Wabi Sabi, Biogerontology and “The Book of Tea”

by Daniel Flahiff

“It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is
a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible
thing we know as life.”

- Kakuzo Okakura
The Book of Tea

via Whisky River

In art school we called it Wabi Sabi, in reference to objects that are imperfect, decaying or in various states of entropy. Picture an old barn, a rusty shovel, or even a rock worn smooth by rushing water, but be sure to leave out the romanticism. Wabi Sabi embraces and celebrates decay, acknowledging it as an essential part of life. The movement of all matter in the universe from order to chaos, from organization to disorganization.

This
reminded me of a conversation I had over the weekend with a good friend
of mine. My friend championed philanthropist and founder of the Glenn
Foundation for Medical Research, Paul F Glenn as having essentially a
Buddhist mindset. I thought he was talking about Aubrey de Grey, one of
the most vocal [and eccentric] biogerontologists [the study of the
aging process] working today, and my initial reaction probably did not
betray my dislike of the man [I am good at feigning ignorance]. But
after a little research on Glenn, I discovered that the two men could
not be more different, and that fact made me rethink my opinion.

My friend’s main argument was that Glenn, in seeking a way to halt
the aging process and eventually find a way to live for thousands of
years, is essentially on the same path as a Buddhist, that is, he is
trying to find a way to end human suffering. And I can see his point;
when looked at through the lens of what is possibly the central
question of all religion, that of human suffering, then yes, Glenn
could be seen as a Buddhist, or any other religious pilgrim for that
matter.

But in my opinion the problem with the analogy is that it is
stillborn. If the question is how to end suffering, then a person’s
response to the question is what characterizes them Buddhist, Taoist,
Muslim, Christian, Athiest etc., not the fact that they address the
question. What I mean is, we all on some level want to end suffering,
if not for the entire human race, then certainly for ourselves and the
ones we love. We all address the question of human suffering. But we do
not all address it in the same way.

So, if our response to the question is what characterizes us, then
it seems obvious that Glenn is in fact quite the antithesis of what
classical Buddhism teaches, that is the divestment of desire, the
pursuit of the middle way and the acceptance of the human condition.
Paul F. Glenn’s position is stated on his site;

“The Paul F. Glenn Laboratories are dedicated to
understanding the mechanisms of normal aging and the development of
interventions to delay its onset and progression, thereby extending the
healthy years of human life.”

An
admirable sentiment, but not Buddhist. Why? Because it is the opposite
of the divestment of desire; it is the opposite of acceptance; it is
the pursuit of Life, not the pursuit of Enlightenment.

Returning to “The Book of Tea”, I’ll leave you with this image, and
the words of Kakuzo Okakura, and the hope that we may all find peace;

“Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow
is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight,
the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of
evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.”