A kiss from beauty introduces me to the power of the real.
The real will disappear you – Part 1
1995 – I’ve been working in the backyard at our house on Little Kate Road in Park City, UT. Our backyard faces west. Daylight is fading as the sun drops behind the Wasatch Mountains. As I lean on the fence and watch the colored-sky blush with all of its beauty, the mountains, the sky, and the panorama in front of me become more immediate. I am becoming part of the panorama. I feel it is closer than the tip of my nose. The sense of beauty and majesty is overpowering.
My body jerks. I am leaning on the fence, looking at the mountains and blushing sky. I am curious about what just happened and am blessed that a pronounced effect of what just happened lingers in my being, so I relax into it… I am part of the panorama. The immediacy lacks distance. Beauty and majesty are drawing me deeper into the immediacy. My body jerks, and – I am leaning on the fence at the beginning of twilight.
I take a seat on the back deck and ponder my experience. Beauty and majesty seem to have mesmerized and captivated me. I was looking at the mountains, and then the sense of beauty and majesty grew stronger and stronger as the sense of me, the mountains, the trees, the sky, and the colored light faded. External discrimination disappeared. Nothing but beauty and majesty were present, but no mind or person was thinking -beauty and majesty – these were not named, experienced.
As I reflected on the spasms in my body, I could recall a felt sense of fading. Rarefied, thin, expansive, and gossamer are tastes of the perception, but perception itself seemed to be disappearing. Beauty and majesty were emerging immediately, more and more. The perception and recognition arose on my return. It seemed that my consciousness was, as yet, not ready for prime time as, at the last nanosecond, I snapped back into a self – a self familiar and yet phantasmal.
In 1995, I had been a student of the Diamond Approach for over six years. We had worked with many of the lataifa and I had had several experiences of how working with essential qualities challenges ego structures and ego identity. But beauty disappearing me???
My take away – the real will disappear us.
Beauty Revealed
1996 – I’m in Seattle for my Diamond Approach Cascadia weekend teaching. I’m standing in front of the meeting room with closed double doors. I’m just standing there, not much thought or aware of much around me. A sudden intensity to my left grabs my attention. I turn my head and see my teacher, Jessica. The beauty is overpowering. For a second, my mind thinks – Wow! I never realized she was so beautiful. I experience a weird, concussive experience in my perception, awareness, and consciousness. My mind is confused, but my perception is intensely clear. The form is not the beauty. I see the wall, the doors, the handles, and other people. Beauty is everywhere.
What is this? What is revealing beauty everywhere? I am still – my consciousness an emptiness with piercing curiosity. I turn my attention to the teacher again and discern a luminous black onyx field. Standing transfixed, I see this shiny deep infinite black underlies every atom. Somehow, I am perceiving what’s in between and holding all manifestations. I see all forms held, surrounded, and penetrated by luminous black. All appearance is imbued with or of this luminosity. Beauty and majesty are of it. Thus, everything appearing out of it is beauty and majesty.
For much of that weekend, I observe this. Look at the carpet, look out the window, look at food, look at gravel – beauty everywhere.
This experience is alive in me today. Beauty everywhere is not always foregrounded in my experience, but often something triggers it, or I pause and remember, and the perception emerges. And as the real becomes more and more dominant, I fade, and there is beauty and majesty, and gratitude, and love, and the infinite treasure of the everything.
FAQ
Q: What is beauty?
A: Beauty is an experience of reality that goes beyond physical appearance. It explains that beauty can be found in various forms, such as nature, art, relationships, acts of kindness, and even in the simple moments of life.
Q: How does beauty enhance our lives?
A: Beauty enhances our overall well-being. Recognizing beauty as an essential quality can bring joy, inspiration, and a sense of connection to ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Q: What is the impact of beauty on our mental and emotional states?
A: Beauty has a profound impact on our mental and emotional states. Experiencing beauty can evoke positive emotions, such as awe, wonder, and gratitude. Immersing ourselves in beauty can cultivate a sense of mindfulness, inner peace, and even healing.
Q: Practical tips for finding beauty in everyday life?
A: Readers are encouraged to engage in activities such as spending time in nature, exploring art and music, practicing mindfulness, and cultivating gratitude, acceptance, and compassion. These practices can help individuals recognize and celebrate the beauty that surrounds them.
Q: What is meant by beauty everywhere?
A: Beauty everywhere is a nondual experience.
Q: what is the connection between beauty and personal growth?
Recognizing and appreciating the true nature of beauty expands one’s consciousness, fosters self-reflection, and cultivates personal growth. Engaging with beauty can inspire individuals to live more authentically and align with their values.