Yūgen (yoo-gen) is a Japanese concept describing a profound awareness that life holds mystery beyond what we can see or explain. It is the quiet sense of awe that arises when the beauty of the natural world reminds us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves.

Wind Chime

The time between responsibilities,
when I’m not raking
or quick on my feet,
the world feels a little different,
like the wind this morning
moving slowly through the leaves,
swaying the branches
like a conductor with many arms.
For a moment I was intaken
by my breath. Unselfed, absorbed
by a sound familiar and vital
as though something
ancient within me
still remembers I have
a need for it.

~ Wallace Fong