Dear friends,

Lately I decided to take a break from everything. I want more myself time, to review, to reflect, to redefine what I’ve been doing. I reread some old books like Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, Pride and Prejudice, even Dalai Lama’s Mind of Clear light. Then I thought about my path as a spiritualist and a writer.

What have I been writing?
Do my writings have meanings?
Am I happy writing?

I think. And take a break. And think again. The idea of Miyabi came without warning, between my thoughts, through a dream?
In the rich tapestry of Japanese aesthetics, few concepts are as captivating and ethereal as Miyabi (雅). For me, Miyabi is more than just a word. It’s a philosophy, a lens through which to view the world, a profound and polished beauty. Miyabi can be seen as the absolute beauty that contains the elegance. It stands in contrast to the rustic simplicity of wabi-sabi, offering a vision of elegance born from the highest echelons of culture and refinement.

Let’s talk about Miyabi and how its spirit still influences Japanese culture and Japanese modern world today.

To understand Miyabi, let’s travel back to Heian era. This was an era of peace and cultural flourishing, centered around the Imperial Court in Heian-kyō (Kyoto nowaday). During this period, Japan began to define its unique cultural identity, distinct from Chinese influences, a new aesthetic ideal emerged among the courtly aristocrats. Miyabi was the lifestyle and aesthetic code of this elite. It meant “elegance”. The goal was to eliminate anything that was vulgar, absurd, or coarse and to cultivate a life of sophisticated beauty. This ideal is immortalized in Murasaki Shikibu’s masterpiece The Tale of Genji, which serves as a virtual textbook on the principles of Miyabi. The characters in the novel don’t just exist, they actively cultivate beauty through poetry (waka, 和歌), music, exquisite calligraphy (shodou, 書道), intricate incense blending (koudou, 香道), and a deep sensitivity to nature’s subtle shifts.

Miyabi is not about ostentatious luxury but about a deep, almost spiritual, appreciation for polished beauty. Miyabi seeks perfection. It is about polishing away the rough edges to reveal a pure form. Miyabi was a conscious effort to elevate the human experience to an art form. True elegance is always quiet. You can only feel it while seek for it. Miyabi is never loud. Its beauty is found in subtle details: the precise layering of colours in a jūnihitoe (十二単) robe, the delicate brushstroke in a poem, or the faint, lingering scent of a rare incense. Miyabi speaks perfection.

The spirit of Miyabi can be seen through many traditional Japanese arts and practices while it can still endure in the modern world:

– Literature and Poetry: The concise and evocative nature of waka poetry was the primary medium for expressing refined emotions.

– Visual Arts: Yamato-e paintings, with their delicate lines and rich colours depicting scenes from courtly life or nature, are a perfect visual representation of Miyabi.

– Ceremonies: The incense ceremony (koudou-香道) is the epitome of Miyabi. It is an incredibly refined and complex art form dedicated to appreciating nuanced fragrances.

– Hospitality (Omotenashi): The exquisite, anticipatory service found in a high-end ryokan is a modern form of refined courtliness.

– Personal philosophy: In a world that is often loud and chaotic, the concepts of Miyabi offer a path toward living with more grace, mindfulness, and a conscious appreciation for the beautiful things—both grand and subtle—that surround us.

Miyabi is more than just an aesthetic concept in so many Japanese beautiful concepts. Miyabi is a timeless invitation to cultivate elegance, sensitivity, and refinement in our own lives, proving that the pursuit of profound beauty never goes out of style.