II. Real Beauty and Real Illusion
** If we read something from my “observation” “About Possession”, it will reveal what I mean in clear way. My point there is that nothing, which is actually “real” can be possessed by anyone. We agreed (or I take that as fact), that “physical beauty” and being pretty, is something belong to the outer world, and it belongs to the individual and his body/ face. From here we can say if our own body (*”About Possessions”) don`t belong totally to us (we can`t choose where and when to be born, where to go, if we to grow old or not, if we to be ill or not), the “beauty” in the same way can`t belong to us, or to anyone. It is a need of “beauty” which creates a real illusion (real because we are sure we can see it with our eyes!) of being beautiful. And this beauty is moreover “beauty of ideology”, taken out of time and place, frozen. In that way it`s just a theory.
Then think again how you`ll read the sentence “Beauty is in the eye of beholder”. So true, and simple. Is it in the object? No, it`s in the way we look to it, and way it affects our mind. So I agree completely with this statement, which makes possible another statement of me: the category of “beauty” as just “physical attraction” doesn’t exist. It may seem contradictory, but we can prove that, with the missing element. And it is the element of love. If just the physical beauty had affect on mind and heart, what about love? How it happen that many people fall for someone, who others see even totally not attractive? How people, who are totally not proportional or beautiful are so much loved and admired? That is the missing element, and it`s not the illusion of “beauty”. It`s the “radiation”. Everyone has special energy, and this energy actually has affect on us, which comes to the second concept of beauty as “goodness” and courtesy.
In this word now we`ll search for the “beauty” which exists. Without it nothing can have affect on mind and eyes, except through and with help of illusion. First of all to explain what goodness means. It`s connected with words like kindness, good nature, decency, power, virtue. All of that are not physical qualities, but they are inside the “box” of physical body. They are human qualities. What about opposite? Evil, immorality, dishonesty, imperfection, wildness, unfairness? That are also qualities, and they are with negative sign. (unlike some communist teachers speak, yes, there are good and evil, and they exist here as always). So, if we agree that not any human on earth is perfect (except God himself and prophets to some extend), what we can say about “beauty” in that way? Yes, it exists in form of goodness, to open our eyes, unlike physical beauty, which can close our eyes, and open our illusions. Whatever humans are mixture between, always there are some qualities prevailing others, and that`s obvious. The real beauty is such state of human being, when he/ she has the biggest affect in respect on goodness and pure illumination on others. Here comes the hard question: who can feel this “beauty”? For sure not everyone! Why? Lets take from the New testament two fragments:
1. ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust* consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust* consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. {Matthew 6:19}
2. ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 23but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Both fragments are very famous, but I want to read them in respect of category “beautiful”. The most important is the last sentence, kind of conclusion in the first extract: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. We`ll agree that the qualities goodness, kindness, virtue belong to “beauty” in second case, and they are surely positive. They are something, which people strive, or should strive to have in life. Because in this way, they will live in harmony with themselves and others, and with nature. (We won`t discuss here how much that`s a fact). Jesus say very clearly to not go after the worlds treasures (money, material possessions) as that striving is from earth and will give us equal qualities like envy, jealousy, greed, lust, destruction. Jesus said, do not seek treasures on earth, means real treasures exist in another place. We can`t observe now where is that place, but can we say what treasure is? Yes, treasure is equal to “beauty” as goodness, kindness, virtue and high spiritual qualities. Be good with others, follow the way of truth, don’t follow desires of your body, and with one word: don’t only look with your physical eyes! That what he told us. Then where your treasure is, (your beauty, goodness…) there your heart will be – to that place you`ll be attached, connected. I won`t give more example here on what that mean, it`s quite clear.
The second quote is about the eye. What Jesus meant here with “eye” “lamp”, “healthy”, Light? The eye is the way we see things and accept objects and others around. If we see in eyes of “beauty and goodness” our eyes as lamps of our soul will reflect in us the same way. Healthy eye, means to have eyes full of light and goodness, to not harm another and want the good for us and for others. (so simple in words!). If your eye, the way you see is the way of evil, bad, greed, dishonesty, then it will affect on your body and mind as darkness. This expression is very strong and deserves attention. “If then the light in you is darkness how great is that darkness!”. He warns you, in this way, be afraid from the darkness, as it can expand so much and consume all your body. (if we look in the world now, we can see how much that`s truth and how darkness and blindness consumes many people, who are on the way of blood.) In the same time there are light –fighters as always, even less.
To explain in very simple way what is meaning of “beauty” in second sense, I want to take the expression of Jesus here. It`s light of the eye. It`s light coming from inside of us, of our body, heart and soul, these complete light ,which can affect others with illumination is Real Beauty. It`s so obvious that our world is changing every day, so obvious that we are not “free individuals” from our birth, no matter if we have “free will”! It`s so obvious that we are subordinate to a Time and transformation of bodies, which we doesn`t want, of pains and obstacles we doesn’t want. That is part of the whole test of life. But if we do not have this “inner light” ,we also won`t have “love” and first thing which came in existence is Light. And Jesus ask even “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? {Matthew 6} Now I live you to answer this question and to make parallels between one and another.
Very clear pairs of extremes are obvious in Quran, from the beginning to the end. We can see how much the Quranic text is based on polarities and things with opposite meaning. That comes to show us again God/ Allah created the Light and Darkness, the Day and Night, Sky and Earth, Heaven and Hell, Gardens and Fire, Reward and Punishment, Soul and Body, Angels and Jinn, Peace and War, Life and Hereafter, Gabriel and Satan (*) even to this extend, some scholars argue that if he created “Believers and Unbelievers” (some extract from Quran show that). As I want to concentrate just in the topic of “beauty” as Light inside human, I wont go further here.
It`s obvious in all religions there are topics of Light and Darkness, and it`s simply because they exists.
With that I proved that Real Beauty exists, in form not of “physical attraction”, but in form of “Inner Light”, radiating from the human. And only this kind of beauty can be eternal, it doesn’t fade with the time. (even I have add that everything on earth is transformable, just because humans are vulnerable without well developed mind.)
But this Beauty in form of Light is preserved through the time, and wont go with our body, as it will stay with the soul. Strive for it.
I want to end with one example of Real Beauty. Recently I watched a video with a woman, who was speaking about meditation and tantra. She was not young, she had wrinkles around her eyes and forehead and face. But she was radiating such light and calmness , that I simply wanted to watch her more. I said to myself : This woman is really beautiful, even her gray colored hairs seemed to me beautiful and soft, and she all looked very clean. For me that strong energy and inner light from her had much strong affect, and I had pleasure to look at her. She spoke in slow and calm way, emphasizing on words, and all seemed to me very wise and meaningful.
Here I`ll let you – the readers – to have your thoughts and mind on the topic, make comparison and analyze different situations from your own life. You`ll see where is the truth.
