Yugēn — A Profound, Mysterious Sense of Beauty 幽玄

Yugēn 幽玄 [pronounced “you-gen”] is a "profound, mysterious, sense of beauty" and is part of the three concepts that make up the components of beauty and aesthetics (the other two are Wabi 侘 — Simplicity and Sabi 寂 — The Beauty of Experience ).

However, Yugen 幽玄 also has an additional subtext: it also highlights the sad beauty of human suffering and existence, a very complex idea.

Awe and Beauty

First, let's examine the aesthetic component of Yugen 幽玄.

The profound and sometimes mysterious sense of beauty to which Yugen 幽玄 refers is the main concept inherent in this term. It refers to a kind of indescribable beauty and actually it refers to the emotion invoked by that beauty as much as the beauty itself.

The concept itself is deeply old and fundamental to the Japanese culture's sense of beauty in nature, among other things.

It was first clearly expressed by Zeami Motokiyo (one of the most historically important Japanese playwright, actor, and writer on aesthetics and philosophy), in the early 15th Century, who described the emotion inherent in Yugen 幽玄 this way:

A part of this sense of beauty is the idea that it is very difficult, if not impossible, for us to comprehend all the details and all the facets that make these things awe-inspiring. We feel ourselves to be very small in relation to the incredible size and depth of such things, and that feeling leaves us in awe.

The emotion that we experience as part of Yugen 幽玄 is a central part of this concept. Some might even say that this expression of Yugen 幽玄 is, in fact, more a state of emotion than it is anything visual. However, this perhaps misses the nature of Yugēn 幽玄: you cannot separate the feeling of profundity and mystery inherent in beauty from the actual experiencing of that beauty.

Beauty in All Things

While it is easiest to understand Yugen 幽玄 in terms of nature, Yugen 幽玄 is present in many things: in traditional art forms like paintings and poetry, and also in objects, buildings, and many things that are around us.

In traditional art forms, there are paintings, sculptures, films and videos, and literature that evoke in us a sense of beauty and emotions that are difficult to quantify. Perhaps a famous poem might inspire us or a movie might touch us deeply. These are examples of Yugen 幽玄.

Architecture can do this as well. There are amazing buildings or deeply meaningful places that are beautiful in their emotional power. Sometimes we might be inspired, and in other circumstances, we might be touched by sadness.

The Emotion in Beauty

One of the concepts that might not be obvious is that beauty doesn't necessarily invoke positive emotions.

There is a beauty in negative emotions — there is a sadness to death, and yet a painting may depict the circumstances of death in such a way that it is, in fact, beautiful.

There are places at which great historical events occurred, and these events may have been filled with great tragedy. The stillness of a cemetery, a monument at a great battlefield that evokes the sacrifice made by the combatants, or the site of a great disaster – these all invoke a range of emotions, and many of these emotions may be quite negative.

Still, places like this are beautiful in their own ways, and yes, even mysteriously beautiful.

Of course, there are many places whose beauty inspires us, lifts us up, and gives us a range of positive emotions. All of these emotions, both positive and negative, are reflections of Yugen 幽玄.

The Beauty of Existence

There is an ephemeral beauty in life itself, and the full span of all the components that make up a life.

There is so much beauty in life: the birth of a child, marrying the man or woman who will be your partner, achieving so many goals and accomplishing so many great things with a deep and meaningful purpose.

But life is short.

And life is also full of tragedy, failures, and pain and suffering. After all, without all the sad parts of life, how would we measure the great joys of life? There must be a duality to everything, and certainly there is a duality to life itself. (For more on this idea and duality, see Goju 剛柔).

Yet despite all of this sadness, there is beauty in these things too. By no means is there anything "classically" beautiful in sadness and pain. But they are a part of life, and they help to define the joy and beauty of what the truly wonderful things are in life. That makes them also beautiful.

In effect, there is a beauty in sadness too. And that beauty of sadness is also Yugen 幽玄.

There is a nobility in failure, a great portrait of courage in the twilight of life, and a deeply inspirational and meaningful lesson in the shortness of life itself.

Beauty and Mystery All Around Us

As surely as simplicity ( Wabi 侘 — Simplicity) and experience ( Sabi 寂 — The Beauty of Experience ) are keys to beauty, so is the mysterious and somewhat indescribable nature of Yugen 幽玄 a key part of beauty.

The combination of the three creates a unique mixture that engages all the senses and also engages the mind and the spirit.

True beauty does all three: it intertwines the stimulation of your physical senses with our minds and our spirit to form a powerful whole. Usually this inspires us, but sometimes this union gives us a glimpse into the greater universe and even, on occasion, brings us some level of sadness.

Regardless of the specifics, however, true beauty touches us. And oftentimes, the most subtle and yet significant part of that touch is Yugen 幽玄.

Editor's Note: This lecture was first delivered by Sensei at the Goju Karate dojo in New York City on 31 July 2024.