KINTSUGI

 KINTSUGI

Rohini Sharma, a reader,  asked me to write about KINTSUGI since I covered two Japanese terms UKETAMO and ARIGATO. 

KINTSUGI is a Japanese art of mending pottery and ceramics with a mixture of lacquer and powdered  gold, silver or platinum. Repeated application brings out the imperfection rather than hiding it, thus making imperfections into an art. KINTSUGI  is a part of Japanese philosophy WABI SABI which tells us to find beauty in imperfection. 

How broken pieces are valuable to us? How is it important in our life ? KINTSUGI teaches us that challenges can be turned into opportunities by repeatedly applying the mixture of resilience and hardwork. KINTSUGI is a tedious and painstaking process but it produces beautiful results. We can embrace our faults with grace so that we can repair them. 

Flaws and imperfections are part of human beings, we are not perfect. We all have our scars from our past experiences and they shape our personality. In our relationships we expect perfection, which is not possible as both parties come with their flaws. The beauty lies in accepting the person with all their flaws and apply the mixture of compassion and empathy. Again and again, bringing out the beauty in imperfection rather than cringing. 

I am quick but quite careless, my husband is not so quick but very methodical. In the beginning we used to have conflict but we both accepted each other’s flaws . He makes sure that I have my phone with me whenever we go out and I dish out a meal from scratch in twenty minutes when he is hungry and there is no time. Beauty in imperfection. 

In fact I think that KINTSUGI and UKETAMO are interrelated. You accept without arguing and then repair. It requires patience which most of us lack but KINTSUGI can help us there.

Where have you applied KINTSUGI in your life? How long did it take you to smoothen out imperfections and turning them into something beautiful? Do share your experience.

ARIGATO.

So be it !!!