, or perceiving beauty in the ordinary, whether ceramics, textiles or washi, is moving. Although there are not many as eloquent as he, I believe this attachment to beautiful things is a Japanese cultural trait. It was unexpected, that through this book, I confirmed my recent observation that Shinto and Bhudism are not only intertwined as a philosophy, but also vastly intertwined in the daily lives of the Japanese. Most Japanese believe they only practise religion for funerals; I, however, believe it is practised everyday, through the meticulous detail of daily performances: the sharpening of sushi knives, sorting out the garbage, washing as though to wash each grain of rice. Then somewhere there is the idea of Zen, which seems to mean something else – independent of deities and priests but an ideal within a moment.

“The beauty of patterns is built on the principles and laws of nature; it is the beauty of numerical symmetry.”

“Generally speaking, the Western perception of art has its roots in Greece. For a long time its goal was perfection, which is particularly noticeable in Greek sculpture…I am tempted to call such art ‘the art of even numbers.’ In contrast to this, what the Japanese eye sought was the beauty of imperfection, which I would call ‘the art of odd numbers.’ No other country has pursued the art of imperfection as eagerly as Japan.”

Shibumi is not wandering or drifting between the new times and the old. It contains something that resides outside of time, a truth that is always new and fresh. It harbors a deep Zen significance…Since it is not a fabricated beauty, it is not lost in the comings and goings of ephemeral fad.”

“My primary piece of advice is, when first looking at something, do not judge; do not let critical thoughts come to mind. Developing this non critical attitude is of utmost importance. It means, from the very start, not to make the object a subject of intellectual consideration. Otherwise, you cannot be said to be prepared for the act of seeing. In other words, you should first adopt an accepting attitude. Don’t push yourself to the forefront but lend an ear to what the object has to say. This passive stance is extremely important. It can be likened to a mirror that passively reflects whatever is before it. Just as a polished mirror reflects a clearer image, your mind is best cleared of all extraneous thoughts. This prepares you for the act of passive seeing. To clear one’s mind in this way may appear to be a negative act, but in fact it is this negativism that makes possible the positive act of seeking directly into the essence of the object.”