Beauty...

How is this for a philosophical reflection upon beauty?

"It is impossible to talk about bodily beauty if one, like one born blind has never seen and known bodily beauty. In the same way, it is impossible to talk about the "luster" of right living and of learning and of the like if one has never cared for such things, never beheld the "face of justice" and temperance and seen it to be "beyond the beauty of evening or morning star." Seeing of this sort is only done with the eye of the soul. And, seeing thus, one undergoes a joy, a wonder, and a distress more deep than any other because here one touches truth. 


Such emotion all beauty must induce-- an astonishment, a delicious wonderment, a longing, a love, a trembling that is all delight. It may be felt for things invisible quite as for things you see, and indeed the soul does feel it. All souls, we can cay, feel it, but souls that are apt for love feel it especially. It is the same here as with bodily beauty. All perceive it. Not all are stung sharply by it. Only they whom we call lovers ever are..."

From The Essential Plotinus

Comments

Unknown said…
Sister! this is Chris from Echo staff! I was wondering how I could keep in touch with you? I never got to say good bye or exchange any information. I'll just have you know that you are in at least 5 people's Facebook profile pick since the Echo camp. The gift you brought us was absolutely amazing! Anyway, let me know! I can give you my email address or whatever!
Chris! hi! send me another comment with your email address and will be email buddies! whee! :)
Erin said…
I was contemplating this the other day on a long commute, though not quite in those words. I noticed how many contengencies I (and even more so) society have placed on beauty. How much beauty do we miss each day in blindness? Lord, give us a lover's gaze.

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Fr. Santan Pinto, SOLT 1948-2011