“IF YOU WANT TO FIND THE MEANING, STOP CHASING AFTER SO MANY THINGS"
ZEN POET RYOKAN
In Praise of Shadows was a delightful and influential literary piece written in 1933 by Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki, a poetic paen to traditional Japanese aesthetics.
Tanizaki selects praise for all things delicate and nuanced, everything softened by shadows, and the patina of age, anything understated and simply natural, for instance the patterns of grain in old wood, the sound of rain falling from leaves, or washing over the footing of a stone lantern in a garden, and refreshing the moss that grows around it, and by doing so he suggests an attitude of appreciation and mindfulness, especially a mindfulness of beauty, a natural beauty that is all around us, that one tends to forget or take for granted.
Tanizaki appreciates the world and its ordinary pleasures, and offers a sharp contrast to the functional, plastic, disposable aesthetic of modern western culture. Although his aesthetic is associated with a cultural perspective markedly different from western varieties, there is nevertheless something familiar about it. It addresses the felt quality of experience in any lived moment, not just as an end but because each such moment belongs to a lifelong series in which beauty and richness of experience are important components of a good life.
— JUNICHIRO TANIZAKI, 1933

Whilst our In Praise of Shadows is physically a wine project, it has always been far more than that for us at a philosophical or ideological level.
Tanizaki led us deeper into the Japanese philosophy and Buddhist inspired thinking of ‘Wabi Sabi’ and ‘Ikigai’ which in their simplest form frame the ideal of ‘perfectly imperfect life’ and finding meaningfulness in how we live our life.
It is perfectly imperfectly perfect to just be ‘you’ whoever that may be, by way of looks, likes, personality, fashion, intellect, quirks, study, employment, and friends.
Life is our greatest gift, and we only get one go at it, so be sure to embrace the journey and capture the ‘moments’ along the way. Slow down and walk among nature, hear the birds sing, feel the sand in your toes, the water at your feet and the breeze in your hair. Pause to breathe as the sun rises above the horizon, then sets again at the end of the day.
Cherish your community, laugh with friends, hug those that you love and embrace those that are lifted by you, just being you.
We are all living the greatest story ever written and can impact that story in so many ways if we choose to be present and truly live our best life!
Buddha said that ‘keeping wise company’ or having good friends, is one of the greatest resources for happiness and freedom.
Find your purpose, find your passion, find your tribe and success will find you among happiness!
FIND YOUR PURPOSE, FIND YOUR PASSION, FIND YOUR TRIBE AND SUCCESS WILL FIND YOU AMONG HAPPINESS!
Wabi Sabi is an intuitive response to beauty that reflects the true nature of life.
Wabi Sabi is an acceptance and appreciation of the impermanent, imperfect and incomplete nature of everything.
The secret of wabi sabi lies in seeing the world not with the logical mind but through the heart.
Your Ikigai is at the intersection of what you are good at and what you love doing.
