The Art Of Impermanence: A Journey to the Heart of Old Japan

The Japanese view of life embraced a simple aesthetic that grew stronger as inessentials were eliminated and trimmed away. ~ Takao Ando, architect

Ikebana: beauty pared down to its essence

Pared to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence and incompleteness, a deep reverence for authenticity, austere simplicity and the gift of time that blooms with each passing moment. 

So beautiful it makes us cry

There are moments when our jaded sensibilities are reawakened by events that take us by surprise, like the family of Charleston victims who extended forgiveness to the killer of their loved ones. The power of forgiveness transmuted pain that could have erupted in rage at the injustice of brutality in a place of worship. Instead, peoples' hearts opened up in deep empathy and compassion, shifting a nation torn by racial prejudice toward a new direction. Many years from now, when we look back at this moment, we should remember the feeling of opening up to the other we never knew.