The Deliciousness of Words – IV

Thanks for being with me thus far!

RECAP: Continuing from the last time… Having come across a collection of some of the most evocative words in languages other than English that have no direct equivalents – and each of which having struck a chord in me – I’m going to post them a couple at a time, with explanations (not mine) and complementary visuals, for you to savour. And a request to all readers  – can we make this interactive, where you can also contribute some more in languages you speak / know, which I will compile?

For this week, the mystical, spiritual types. Read on…

Wabi-sabi

The Japanese expression Wabi-sabi means “finding beauty in the imperfections, an acceptance of the cycle of life and death.” It is derived from Buddhism, which teaches that understanding “our transience and the asymmetry within our lives can lead us to a more fulfilling yet modest existence”.

Kalpa

Meaning “the passing of time on a grand, cosmological scale”, Kalpa is a Sanskrit term. Once you have a word for something, it becomes much more tangible, much more accessible. The shapes of your thoughts begin to include these different ways of seeing, of being.

Dadirri

An Australian Aboriginal term which means “a deep, spiritual act of reflective and respectful listening”.

Boketto

It’s nice that the Japanese think so highly of thinking about nothing at all that they actually give it a name. Boketto – meaning “gazing vacantly into the distance without really thinking about anything specific.”

And if you’ve missed out on the earlier posts in this series and would like to catch up –

 The Deliciousness of Words – III

The Deliciousness of Words – II

The Deliciousness of Words – 1