Kintsugi: Redesigning our Life Journey Masterpiece

The Zen Way of Rebuilding with Beauty

In a remote area of Japan in the fifteenth century, the simple act of repairing a broken bowl gave rise to an exquisite philosophy. Kintsugi, which translates to "golden joinery," is an ancient art form that involves the elegant repair of broken pottery using veins of platinum, silver, or gold.

However, kintsugi is much more than just glue. It's a brilliant philosophy and a glittering allegory for life, change, and the exquisitely erratic art of humanity.

Think about how a broken teacup that was once perfect is carefully put back together, not to cover up the cracks but to honor them. Every crack turns into a glistening line, a tasteful reminder that the item has survived and changed over time.

What was once thought to be damaged is transformed into a resilient masterpiece through this mindful craft.

Wabi-Sabi's Golden Philosophy

The Japanese aesthetic and spiritual philosophy of wabi-sabi, which reveres the imperfect, the transient, and the incomplete, is the foundation of kintsugi. Nothing is too worn, too chipped, or too crooked to be celebrated in the wabi-sabi language. In actuality, true beauty is defined by these exact characteristics.

We carry stories in our uneven surfaces, just as forest trails wind and tree bark becomes textured over time. The pebble on our hiking trail isn't sorry for being broken or crooked. Why should we?

Shunryu Suzuki, a Zen teacher, gently reminds us:

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“Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”

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Nothing we hear or see is flawless. However, perfect reality exists right there in the imperfection.

Using Gold to Patch Our Cracks

It can feel like an expanding crack in our inner bowl when we are going through hardship, loss, or the tremors of change. A fresh invitation, however, is whispered by kintsugi: don't discard the pieces. Instead, gently gather them.

Dust them off softly. Then, start the golden joinery with time, patience, and your own gold—whether it be for inspiration, relaxation, passion, or walks in the forest.

The goal of this practice is not to change who we are. It's about showing the mosaic of happiness, grief, strength, and vulnerability that lies beneath the surface of who we've always been.

Our consistent routines of returning home to ourselves—daily yoga sessions at sunrise, mental-dispelling trail runs, deep breathing under pine trees, and laughter resonating through towering trees—are our threads of gold. Our being is stitched together by every experience, becoming stronger and more radiant than before.

Being a Living Masterpiece: An Artistic Approach

Even though we may not always be the polished, museum-quality kind, we are already a masterpiece. We are more like a tree, scarred by time and wind, but mighty nonetheless. Or a stone carved into a shape no sculptor could have envisioned by river currents. We are wildly whole, gloriously unfinished, and perfectly imperfect.

As kintsugi artists, we can embrace the golden lines rather than conceal them by interacting with our lives. The right light can make your story shine like gold, even with its messy parts.

We are not intended to revert to a manufactured ideal of perfection. Our purpose is to create an entirely new piece that incorporates heartfelt pauses, forest wisdom, and the flexibility to rearrange our mosaic.

Appreciating the Process, Not the End

This masterpiece does not have a final exhibit. With every stretch, stumble, laugh, and rest under the trees, it changes and grows every day. Like a hiking trail through an old-growth forest, the path is not straight but rather meanders, loops, and spirals.

The final destination? It's a delusion. The creation is the journey itself.

So we wander and breathe the wild air. Instead of listening to our inner monologues, we listen to birdsong. We continue to create after dipping our symbolic paintbrush into the gold.

Our lives are not in ruins. They are open and waiting to be filled with the wisdom of nature, creative motivation, and the delightful serenity of active Zen living.

Cheers!

Kether

Spunky Mind

"Imperfection is not our

personal problem;

it is a natural part of existing."

Pema Chodron