Guest guest Posted August 30, 2001 Report Share Posted August 30, 2001 Dear Jan, I ought not to forget that he who plays the villain of the piece (the torn up plastic bag) may be a greater artist than he who plays the hero (the magnificent sunrise). For beauty - in the profound words of Millet, does not arise from the subject of a 'work of art', but from the necessity that has been felt of representing that subject. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy has said that Beauty is Absolute and can not have degrees, just as you pointed out Jan. The vision of beauty is spontaneous, in just the same sense as the inward light of the lover, or bhakta. It is a state of grace that cannot be obtained by deliberate efforts, though we can remove hindrances to its manifestation, for the secret of all art is to be found in self-forgetfulness. And we know that this state of grace is not achieved in the pursuit of pleasure, the hedonists have their reward, but they are in bondage to loveliness, while the artist is free in beauty. If beauty awaits discovery everywhere, if it awaits our recollection in the Sufi sense, in aesthetic contemplation as in love and knowledge, we momentarily recover the unity of our being released from individuality. There are really and truly no degrees of beauty. The most complex and simplest expressions remind us of one and the same state. The sonata cannot be more beautiful than the simplest lyric, not the painting than the drawing, nor the sunrise than the plastic bag, merely because of greater elaboration. We can reveal the beauty of all experiences when we realize that Beauty is the same. All things are as significant as another. "If a beauteous form we view, 'Tis His reflection shining through." I feel like the child Mazie an hour before the family was to leave for the County Fair. Too darn excited and thrilled to speak clearly about it, just nonsensical ramblings and squeals of pure joy. Love to You, Mazie _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2001 Report Share Posted August 30, 2001 , "Mazie Lane" <sraddha54@h...> wrote: > Dear Jan, > There are really and truly > no degrees of beauty. The most complex and simplest expressions remind us of one and the same > state. The sonata cannot be more beautiful than the simplest lyric, not the painting than the drawing, nor the sunrise than the plastic bag, merely because of greater elaboration. > We can reveal the beauty of all experiences when we realize that Beauty is the same. All things are as significant as another. "If a beauteous form we view, 'Tis His reflection shining through." I feel like the child Mazie an hour before the family was to leave for the County Fair. Too darn excited and thrilled to speak clearly about it, just nonsensical ramblings and squeals of pure joy. > > Love to You, > Mazie I also felt this same way going to the "dumps" as a child. They had big open dumping grounds for trash, out in the rockpiles, as I called it. That beauty and joy was as magnificent to me as the fair. Walking on my way to physical therapy at twelve (which was nothing short of torture) I would be frightened, but then I would breathe in the beauty everywhere, the air, the houses, the trees, the beingness, and I would be filled with joy once more, allowing no room for the fear. The grace of surrender, as Harsha mentioned, is always available to the one who has their home in the heart. It was my savior in all ways. This was before me or that was before me, what to do? There was only a child filled with Joy and Love who surrendered to my Beloved at nine years, in a backyard garden. All space, Allness, from every atom and all things, the resounding ocean "Voice" of God, told me, "I Am. I am with you always." And right after this total 'knowing' that He existed and he loved me enough to tell me so, or I loved myself enough to listen, the challenge of physical deterioration began. It continues to this day, but not the challenge it was in the beginning. It is now my Beloved Friend who I embrace in the sweet pain of Love. It is my dearest, most wonderful guru, who has taught me how to love. John Wayne said "Courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway." And so we saddle up in surrender. We ride into the sunset, in solitude and awe. With Love to You, Mazie > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2001 Report Share Posted August 31, 2001 Dear Sweet Mazie, Your lovely post reminded me of a quote from Barnett Newman, an American Abstract Expressionist/Minimalist Painter. He said, "aesthetics is to art as ornithology is to the birds". Thank you for sharing your delight and wonder with all. Love, Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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