The Logic of Absolutely Contradictory Self-identity and Aesthetic Values in Zen Art

Abstract

This article aims to show that yūgen, wabi and sabi deserve to be called aesthetic values of Zen art only when their definition complies with the logic of absolute contradictory self-identity (the logic of paradox). Some definitions of yūgen, wabi and sabi are not paradoxical and therefore they cannot be linked to Zen. I will try to prove that one must be aware of the ambiguity of the aforementioned types of beauty – their meanings cannot be narrowed to fit only within the realm of Zen tradition. The different types of beauty that Japanese artists strove to express in their works have specific names. It’s impossible to find equivalents for many of them in Western aesthetic categories. The starting point of our inquiry will be aesthetic categories in Japanese poetry, because they have always exerted great influence on art in Japan. Aesthetic values in Zen art are also connected with reflection on the structure of reality – specifically, reality as experienced in the act of Enlightenment (satori).