Mono No Aware and the Cherry Blossoms

“The term mono no aware (物の哀れ) was coined by Motoori Norinaga, the eighteenth-century literary scholar, by combining aware. Means sensitivity or sadness, and mono. Means 'things.' Norinaga saw this mood as being at the very center of Japanese culture. The term describes the feelings of sympathy a person feels upon becoming aware of the fleeting, impermanent nature of life. [...] To know mono no aware is to have a shrewd understanding and consideration of reality and the assortment of occurrences present. To be affected by and appreciate the beauty of cherry blossoms was an example of this knowledge provided by Norinaga. [...] Mono no aware describes the feeling of witnessing the transience of things combined with both joy and slight sadness at their passing. — Wikipedia 'Mono no aware'; UTC 'Mono No Aware and the Aesthetics of Impermanence'; iainjmitchell.com”