Mottainai: How this ancient Japanese philosophy can be used to cultivate an eco-friendly way of life

The 300-year-old tree felt cooler than I expected. I placed both my hands on its giant bark, took a deep inhale, and bowed my head. The smell was toasty, familiar. I found myself whispering a prayer to this ancient tree, with reverence and stillness. With the sound of feathers fluttering, my attention shifted. It was a white albino peacock landing, in all its pristine glory. White peacocks are one in 30,000 and this one is called ‘the ancient one’, said Elbert, a person working in a wellness resort where I am currently. There’s such charm and magic in ancient things, things that have stood the test of time. And in this world, where it’s all about the newest and shiniest, turning to the old, for wisdom and comfort, carries its own grace.

On a wider scale, as our global society pushes the earth to its environmental limits, it comes down to how each of us understands the art of preserving and being mindful of excess.

In Japanese culture, there’s a name for an eco-friendly way of life that comes through generations — Mottainai, and it’s reflected in various aspects of daily life. Just like the multi-use of the coconut, in Japan, it is common to repair and reuse almost any item, rather than discard and buy new ones.

The concept of Mottainai is not limited to Japan, though. It is a universal concept that can be applied to all aspects of life, from larger issues like conserving earth’s resources right down to our own personal belongings. While the more popular Japanese concept of “kintsugi” is about beautifying what is broken, the Mottainai is about a conscious examination of objects, their use, lifespan, and the resources used. The concept adds to the familiar 3 Rs: reduce, repair, and recycle, a fourth R: respect; respect for waste and complete utilisation of our available resources.

This is how our ancestors from many cultures would live; they’d repair what was broken (be it things or relationships), hand down what no longer fits and use items for multiple purposes. When did we become so quick to discard old things? When did we get so busy that we don’t have time to mindfully donate what we want to discard, or repair what is broken?

Of course, this is not to encourage clutter collection, but just to make us think. It has been said that wasted things, wasted opportunities, and wasted talent are the saddest things in life.

Are we truly using all our resources wholly and completely? If not now, then when?

wknd@khaleejtimes.com