Sat 10 May 2008
Wisdom Triads - On Beauty
Posted by Fiacharrey under Celtic Studies, Druidry, Paganism, Philosophy
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Today, I am talking about Beauty and Truth, two of the biggies of philosophy. Beauty has it’s own branch of philosophy devoted to it, aesthetics, but it’s not one I spent much time dwelling on until recently. You see, recently, I’ve had an “Ah HA!” moment. This was caused by hearing about something someone said about a discussion thread on my forums. I heard that she said something to the effect of: “the foundation of morality isn’t preservation or propagation of existence, but propagation of Beauty.”
Up to now, I’ve focused on the very fundamental principles I am working with, the most fundamental being the continuation of a species, or a tribe, or humanity in general, but this is not sufficient in itself, obviously. Ants reproduce, bacteria reproduces, but we wouldn’t call that particularly virtuous and certainly not moral, per se. So, it’s time we go beyond mere survival, and I think this sums it up: survival and propagation of our species is actually a means to an end: That end is propagating and preserving Beauty.
So let’s talk about Beauty and what it is. What we are talking about is big-B Beauty, not merely “prettiness.” There is the sense of sublime awe we feel when we perceive it, and we might see it in a sunset, in a field of flowers, in an elegant mathematical proof. Sometimes it’s not pretty at all. It is Truth according to Keats, and I think he was on to something.
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
- Ode to a Grecian Urn
Our Celtic ancestors saw a relationship between Truth and Beauty as well.
Three things which strengthen a person to stand against the whole world: Seeing the quality and beauty of truth; seeing beneath the cloak of falsehood; and seeing to what ends truth and falsehood come.
In their words, we understand that Truth is beautiful, and seeing that beauty gives us strength. But beauty is found in other ways:
The three most beautiful sights: a potato garden in bloom, a ship in sail, a woman after the birth of her child.
This is one of my favorite triads and I find the imagery very moving. Here, beauty is seen in the bounty of nature, in fertility, birth, new life, in potentials. Although, a “ship in sail” seems a bit out of place, doesn’t it? A ship in sail, though, is the culmination of an exquisite balance: the cut of the bow in the water, the sails full of wind, a hand on the rudder to turn it to that perfect angle where everything comes together. The huge ship is propelled forward by its harmony with nature.
I think the point of these, taken together, is that Truth is Harmony in Nature, which is Beauty. The highest natural state is a harmony, a balance. And when there that harmony, and balance, that is where we find Beauty. I might even go so far as to suggest that is the great Truth the world religions try to point us toward. It is the grandness of nature that makes us feel both insignificant, and wondrous, base, and yet perfect, a small part of something wonderful.
I’ve said before that there are three tests to find the truth of philosophical matters: reason, experience, and intuition. Well, here, we are talking about the “intuition” part of that equation. When we see or perceive something truly Beautiful, that is our intuitive perception of Truth, of the Natural Harmony. We can, then, sense Truth intuitively by its Beauty.
But, I’m a practical person. So, briefly on to practical matters. How do we exhibit Beauty in our lives, how do we propagate it? A wisdom triad tells us that there are three beautiful beings of the world: the upright, the skillful, and the reasonable. We display beauty not by putting on makeup and nice clothes. We display beauty by being virtuous, by working hard and training hard, by being understanding and kind.
One last triad I would like to leave you with:
Three people who will please the Mighty Ones: they who love everything living with their whole heart, they who love every beautiful thing with their whole strength, and they who seek every knowledge with their whole understanding.
So, then, I urge you to Seek knowledge, Love beauty, and Love life.
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