wabi sabi talk

Long time ago, I did a Teacher's Training Program with GenieKids. We discussed many theories in education - learning modes, Multiple Intelligences etc. Also, Ratnesh, our trainer, wanted us to point out some 'Habits of Mind' to the children. One of these was 'Be clear and seek clarity'.

And while miscommunication is (rightly?) blamed for many problems we face, I do believe we can learn to appreciate imperfection in speech.

This was reinforced in me by Manueles, who is in India teaching children how solar cookers are made, among other things. (I really must thank Dinesh and by assoc., Sky, for introducing me to such a variety of people!)

Reinforced, because earlier, I had met Amal, a deaf and dumb artist at an art exhibition.


He wore worn out jeans and sandals with a long blue kurta. A smile ran across his face, seeming happy to do so. He was thin enough to hug without a strain and tall enough for people to see his round, balding head easily.

A pinch of haughtinessarcasm diluted his child-like innocence, but if the Muses failed him, I felt he could easily be a con-artist. Drink in hand, he blended in smoothly.



It was delightful talking to him - mostly gestures and a little writing took us a long way. He told me he taught painting and had travelled the world as an artist and that most people didn't really understand art - but you and me, mone', we are different, weren't we?

When had I been more alert and happy when speaking with someone? Not since I was a babbling child, not understanding what people were saying to me.

And so when Manueles, who is learning English, theorised that by talking in his broken English, he is probably conveying more, I readily agreed. It's because the listener, M. said, makes up more possible meanings in her head when listening to him speak in English, than she would when listening to someone who could articulate better.

So true, inscalfen? How many times are we really intently listening to what someone says? And, how many times, in our non-professional lives, is it important that we 'be clear and seek clarity'?

what's this sabi-wabi

i noticed it first in Chennai. On my way to work with collegues in the minivan, we'd pass a plot of land that was being used for storing garbage. heck, if it was not being used, at least it was being refuse-d :)

anyways, as we passed said plot, most of my co-commuters would whip out small cloth pieces and immediately cover their nostrils with it, evidently to avoid the 'stench'. The 5*5 inches of cotton was as indispensable as when they needed a place to store their mucus they couldn't spit out in public.

I remembered that I used to hate the smell too, but just then I found myself not repulsed by it (recently read two uses of double negatives in two of my fav. authors' books - Chandler and Borges, so I had to...). My persuasions at getting co-comms to participate in any 'experiments' to detect areas in their brains which were stimulated by the smell didn't work.

Turning attention to the other source for experiments, I hypothesised thus: 'my mind is beginning to rot - so it didn't equate rotten = bad'. And then in support without experimentation, i quoted to myself," We rarely accept our demons. Don't we know that Denial is the door to Despair and Doom? ". Then a voice said, "You considered the possibility, dude - so you are better off than most". Wasn't I?

Soon, I found that I was attracted to what was considered as positively un-aesthetic. Even by me! Like in girls, for instance. The most 'ugly' looking girls, I was starting to like. What was going on here - Shallow Hal w/o Mr. Robbins? A friend said - "when one starts liking gadhis(female donkeys), one must marry". I let it pass.

Luckily, I came across this article about wabi-sabi. In short, it's the Japanese funda of finding beauty in transcience or imperfection. Ah-hah, so that's what's been happening to me (another lie for another day). Then I read 'Norwegian Wood' and parts of 'Remains of the Day'. Don't know why the former is considered great. It is good, no doubt. the latter was better but I couldn't finish it.

As this post, unfini.

fun in sin?

I don't know about you - but as of now, I feel there is some fun in sin. or what we consider 'sin'. We can tell ourselves it is 'the society' that has these notions of sin - but if we agree to having 'sin' or 'wrong' in our minds at any level, we are in trouble.

Earlier, I spoke of how Sri Sri says to go beyond gold and good to find god. Today, I got a little more understanding of going beyond the 'good' part.

My conjecture is, and this might very well be an established theory - we like ourselves when we repent. Repentance has a 'good' or 'holy' connotation in our minds. The outward form may be prayer/service to society - anything. As soon as we say to ourselves "I have repented", we are almost doomed to sin again - so we can repent again.

The solution:

a> not to have any doeship
b> not to fall into duality

easier said than done. really.