Sublime

The fifteenth century saw Japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticism—Teaism. Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a ten

Shōyō Rōku says, “On the withered tree, a flower blooms.”

Japanese architecture, on the other hand, doesn’t try to be imposing or perfect, because it is built in the spirit of wabi-sabi. The tradition of making structures out of wood presupposes their impermanence and the need for future generations to rebuild them. Japanese culture accepts the fleeting nature of the human being and everything we create.

Raku-style pottery was incorporated into the tea ceremony as a reaction to the ornate Chinese utensils adopted by the nobility and emphasized the beauty of rustic imperfection over attempts at perfection. It was during this period that, under the guidance of the tea masters, Japan’s artistry moved into a new era with the appreciation of things wabi

Iki is a term born during the Edo Period. It was used first in samurai circles to designate men of worth and elegance who followed the code of honor.

more likely to diminish the experience than to enrich it. In a letter to his brothers Keats speaks of 'Negative Capability' as the capacity for ‘being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason'. This seems exactly the response demanded by many of these gardens.