Motoori Norinaga says that “mono no aware” is the aesthetic sense of the Japanese people. “Mono no aware” refers to the feeling of understanding the human condition and one’s own fate through everyday trivial events.
It is the heart that feels the invisible truth and mysterious world hidden behind the slight signs and changes in nature.
For example, knowing autumn by seeing a single falling leaf, or not being able to walk three steps while carrying one’s mother due to her lightness, or hearing the sound of the bell at Gion Shoja and feeling the impermanence of all things.
It is in the casual gestures of a woman that her beauty and charm are revealed.
True beauty lies not in outward appearance but in the inner cultivation and character that exudes from within.
In the Sengoku period, there were no mobile phones or advanced communication technologies like today, so once you parted ways, you wouldn’t know where the other person was or what they were doing until they returned.
Someone you laughed with in the morning might not return by evening.
If you were lucky, you might hear news of them, but often they would simply disappear without a trace.
In the era of Madame Butterfly, people continued to wait for those who would never return.
The belief that someone would surely come back to you was a prayer.
Meeting is the beginning of parting. The sorrow for lost times and things.
That is why we cherish the present moment.
Because life is fleeting, we must live without regrets.
Even the cherry blossoms that bloom so beautifully will eventually wither and fall. So, let’s appreciate the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
This sentiment is called ‘mono no aware.’ And it leads to wabi-sabi.
Even the same flower looks different to different people because their thoughts are projected onto it. Previously, someone who didn’t understand abstract art said, ‘It’s because you try to give meaning to the painting.’ The painting itself doesn’t have meaning. The meaning is in the person who feels it. When you see the sunrise and think it’s beautiful, it’s because you have the ability to feel beauty. Trying to find meaning in the sunrise is pointless. Just appreciate it as a beautiful pattern.
Paintings don’t just depict beauty. They can also depict ugliness. If you see a painting depicting the tragedy of war and think it’s beautiful, then the artist’s intention hasn’t been conveyed.
When you see sunlight filtering through the trees or flowers and feel nostalgic, it’s because those things evoke old memories. The same goes for the smell of the sea or fresh greenery. These things don’t have inherent meaning. They just project your own thoughts. This shifting of the heart is called ‘mono no aware.’
Descartes should have delved deeper. Thinking is merely proof of existence. What is proven is existence.
Therefore, there is a focus on the lining.
Even if the outer fabric is ragged, the lining is made of bright silk.
By slightly revealing this lining, it evokes a sense of hidden beauty.
The truth is hidden in places that are not visible.
By looking at the constellations, one feels the universe.
From small changes and things, one feels the grandeur of the world and the mysteries of the universe.
And the Japanese people value the heart that feels and do not unnecessarily delve into the mysterious world.
They cherish the heart that feels the sadness of others and do not deeply intrude into the sadness of others.
Knowing that there is nothing that can be done, they limit themselves to resonating and empathizing.
That is considered refined.
It is considered boorish to intrude into the heart of another with dirty feet.
Takeshi Umehara says that human values include truth and falsehood, good and evil, and beauty and ugliness.
Many countries focus on good and evil, or truth and falsehood.
There are few countries that focus on beauty and ugliness, but Japan does.
The country may not win (truth and falsehood).
Conflict is bad (good and evil). However, abandoning the country and fleeing here is ugly (beauty and ugliness).
Therefore, they sacrifice themselves for a great cause, trust their children, and die beautifully. That is the Yamato spirit.
It is the value of the Japanese people.
That is why the Japanese people love cherry blossoms.
They bloom beautifully and scatter quickly.
This is also connected to wabi-sabi.
They cherish the heart that feels eternity in this moment, this very moment.
They live with all their might.
They live with their lives on the line.
When Buddha realized the truth of this world, he said he would not regret dying.
Though the colors are fragrant, they will eventually scatter.
Who in our world is forever unchanging?
Today, I will transcend the deep mountains of existence and not be intoxicated by shallow dreams.
Therefore, they put everything into the short sentences of 5-7-5.
They compose a death poem and die.
That is the way of the samurai.
It is refinement and taste.
Thank you. Mutual help, mutual respect, and greetings of gratitude.
Death is a destiny.
Humans are destined to die.
When one focuses on the point of death, it becomes clear what should be done now.
Those who forget that they will die someday become lazy.
They find life in the midst of death.
Therefore, wabi-sabi, mono no aware, and yūgen all become profound.
Even if there are bad rumors or slanders in the world, do not be swayed.
When you throw a stone into a pond, the reflection of the moon on the water’s surface is disturbed, but the moon itself remains unchanged.
What are you swayed by, and forget yourself?
The reflection of the moon in a swift stream does not move.
The reflection of the moon is your mind.
The moon is your true nature.
Even if your mind is disturbed by small stones, your true self remains unchanged.
Do not panic or be agitated, but calmly regain yourself.
Do not think of life as something that will be there tomorrow.
Live in a way that you will not regret even if you die now.
The cherry blossoms in full bloom now will fall by the evening.
Under the full bloom of cherry blossoms, let us praise the beauty of the cherry blossoms blooming now.
Let us renew our resolve with the falling cherry blossoms.
Face death as a certainty.
Without that resolve, you cannot understand wabi-sabi or mono no aware.
It does not matter when you die.
We do not know about the afterlife.
It does not matter.
In this moment, in this instant, there is eternity.
The moon seen at this moment.
The heart that appreciates the beauty of the cherry blossoms blooming at this moment.
That is wabi-sabi.
That is mono no aware.
Renew yourself daily, and renew yourself every day.
If you do your best today, there is no point in worrying about the future now.
The future is the future.
There is no point in worrying about tomorrow without doing your best today.