The Beauty of Being Natural

By Category: Body & MindTags:

We all pursue beauty. When we are born without natural beauty, we turn to beauty products and even cosmetic surgery to enhance our looks. But no matter how hard we try to achieve the perfect look, it never compares to the beauty of just being natural.

Look at the beauty of nature:  the crystal blue sky, the floating white clouds, the colorful hues of a rainbow after it rains, and the twinkling stars at night. Go climb to the top of a mountain at night, when the moon is bright and the air is crisp, and as far as the eye can see, you can appreciate the panoramic beauty of nature and the vast openness of the universe. In this universe of ours, there are lofty mountains and steep cliffs; there are boundless deserts; and there are rushing rivers and lush forests.

All these naturally beautiful landscapes of the world are odes of praise to the beauty and wonder of nature. The beauty of nature is really enchanting and fascinating!

In the pursuit of beauty, where it is lacking naturally we make up for it artificially. Whether we are landscaping a garden, decorating a house, fashioning a wardrobe, or even changing our physique or posture, we need to harmonize these activities with nature in order to achieve a good standard of beauty. If buildings are ostentatiously designed or people overly made-up, they no longer reflect the beauty of nature.  Natural beauty is forfeited when we are pretentious or affected.

Although there is no universal standard for beauty, there should be some guiding principles for it. Beauty should be pleasant to behold. It should purify one’s spirit, sublimate one’s mind, open up one’s heart, and transcend worldliness. The true meaning of beauty lies in its ability to enhance our lives. 

In pursuing the beauty of being natural, we should speak with humor, we should be reasonable with others, and we should be gracious in how we handle worldly affairs. Then, the beauty of being natural may be close at hand.

The valor of men, the gentleness of women, the kindness of seniors, and the innocence of children are all real-life examples of natural beauty.

It was originally published in All in a Thought, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

Live Well Through Observing the Precepts
Observing the precepts is the concrete manifestation of compassion and the bodhisattva path. Read more
A Brief History of Buddhist Volunteerism
Sages from all religions who serve the multitudes without any monetary reward or recognition are volunteers of human society.  An ancient sage once said: “Before one can become a prominent figure in Buddhist circles, one has to be a horse and an ox for all sentient beings.” Another said: “Before one attains Buddhahood, one first has to form affinity.” Over the generations, Buddhist monastics have Read more
Realize Eternity through the Brevity of Life
We should not look at life just as the limited span of one person’s life; we should look at the larger life of the universe. While a person’s life may only span a limited number of years, its value is everlasting. Read more
Grounding Relationships in Oneness
When we can practice viewing ourselves and others through a lens of oneness, we will no longer engage in meaningless mind games that prevent us from forming positive connections with all beings. Read more
Repentance
It is only through loving-kindness and compassion that we can find room in our hearts to forgive others. It is only through our willingness to let go of resentment that we can find a way to magnanimity.  Read more
Aware of the workings of the mind
The Avatamsaka Sutra says, 'The mind controls everything.' In order to properly control body and speech, we must come to understand our minds. If we can control our minds, we can do anything.Master Xingkong (780-862) wrote a wonderful passage that expresses this point very well. He said, "The practice of Buddhism can be compared to presiding over a walled city; during the day, thieves and Read more
To Think Positively
Humans are thinking animals! Since the beginning of time, there have always been people who fantasize, who have delusions, who dream—and many who have ideals. When we lie in our beds at night, we should be free from worry. Yet thoughts about our lives often arise then; thoughts about family, country, or even the world. Everything is within our minds.The average person often tends to Read more
How To Change Destiny
What we often care most for in life is the self, and the most important aspect of self is none other than destiny. During one's lifetime, destiny changes frequently because of circumstances that arise. Because of a person, an event, a word, a dollar, or even a thought, entire lives may be altered. Similarly, the development of a country may be changed and the history Read more
Am I Really Like a Monk?
Given that I have become a monk, I have placed demands upon myself. My sense of leaving the secular and focusing on the path must surpass others; my sense of self restraint and doing for others must be strengthened. I must learn to endure disadvantage, and I must let others gain some advantage at my expense; I must learn how to be patient and how Read more
Music and Buddhism
Music gives us the capacity to express deep emotions. Whether through holy hymns or chants of praise, music is capable of uplifting the mind to an almost sublime state. As such, it has a significant role in the promotion of religion.All Buddhas and bodhisattvas are very skilled in utilizing music to teach the Dharma and guide sentient beings to enlightenment.Music has a very important function Read more
Observe the Way through Living Simply
In the early days of Buddhism, how did monastics observe the Way and live their lives? As the daily lives of these monastics were not one of material things, emotional ties, or sensory pleasures, they led a lives of few material things and cool emotional ties. The world within their heart was pure and their spiritual life was forever lasting. In more concrete terms, their Read more
Greed: The Cause of Suffering
Though the worlds that we see are fundamentally a product of our own minds, they usually do not appear this way to us. Like images in an intense dream, our perceptions appear to be wholly real to us, and not to have been generated by our own mental activity. For this reason, the Buddha taught many ways to help us comprehend the true nature of Read more