Yūgen
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Japanese aesthetics comprise a set of principles that remind us how to be mindful of everyday life (1). This is done by reminding us of what is tasteful or beautiful, with beauty noted in those things that are deemed “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” One especially important aesthetic principle is yūgen.
Yūgen is that which is beyond what can be said. There is no equivalent concept in the English language, and the meaning of yūgen varies with the context in which it is used; in some contexts, yūgen is said to refer to “a profound, mysterious sense of beauty in the universe.” Importantly, yūgen is not a mystical notion, or an allusion to another world. Yūgen is all about the experiences of this world, this universe.
The many examples of yūgen often come across as rather mundane:
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Yūgen. |
Yūgen refers to a sense of wonder about the universe that we cannot quite put into words. Nonetheless, when we experience yūgen, it heightens our awareness of reality.
Self
Yūgen also applies to the self.
One approach defines the self as a construct of words and memories, primarily the construct of consciousness or “I” which by definition distinguishes us from the rest of the universe, all of which is external to the self. By this construct, a person’s consciousness, or ego, provides a sense of certainty about who we are and where we are going into the future.
Yet there is another way to view the self, one that does not distinguish it from everything else that exists but perceives it as a unique, aware, and integral part of the greater whole that is the universe. This view of self involves not a construct, but a deconstruct, emphasizing that through maximal wandering and becoming truly lost the construct of the conscious self, and the sense of certainty it provides, can be released for a trust in the unknown (2). By this deconstruct, “I” is shed for a heightened awareness. The essence of self is experienced as yūgen, beyond words.
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Yūgen. |
The point is not that one way is better than the other; they are merely different. The former allows us to quantify ourselves as well as the universe around us, to an extent. The latter recognizes that there may be limits to this approach and that we can never truly understand ourselves, or the universe. Perhaps it is possible to practice both.
Universe
Yūgen also applies to the universe.
One approach defines the universe as the entirety of space, time, mass, and energy that exists. For much of the history of science, these four things were thought to be separate; a useful construct, one that allowed humans to make certain predictions about the universe that advanced our technology further. However, science has also relatively recently discovered that at a certain point, these four concepts become interchangeable.
This gives rise to another approach, one that emphasizes that concepts such as space, time, mass, and energy do not actually have any meaning or exist in isolation from each other; each is a conceptual facet of one comprehensive universe. Just as we cannot consider matter without form, or vice versa, it is not possible to consider space without time, or vice versa; both are different parts of the same whole, one that we cannot grasp the nature of using our senses, words, or thoughts. The essence of the universe is experienced as yūgen, beyond words.
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Yūgen. |
The latter approach bears resemblance to Eastern thought. The Taoist approach states that the Tao can never really be explained, and any attempt to do so merely drives it away: “Anything you can define, imagine, understand, or desire is not the Tao” (2). The Vedic approach to Brahman, the ultimate reality in the universe, has this to say about it: “Brahman is unknown to those who know It, and known to those who do not know It at all” (3).
It seems a good thing to advance our conceptualization of ourselves and the universe. Yet as we advance our knowledge in these concepts, it may be helpful to remember that at the end of the day, the concepts may not capture the essence of that which they are attempting to describe, which may be beyond the ability of our senses to perceive, beyond the ability of our words to communicate, perhaps even beyond the ability of our thoughts to conceptualize.
It might therefore be unwise to give precedence to any concept at the expense of wonder, of yūgen.
Solace.
References
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aesthetics.
(2) Watts. 2003. Become What You Are. Shambala Publications.
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kena_Upanishad.
