This is the ultimate collection of over 30 wabi sabi quotes that find the beauty of simplicity, imperfection, and the quiet wisdom of zen.
Finding Beauty in simplicity, peace in the imperfect, the impermanent, and the incomplete, these words will inspire you to slow down, simplify, and appreciate life as it is.
What is Wabi Sabi Philosophy
Wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese philosophy rooted in Zen and Taoist principles. It teaches us to appreciate the beauty in the old, the worn, the fleeting, and the flawed. It reminds us that life is in constant flux and that there’s peace in an imperfect world.
Unlike modern ideals that chase perfection and permanence, wabi sabi invites us to embrace simplicity, asymmetry, and transience, a rustic elegance that connects us to the natural rhythm of life.
How to Embrace Wabi Sabi in Everyday Life
Living wabi-sabi means letting go of perfection. It means:
- Wabi sabi encourages finding beauty in the cracks, creases, and marks of time.
- Choosing natural materials, handmade objects, and cozy, imperfect spaces.
- Wabi Sabi celebrates the beauty of simple, unadorned objects.
- Minimalism emphasizes the importance of stripping away excess to focus on what truly matters. It also honors the fleeting nature of life, encouraging us to appreciate the transient moments and imperfections that make life meaningful.
- It invites us to find peace and serenity in the simplicity of our surroundings, celebrating the natural world and the beauty found in the unembellished.
- Embracing flaws in ourselves and others with compassion and presence.
- Wabi sabi teaches us to slow down to savor the little things—a warm cup of tea, soft linen, the quiet of dusk.
These quotes from wabi sabi will guide you toward a more grounded, content, and authentic way of being.
Best Wabi Sabi Quotes from Leonard Koren, Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers
Leonard Koren presents wabi-sabi as a profound aesthetic and way of living. With simplicity and humility, Koren explores how the wabi-sabi philosophy celebrates imperfection, asymmetry, and the passage of time. Through his quotes from wabi-sabi, he guides us to a deeper connection with the world around us and the fleeting beauty found in impermanent things.
- “Wabi-sabi is the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is the beauty of things modest and humble.”
This quote captures the core of wabi-sabi: embracing the beauty in what’s flawed and unfinished. It’s a gentle reminder that perfection isn’t the goal—authenticity is. - “Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetics. It is a beauty of things modest and humble.”
Koren highlights the understated elegance of wabi-sabi. It’s not about standing out, but about being quietly grounded and sincere. - “Things wabi-sabi can appear accidental, crude, or unfinished, yet they are deeply moving.”
The emotional depth of wabi-sabi lies in its rawness. The imperfect often stirs the heart more than polished perfection ever could. - “Wabi-sabi suggests that beauty is a dynamic event that occurs between you and something else.”
This quote reminds us that beauty isn’t static or objective—it’s found in how we connect with the world, especially in quiet or fleeting moments. - “Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”
This quote captures the essence of wabi-sabi: embracing impermanence, incompleteness, and imperfection as natural and beautiful parts of life.
6. “Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
— Leonard Cohen, often quoted in Wabi-Sabi contexts (not from the official books)
In 1992 Leonard Cohen released the album “The Future” which included the song “Anthem” containing these lines.
While not from a wabi-sabi book, this quote is often used to express the idea that flaws let in beauty and growth—very much aligned with wabi-sabi thinking.
Recommended Quote pages from Beth Kempton, Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life
Beth Kempton invites us to embrace simplicity and the beauty found in imperfection. Her work teaches us to find peace in the fleeting, imperfect nature of life and to appreciate the natural world in all its imperfect glory.
- “Wabi-sabi is the wisdom of natural simplicity.” Kempton distills wabi-sabi into its simplest form: living naturally and simply.
- “Wabi-sabi shows us how to find more joy and inspiration throughout our perfectly imperfect lives.” Wabi-sabi isn’t just a concept; it’s a way to live with grace and gratitude, even when life feels messy or uncertain.
- “Wabi sabi is a way of seeing the world that helps us to accept the natural cycle of growth and decay.” This quote emphasizes wabi-sabi as a mindset that encourages us to embrace life’s changes, rather than resist them.
- “Wabi sabi is about learning to find beauty in the imperfect and incomplete.” Kempton reminds us that we don’t need things to be flawless to appreciate them. There’s elegance in cracks, wear, and unfinished edges.
- “Slow down. Let go. Be kind to yourself.” This quote invites us to pause, release unrealistic expectations, and treat ourselves gently.
- “True beauty lies in the unique marks of time, weather, and love.” Kempton celebrates the worn and weathered. These marks tell a story—and that story is what makes something beautiful.
- “You do not need to strive for perfection to be worthy.” This quote is a gentle reminder that your value isn’t tied to flawless performance or appearance. Wabi-sabi teaches that your imperfections make you human and beautiful.
- “Sometimes the most extraordinary things are born of great difficulty.” Kempton highlights the idea that struggle and beauty are deeply intertwined. Imperfection and pain often shape the most meaningful parts of life.
- “When we stop trying to control everything, we open ourselves to the magic of life unfolding.” Wabi-sabi invites us to surrender the illusion of control and trust the natural flow, revealing beauty in spontaneity and the unexpected.
- “Wabi sabi is not a decorating style. It is a whole worldview.” This quote clarifies that wabi-sabi isn’t just about rustic pottery or minimal design, it’s a deep philosophy about how we live, love, age, and let go.
Quotes from Kakuzō Okakura, The Book of Tea
In The Book of Tea, Kakuzō Okakura beautifully integrates the wabi-sabi philosophy with the Japanese tea ceremony, illustrating how beauty exists in the impermanent and incomplete. His wabi-sabi quotes speak about simplicity and the fleeting nature of life.
- “The simplicity of the Japanese tea room reflects the ideal of wabi. The wear of age, the irregularities of handmade utensils—these are not flaws but virtues.” Okakura highlights how traditional Japanese tea culture finds grace in rustic simplicity and the aged, rather than chasing uniformity.
- “The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” This quote speaks to the impermanence embraced by wabi-sabi. Life is always changing, and we must flow with it rather than resist it.
- “Nothing is more hallowed than the silence of growth, of the unseen forces of life.” This quote reminds us to honor the subtle, often invisible moments that shape our lives.
- “True beauty could be discovered only by one who mentally completes the incomplete.”
A cornerstone of wabi-sabi: appreciating the incomplete or imperfect. Beauty lies not in perfection but in the invitation to imagine, to feel, and to accept things as they are. - “It is the art of the imperfection, the suggestion rather than the statement.”
Okakura emphasizes subtlety—wabi-sabi favors nuance over bold declarations. There’s beauty in suggestion, in what’s left unsaid or unfinished. - “The simplicity of the tea-room and its freedom from vulgarity make it the ideal abode of aesthetic refinement.” This quote highlights the wabi-sabi love for rustic simplicity. Beauty is found in a space stripped of excess—quiet, humble, and deeply meaningful.
- “The value of a work of art lies not in its outward form, but in the inner significance it reveals.” Wabi-sabi teaches us to look beyond appearances. True beauty isn’t always visible—it lives in meaning, feeling, and subtle presence.
- “Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence.” Wabi-sabi celebrates the quiet grace within daily life. Even in imperfection or messiness, we can find something sacred and serene.
- “Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.” A reminder of humility and attention to detail—core to wabi-sabi. Recognizing beauty in the small, overlooked moments nurtures both awareness and compassion.
Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project
Here are a few quotes from Gretchen Rubin, mostly from The Happiness Project, that beautifully echo the spirit of wabi-sabi, embracing imperfection, simplicity, and the quiet beauty of ordinary life.
- “A home filled with things you love and use is beautiful, even if it’s not perfect.”
Rubin encourages us to value lived-in spaces and personal meaning over magazine-worthy perfection—a gentle nod to the wabi-sabi lifestyle. - “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
A reminder that perfection isn’t necessary. Wabi-sabi celebrates the “good enough”—the worn, the lived-in, and the real. - “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”
Wabi-sabi values daily rituals, mindful presence, and the beauty in the rhythm of ordinary life. - “The days are long, but the years are short.”
This quote touches the core of wabi-sabi’s awareness of time—life’s fleeting nature makes each imperfect moment precious. - “I can do anything I want, but I can’t do everything I want.”
This quote reflects wabi-sabi’s call to simplify. To focus on what truly matters instead of striving endlessly.
Best wabi-sabi wuotes from Alain de Botton from The Architecture of Happiness
These quotes from Alain de Botton that align beautifully with the essence of wabi-sabi, especially from The Architecture of Happiness. His reflections on beauty, imperfection, and the emotional life of objects echo the Japanese appreciation of the rustic and the imperfect.
- “There is no such thing as a perfect design.”
This mirrors wabi-sabi’s view that beauty lies in flaws and irregularities, not in flawless precision. - “It is in the minor key that our homes most convincingly recall to us who we are.”
Wabi-sabi finds beauty in the quiet, modest spaces that hold personal meaning, not grandeur or perfection. - “We are drawn to call things beautiful when they correspond to our understanding of the good life.”
This quote touches on how wabi-sabi beauty is not universal but deeply personal—tied to authenticity, simplicity, and tranquility. - “The cracks, the worn edges, the stains—these are not flaws but clues to the life that has passed.”
While paraphrased, this sentiment flows throughout de Botton’s work and reflects a core wabi-sabi idea: time and use enrich, not diminish.
