Beauty

Fabrics in India are often richly colored and beautiful, even among some of the poorer people. Jewelry is common and worn in abundance. In ancient times, even men wore colorful fabrics and jewelry as well. To the Western mind that has been beaten into submission by staunch corporate and clerical philosophies, this adornment may seem extravagant, vain, or over-the-top. There is a purpose to it, however, which is clear to the Eastern mind and those in touch with the Divine Feminine. "The Goddess is beauty and wealth. Prosperity is a gift of the Mother. We should be grateful. When we make the temple beautiful, we honor Her. When we make ourselves beautiful, we are showing our respect for Her. "Everything the Mother has created is beautiful. We should follow Her example and make everything around us beautiful. Beauty raises our minds to the highest. It gives us a glimpse of the truth. In India, we have a saying, "Satyam shivam sundaram." It means that God is truth and truth is God, and that God is beauty and beauty is God. God, truth, and beauty: they are the same. The most honored name of the Goddess is Maha Tripura Sundari. It means 'The Supreme Beauty in All the Worlds.' When you have beauty, you don't even need yoga and meditation. Beauty itself takes you to the highest. Beauty creates in you the state of meditation spontaneously. Therefore we worship the Mother by making the temple beautiful. When the temple is beautiful, the Supreme Beauty comes here to reside. When we make our hearts beautiful, She goes there to reside." —a Brahmin priest, as quoted by Linda Johnsen in her book Daughters of the Goddess: The Women Saints of India, p. 79 Exemplifying this sense of beauty is Sita — breathtaking and resplendent her clothing, veil, and jewelry — captured from an episode of the video edition of the Vishnu Puran, mentioned in yesterday's blog. Jai Ma!

©2012 Tiffany Reed