Could Beauty function as a spiritual path, including practices as well as tests, that can lead us to a higher consciousness?
My bond with beauty is special. Ever since I was a child, beautiful things have spoken to me and provided deeply felt experiences. It has been a long-lasting relationship, but one that hasn’t been free of conflicts.
In the beginning, I looked for Beauty in the outer world. In order to hold on to the feeling, I wanted to own the objects I found beautiful. Much later I realized that Beauty is not about what you can see on the surface. It is more about some mystical inner quality that’s shining through. The object is just the vessel for that essence, like a link to something bigger.
”Is a jewel just a pebble, who found a way to shine?”
John Denver
Experiencing Beauty is about connecting to that deeper essence. When we do, it can be a deep and transforming experience. Beauty, truth, love - they all live in the same dimension, they all come from the same source. Many paths lead us there by helping us raise our vibration.
Beauty can be a spiritual path, because the moment we allow ourselves to be raptured by Beauty we reach a higher state of consciousness. We transcend the boundaries of the personality and are connected to a larger reality. It is a healing experience.
The perception of Beauty is nutrition for the Soul and can lift us to the soaring heights of Spirit.
To me, there is also a difficult side to this relationship. There is a small, malevolent voice inside, that tries to stop me from appreciating and surrounding myself with Beauty. It convinces me that it’s shallow, not as important as other things. When this happens I am thrown out from the good feeling place and land on my butt in feelings of unease.
I probably heard about Beauty being shallow more than a few times as I grew up. It was not a meaningful thing to occupy yourself with. It made me feel guilty. It made me question myself and stop listening to my inner truth. But deep down I know the significance of the path I have chosen. I also know that most spiritual paths include tests to overcome and grow. This might be one of them.
Every spiritual path also has practices. If you find it hard to appreciate Beauty, it can be a good idea to practice, by just being open to it. Take time to honor the Beauty of objects around you. Perceiving Beauty becomes a way to experience joy, gratitude and love along the way.
The more we look for Beauty, the more Beauty we see.
There is no better way to Walk the Path of Beauty than in our everyday lives. Even when things seem ugly around us, we are surrounded by Beauty. So, whether you focus on art, music, dance, or clothes and fabrics: Just start to take notice!
Walk in Beauty!
Photo by Eddi van W.
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