Wabi-sabi appreciates beauty in objects that are simple, rough, modest, and imperfect either by choice or by nature. Zen Buddhism encourages a sensitivity to the Wabi-Sabi of life's true meaning. There is peacefulness in recognizing the beauty of the world's imperfections.
Wabi-Sabi is a blend of two Japanese words with different original meanings. “Wabi” can be defined as modest or rough, while “Sabi”, in modern Japanese, refers to rust and decay. It also conveys a joy in the peace and quietness of something that has stood the test of time. Examples of Wabi-Sabi include a unevenly fashioned bamboo cup - a roughly built house of wood - or a walkway filled with accumulated stones.
Wabi-Sabi elicits the unique sense of beauty revealed when an object has been shaped or worn down by nature and now abides in a state of incompleteness thus evoking serenity, humility, and tranquility.