Living Wabi Sabi: The True Beauty of Your Life

by Taro Gold

Taro Gold inspires and enlightens with Living Wabi The True Beauty of Your Life . A blend of Eastern wisdom, feng shui, and the movement toward simplicity, Wabi Sabi is a Japanese expression meaning "wisdom in natural simplicity." Wabi Sabi helps us to see the beauty in imperfection, to discover that our unique flaws also can lead us to our greatest strengths and treasures.

No one is perfect--in fact, we all are perfectly imperfect. That is the paradoxical first lesson shared by Taro Gold in Living Wabi The True Beauty of Your Life . What is Wabi Sabi? A universal ideal of beauty, Wabi Sabi celebrates the basic, the unique, and the imperfect parts of our lives. Wabi Sabi is the comfortable joy you felt as a child, happily singing off key, creatively coloring outside the lines, and mispronouncing words with gusto. On a deeper level, Wabi Sabi is the profound awareness of our oneness with all life and the environment. It includes a deep awareness of the choices we make each day, the power we have to accept or reject each moment of our lives, and to find value in every experience.

Appreciate this and every moment, no matter how imperfect, for this moment is your life. When you reject this moment, you reject your life. You don't have to settle for this moment, you are free to steer a different course, but for now, this moment is yours, so be mindful to make the most of it."

Living Wabi The True Beauty of Your Life leads us to discover the true beauty of our lives, to know true joy here and now, to reveal the most powerfully positive sides of imperfection. Illustrated with stunning yet simple watercolor art, Living Wabi The True Beauty of Your Life is a beautiful keepsake that is sure to become a beloved resource for wisdom in the joy of living.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Spirituality, Self Help

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Misti M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about this book from Tina Turner's interview in the New York Times a few years ago. It's a very beautiful and simple book, but really profound. I've been re-reading it and find new layers of meaning that I didn't at first. Finding beauty in imperfection and letting go of the idea of "perfect" anything (home, partner, job, etc) sounds easy but it isn't. This book is very helpful with finally setting myself free from many things that held me back emotionally and caused issues I didn't even realize! Very thankful for this book.

[Ruth Ladday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book after reading Tina Turner's wonderful book "Happiness Becomes You," and discovered that "Living Wabi Sabi" is one of Tina's favorite gift books. It's a small but powerfully positive little book of wisdom that shares an amazing mix of Buddhist wisdom and Japanese tradition, as well as the author and his Japanese grandmother's own insights.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. I like its in-depth discussion about wabisabi philosophy. It is not taught in school! I am already in the process of becoming im-perfectionist! :) Highly recommended if you want to improve your life as a whole. ;)

[India · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. I am learning how to live without perfectionism and this is a wonderful book to help me see a new way of doing that. Wabi Sabi is such a wonderful concept and way of looking at the world.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've found on the subject. The writing flows smoothly creating a sense of tranquility and well-being in this reader, yet also leaving me with a greater understanding of this ancient way of being.

[Gabrielle Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living Wabi Sabi is the exquisite tale of what Gold's Japanese grandmother taught him at fourteen during his two week visit with her. Her deep wisdom, kindness, and sense of peace permeate the book. Her key to peace is accepting imperfection, which is the definition of Wabi Sabi. The quotes from wise masters, the photographs, and illustrations invite the reader to pick it up again after finishing for strength, encouragement, wisdom and peace.

[Tracy McMasters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this beautiful little book of wisdom and inspiration, filled with great reminders that the best parts of life can be found in the imperfect parts. Healing and hopeful messages all throughout.

[Louise Barbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful words of wisdom.

Enjoyed this lovely book about our wonderfully imperfect souls. Nothing really new but always good to be reminded how beautiful life is just as we live it.

[Samantha Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much! I've read it several times and it always serves to calm me, help me see myself more clearly, and be at peace with all that life brings.

[Gail Loyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that is potentialy mind altering. The benefits f foreign travel without leaving your armchair.

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hit a wall halfway through this book (the section dealing with growing up and growing down) after really liking and flagging more than 20 passages that spoke to me. The book abruptly stopped speaking to me. So, I'm stopping listening to it. Leaving a bookmark in it and might revisit it. Or, not. What bothers me is the statement that we can somehow prevent our environment from influencing us. It might be true for the two persons at the heart of this conversation. It's not a universal given, however. The assertion seems to me to come from a position of privilege, the privilege to choose. Life beats people down. Poverty and random violence and aging and loneliness and poor health and more all leave marks on the psyche. I'm grateful for what I've gleaned so far, but I'm walking away.

[Mark Paulo Eres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I intentionally read 2-3 pages every morning. For me, this was a book that I could not read quickly. With every page packed with wisdom, my mornings were glorious.

The wisdom in this book has taught me to fully appreciate the value and beauty of imperfection. I’m learning to celebrate the preciousness of all things imperfect. I really needed this book during this new chapter in my life—it feels strange with lots of uncertainty. I’m thankful I read it. Living Wabi Sabi helped ground me and I think it can help others too.

[B. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this gem when I read Tina Turner's book "Happiness Becomes You" and saw it mentioned that Tina enjoys "Living Wabi Sabi"... I love the beautiful watercolor illustrations and the easy but deep wisdom in this book. At first it seems quite simplistic, but as I considered some of the concepts more and more it sank into deeper levels and I realized it is actually very special.

[Cassandra Sotelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Embracing Imperfection is Beautiful and Freeing!

There is so much to absorb in this book. I will go back again and again. This is an inspiring and beautiful book.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I incorrectly thought “Wabi-Sabi” was embracing the imperfection in nature. But it’s more. Embracing the imperfection in yourself is what this lovely book is about.

[Sylvie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read aloud! This book, the message, the teaching transported me to quiet conversations with sommelier elders around the kitchen table!

[Manoj K. Tyagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple, yet effective

Easy narrative, full of wisdom nuggets, taking you on a beautiful journey. Will put a smile on your face and joy in your heart.

[Laurence Hidalgo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deceptively profound little book and worth the read.

[Sandeep Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written.

[Catherine Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new favorite of mine..any part of it, all of it, it always uplifts..

[Jeanmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty of Wabi Sabi

I enjoyed the wisdom within this journey with the author and have planted new seeds for myself.
Thank you for capturing the essence of Wabi Sabi

[Sarah Alcaide-Escue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little book of wisdom. The author weaves quotes with personal recollections of his grandmother’s teachings on Wabi Sabi living. His grandmother was a Tea Master and practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism living in Japan. The bulk of the book is Gold remembering his summer spent there with her after his father died suddenly.

Here’s a quote:

"The ancient Wabi Sabi masters understood this well…They knew that happiness does not mean
'absence of problems.' There has never been, nor will there ever be, a life free from problems. Since there is no such thing as a perfect life, Wabi Sabi teaches us a way of looking at life that accepts imperfections, makes peace with the difficulties and mishaps, and strives to use them for our ultimate enrichment."

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a 14-year old boy, the author received teachings from his grandmother on Wabi sabi. In this book he describes this exchange and includes some quotations from a variety of sources as a way to obliquely define the term.

[Catharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taro Gold puts life up front and center .. The mystical in the moment.. In his words, "Wabi Sabi fosters a bohemian sense of beauty that celebrates the basic, the unique, and the imperfect."

[Izzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome little book about simple wisdom of everyday living finding the perfect in imperfection. A must read for minds that hunger for a deeper meaning in life.

[Phyllis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concepts are great, but this should have been an article rather than a book. Very repetitive.

[Nina]

this book was lame. not a good intro to wabi sabi.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant...calming, will most def read again and again, esp when i'm feeling out of sorts.

[Gerald Jerome · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional insight about how to create a beautiful life because of not despite your circumstances.