Words equivalent to ideas surrounding transience? (Think: Wabi Sabi)

Question

I'm looking for words that capture the idea of 'passing by', 'transience' or 'releasing' in Chinese. Perhaps even 'empty space' or something similar?

Wabi Sabi is obviously a Japanese phrase and uses the characters 侘寂, i'm not sure if that directly carries meaning between the two languages.

I have been reading lots of Stonehouse translated by Red Pine and have always been a fan of wabi sabi ideals if that helps get an idea of what i'm interested in!

I would like them to be explained as well! Different contexts they would be used in and how they're applied in everyday language. Perhaps some nuances between translating between how we might think of it in English vs. Chinese.

Answer 1

wabi sabi is a japanese philosophy and it does not exist in chinese on a cultural level, and so this is not even a language issue. Just like the philosophical concept of 八卦 does not exist in english and cannot just be translated.

So no, you cannot say wabi sabi directly in chinese. You would say the japanese term and explain it in detail, just like you would in english. It doesn't convey wabi sabi, but you can convey transience with terms like 短暫 and imperfection with terms like 缺.

While chinese does not have that exact philosophy, that doesn't mean that chinese culture never appreciates similar things. For example many chinese traditional arts take joy in capturing a "slice of life" moment: a twisted tree struggling to grow on a cliffside, being kept awake by a cat having zoomies at night. A duckweed floating with no control through the water, or a plum blossom vigorously blooming in the snow. None of these things are the same as wabi sabi, but if you look into chinese culture you may find actual chinese philosophy and aesthetics you also like （＾ν＾）

Answer 2

Your description reminds me of the word 昙花一现。 This flower blooms for a short time. It is a metaphor for beautiful things or scenes that appear for a while and then disappear soon.

same as "a flash in the pan" in English

《妙法莲华经·方便品》：“佛告舍利佛，如是妙法，诸佛如来，时乃说之，如优昙钵花，时一现耳。”

Answer 3

from Hinayana：三法印（诸行无常、诸法无我、涅槃寂静），especially 无常。

another explanation of 三法印：无常、苦、空。

侘寂的特征：不对称，粗糙或不规则，简单，经济，低调，亲密和展现自然的完整性。

wiki：侘寂