Mono no Aware
Mono no aware is a trained sensitivity to the emotional charge of a thing or moment, felt sharply because it will not last.
Full definition of Mono no Aware →:: COMPARE ::
Mono no awarevsWabi-sabi
The short answer
Different organs entirely. Mono no aware is a response in the viewer to transience. Wabi-sabi is a quality in the object — patina, austerity, deliberate insufficiency. One is something you feel; the other is something a teacup has.
Side by side
| Aspect | Mono no aware | Wabi-sabi |
|---|---|---|
| Located in | The viewer | The object |
| Is | A response | A property |
| Developed in | Literary criticism | Tea and Zen |
| Includes joy | Originally yes | Not the point |
What each one means
Wabi-Sabi
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic sensibility that finds beauty in imperfection, impermanence and simplicity — in the asymmetry of a handmade bowl, the patina of age, the quiet grace of things worn and passing.
Full definition of Wabi-Sabi →