Wednesday, October 13, 2004

"Inward Beauty" by Krishnamurti

(an excerpt from "Think on These Things")
Surely, to have inward beauty, there must be complete abandonment, the sense of not being held, of no restraint, no defense, no resistance; but abandonment becomes chaotic if there is no austerity with it. And do we know what it means to be austere, to be satisfied with little and not think in terms of "the more"? There must be this abandonment with deep inward austerity--the mind is not acquiring, gaining, not thinking in terms of "the more". It is simplicity born of abandonment with austerity that brings about the state of creative beauty. But if there is no love you cannot be simple, you cannot be austere. You may talk about simplicity and austerity, but without love they are merely a form of compulsion, and therefore there is no abandonment. Only he (or she) has love who abandons himself (herself), forgets himself completely, and thereby brings about the state of creative beauty.

Beauty obviously includes beauty of form; but without inward beauty, the mere sensual appreciation of beauty leads to degradation and disintegration. There is an inward beauty only when you feel real love for people and for all the things of the earth; and with that love comes a tremendous sense of consideration, watchfulness and patience.
-Krishnamurti

1 Comments:

Blogger Sue Bielenberg said...

So Compulsion is the illusion of but opposite of love? Makes sense. Thanks for reminding us of Krishnamurti. Eastern thought has been guiding my way lately, and this is just serendipity.

4:46 PM  

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