The Nature of Beauty

  If we have the eyes to see, beauty surrounds us on every turn – in cheery colours, scents of flowers, songs of birds, breathtaking scenery, the female gender. Beauty often exists for its own sake – pure enjoyment, rather than functionality. The awesome beauty of nature bypasses the rational mind and directly touches the heart. Nature’s rich sensuality overwhelms our cultural conditioning and puts us in touch with the Source of life. The love of nature has evoked in individuals who regarded themselves as non-religious rich spiritual experiences and insights. That’s why many spiritual traditions encourage people to spend time in the wilderness communing with nature, away from the comforts and hassles of towns and cities.

   Everyday encounters of love and beauty – romantic love, affection in the family, a kind word and deed from a stranger – can each become a spiritual experience. We can be awed by the seemingly ordinary things in nature – the towering trees, the varying shades of green, the range of leaf shapes and textures, as well as flowers in diverse sizes and shapes providing splashes of colour among the peaceful greenery.

   Humans, made in God’s image, are aesthetic beings – they not only appreciate beauty but also like to create beauty. Being a creative artist can be a spiritual path that requires a dive into the great sea of mystery – a stirring up of the inner depths that can touch the transcendent. Painting and sculpture were originally sacred pursuits, and even in modern times, artists have seen their work as inherently spiritual. Theatre also has its roots in spirituality. Likewise, musicians, such as Mozart and Beethoven, have been able to plumb the depths of the imagination and to hear the hidden harmonies of creation, and have brought us testimonies which evoke exquisite spiritual states of awareness. Artists, poets, and musicians often have been among the greatest explorers of spirituality, having returned from their adventures to create the richest of human culture. The way of the creative person is largely through the spiritual power of beauty – an awe-inspiring mystery on which to become intoxicated.

   In this world, beauty is often temporary – the flower fades, the beautiful woman ages, inspiring moments quickly pass. Also, the world is not beautiful in all its aspects. However, focusing on the positive and beautiful and seeing good even in the seemingly bad is health conducive. Hence this website, aiming to provide uplift and edification, focuses on the beauty of the various aspects of nature, art, and actions. It can be seen as a glimpse and foretaste of the future real world, where there will be nothing but unimaginable beauty and joy in God’s all-encompassing presence.



Parts adapted from:
Timothy Freke, Encyclopedia of Spirituality: Information and Inspiration to Transform Your Life

"Every beauty which is seen here below by persons of perception resembles more than anything else that celestial source from which we all come." (Michelangelo)

"The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart." (Jalaluddin Rumi)