"Ma": The Space Within

Ma is one of the invisible forces that for centuries have shaped the philosophy underlying Japanese art forms such as Kabuki, Noh, Shodo (calligraphy), Ikebana (flower arranging), Haiku (poetry), and Moku-hanga (woodblock printing). In an artistic sense, ma can be thought of as forming the rhythm or beat of a piece of work. This gives an indication of its heritage, as it was originally a concept that related to music. In theatre, ma can be thought of as the dramatic pause between lines. In music it is interpreted according to each musician's taste and how one wishes to space the notes. In painting, the empty space ma is used to enhance the whole of the painting. In this way we can see that ma has substance, for it is but one part, contributing to the formation of a complete whole.

The concept of ma however, is extremely subtle. It can be so subtle that its importance and pervasiveness in general life could easily be overlooked. Ma refers to an interval in time and space, but to think of it as a mere blank space, a 'nothing' would be to severely undervalue its significance. The fact that there is no direct English translation for ma indicates that the concept does not exist in western culture.

Although artists from the West have been known to comment on their personal relationship to what they call 'space' and how this is reflected in their art, there has been a tendency for Westerners to interpret 'space' as something negative. The indication is that space exists because something is lacking and therefore something else is needed to fill it. This clearly contradicts the notion of ma, which, despite being insubstantial, does possess character and worth of its own. This contradiction can perhaps be better understood by comparison. Let's examine pauses in a conversation.

In English, if someone's speech contains frequent or long pauses, the impression created is negative and he may be thought of as nervous, unsure, poorly informed or a slow-thinker. If the speaker detects that he is being received in this way, that his listeners are losing interest in what he saying, this may have the effect of actually making him more nervous and uncomfortable. He may naturally feel a kind of pressure to fill the spaces, regardless of the value of what he is filling them with. This can lead to people 'babbling' or 'waffling', (slang) words used to describe excessive talking with little or no relevance or substance. In Japanese however, the pauses form an integral part of the overall interaction; there is an art to their use and they are to be enjoyed and paid attention to as much as the words. They enhance, not detract from, the essence of what the speaker is saying and no listener would dream of interrupting or trying to commandeer the conversation because he thought the speaker was floundering. This discrepancy between the use of pauses, or spacing, in conversation can severely hinder communication and lead to gross misunderstanding, especially of intention. Some awareness of ma then for non-native speakers of Japanese could greatly aid communication skills.

Interestingly, the subtle presence of ma can be found reflected in many aspects of life in Japan, including issues such as personal space and relationships. These are two areas where newcomers to Japan often feel their initial 'foreign-ness' more acutely. It can be quite shocking to experience the close proximity of city life first hand for the first time. The crowded trains and cramped living conditions in Japan are notorious throughout the world. While Westerners may deplore these conditions as infringing on their 'personal space', Japanese seemingly accept them without question. On the other hand, a Westerner is more likely to hug or kiss a friend when meeting them than a Japanese person is, while many Japanese feel uncomfortable with such basic Western formalities as shaking hands - even in a business context (a fact enforced by the many 'weak' handshakes I have encountered. It is to the detriment of many Japanese business people that no one has offered advice on how to shake hands in a way that creates a good impression. Here's a little tip - don't worry about how hard to shake or how long to shake. Let the other person take the lead. The only thing you must remember is - grip firmly! Do this and you can't go wrong!). It is interesting to note that the word 'privacy' only appeared in Japanese in the Meiji era - it is a thoroughly imported idea. With the emphasis in the West on the individual and the supposed 'rights' that go with that, to strip away this notion that we are owed privacy is to get a glimpse at perhaps one of the deepest senses of ma; 'space' is not empty and is perhaps best viewed as the presence of possibility.

Ma crops up in conversation, where, as you would expect, its colloquial meaning changes slightly. The extremely popular form of comedy known as Manzai is constructed from the astute and clever use of timing. This reinforces that in behaviour as well as in conversation, it is not only what you say or do but also the timing of when and how you say or do it that matters. For example, imagine you are in a meeting with your boss. He is in full swing, showing grave displeasure at the number of times he sees people coming in late. Just at that moment, your colleague walks in... late. 'Ma ga warui,' everyone would think to himself or herself. In this case it wouldn't be unusual for the penalty incurred to be harsher because the action received emphasis caused by bad timing. The boss would have to make an example of him to stress the point he was trying to make. In this conversational, timing sense, ma can often, though not always, have a negative inference. Conversely, ma ni au roughly means to make it in time. It can be applied to deadlines and appointments. If our unfortunate colleague above had walked into the room just before his boss, upon hearing his diatribe he would have likely thought to himself, 'Ma ni atta!' 'I was just in time!'

Perhaps it can be said then, that Japanese possess a heightened sensitivity to space – they see it as a substance rather than a void. As such, ma is given expression in so many avenues in life. To offer a final illustration of how best to appreciate ma, I would like to close with a verse from a poem written by Lao Tse, the father of Taoism, which has so strongly influenced Japanese thought, culture and language:

Walls with windows and doors form the house,
But it is the empty space within
That is the essence of the house.