I venture out at night to buy a lemon to squeeze on my barbecued fish. As I reach the top of the hill I inhale deeply and suddenly, the full moon has taken my breath away. I stop the car, I am tearing up, I look at the yellow lemon on the seat beside me and find myself full of yellow.
This took me by surprise as Beauty always does. I have no need to practice.
There might be a difference between experiencing beauty and "intentionally dedicated time" (and perhaps being more sensitive when there is beauty around).
I am not really satisfied at the moment with some outcomes of my own intentionally dedicated time (It's been told about me that I'm in the contemplative mood about everything.), hence the previous paragraph. I am more into intensity than beauty per se.
Bonnie Bright > Aleksandar MalecicJuly 25, 2013 at 6:21pm
Good way to kick off the discussion, Aleksandar. Thanks for diving in. I actually think intensity can also be a thing of tremendous beauty.
Personally, I often correlate "sacred" and "numinous." The term "numinous" which Jung borrowed from Rudolf Otto, is often considered to mean an experience that can seize a person's consciousness, being both fascinating and attractive and as well as terrifying and repelling at the same time. In other words, whether we as humans consider it "good" or "bad," or a thing of "beauty" or a thing of "horror," it is something that moves us. Movement is interesting because it is required in the individuation process. Any way we can feel connected to a force bigger than our individual ego seems to me to be a thing of great beauty...
In fact, some traditional practices like the Tibetan Chöd where the practitioner voluntarily and ritually faces terrifying spirits, allowing him or herself to be symbolically chopped up, consumed or destroyed (imagine an image of being eaten by vultures) in order to destroy the dominating ego. Is this an image or experience of beauty by traditional western cultural standards? Probably not. Intense? Definitely. Stunningly beautiful? Yes, when you consider the gesture and intention and the capacity for transformation the practice contains...
Bonnie, I have one caveat to your comment about whatever moves us. One definition of the post-modern world is that we are now moved, not by logic, but by emotion. I can appreciate what you share about the Tibetan Chod, however, there seems to be a need to make some kind of distinction between such a sacrificial surrendering and the heightened emotion of a suicide bomber, for example. The bomber may also feel that the is surrendering to a force bigger than his individual ego, seizing the person's consciousness.
Interesting that you should say this. I've noticed that being a natural introvert, practices such as meditation, contemplative prayer, etc. actually narrows my definition of the sacred. My challenge is to find the sacred in the outer world in order to expand my experience/definition of the sacred moment.
Replies
This took me by surprise as Beauty always does. I have no need to practice.
Should I spoil the discussion from the start?
There might be a difference between experiencing beauty and "intentionally dedicated time" (and perhaps being more sensitive when there is beauty around).
I am not really satisfied at the moment with some outcomes of my own intentionally dedicated time (It's been told about me that I'm in the contemplative mood about everything.), hence the previous paragraph. I am more into intensity than beauty per se.
Good way to kick off the discussion, Aleksandar. Thanks for diving in. I actually think intensity can also be a thing of tremendous beauty.
Personally, I often correlate "sacred" and "numinous." The term "numinous" which Jung borrowed from Rudolf Otto, is often considered to mean an experience that can seize a person's consciousness, being both fascinating and attractive and as well as terrifying and repelling at the same time. In other words, whether we as humans consider it "good" or "bad," or a thing of "beauty" or a thing of "horror," it is something that moves us. Movement is interesting because it is required in the individuation process. Any way we can feel connected to a force bigger than our individual ego seems to me to be a thing of great beauty...
In fact, some traditional practices like the Tibetan Chöd where the practitioner voluntarily and ritually faces terrifying spirits, allowing him or herself to be symbolically chopped up, consumed or destroyed (imagine an image of being eaten by vultures) in order to destroy the dominating ego. Is this an image or experience of beauty by traditional western cultural standards? Probably not. Intense? Definitely. Stunningly beautiful? Yes, when you consider the gesture and intention and the capacity for transformation the practice contains...
Bonnie, I have one caveat to your comment about whatever moves us. One definition of the post-modern world is that we are now moved, not by logic, but by emotion. I can appreciate what you share about the Tibetan Chod, however, there seems to be a need to make some kind of distinction between such a sacrificial surrendering and the heightened emotion of a suicide bomber, for example. The bomber may also feel that the is surrendering to a force bigger than his individual ego, seizing the person's consciousness.
Interesting that you should say this. I've noticed that being a natural introvert, practices such as meditation, contemplative prayer, etc. actually narrows my definition of the sacred. My challenge is to find the sacred in the outer world in order to expand my experience/definition of the sacred moment.
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