Shibumi is understanding, rather than knowledge. Eloquent silence.
In demeanor, it is modesty without pudency. In art, where the spirit of
shibumi takes the form of sabi, it is elegant simplicity, articulate
brevity. In philosophy, where shibumi emerges as wabi, it is spiritual
tranquility that is not passive; it is being without the angst of
becoming. And in the personality of a man, it is . . . how does one say
it? Authority without domination? Something like that.”
from
Shibumi: A Novel
by Trevanian
“How does one achieve this shibumi, sir?” “One does not achieve
it, one . . . discovers it. And only a few men of infinite refinement
ever do that. Men like my friend Otake-san.” “Meaning that one must
learn a great deal to arrive at shibumi?” “Meaning, rather, that one
must pass through knowledge and arrive at simplicity.”
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