BEAUTY

You’re the pinnacle of billions of years of evolution. And you’re beautiful (warts ‘n all). Sure, you’ve some blemishes, but that’s fine. But what is beauty?

David Labuschagne

October 3rd, 2024

G’day beautiful! Yes, you, I’m talking to you. No, I’m not being sarcastic. The reality is that you’re the pinnacle of billions of years of evolution. So yes, you’re beautiful – warts ‘n all. Sure, you’ve got some blemishes, but that’s fine and dandy, coz as they say, the gods are jealous of perfection. But just what is beauty, anyway? And while we’re at it, where or how can I get some more of it please?

Firstly. What is it? Short answer – it’s in the eye of the beholder. (Which is pretty much on a par with ugliness). So, it very much depends on who you ask. For example, the judges in a beauty pageant have their own criteria. Even if it’s confusing at times just what those criteria may be. Grab an eyeful of this pic and you’ll know what I’m on about.

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A beautician would describe beauty primarily in physical terms; particularly your visage. For these makeup artists the focus is on the superficial – skin, hair, nails, etc. You know the adage: beauty is only skin deep. (Ugly however goes all the way down to the bones). Meanwhile, the fashionistas would declare that it’s all in the packaging, baby. It’s not so much what you got but how you dress it up.

From an artist’s, architect’s or graphic designer’s perspective, beauty is ascertained by proportion, symmetry, compositional harmony – in brief, visual aesthetics. A prominent and recurrent feature in the designer’s domain is the golden ratio, aka the divine proportion. This is a mathematical ratio which occurs throughout nature – from a flower to a galaxy – so it’s little wonder then, that artists and designers through the ages have used this formula to replicate the beauty of nature in their creations.

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All well and good, but so far we’ve only covered the fixed features. What about the kinetic aspects of beauty: how smooth you move your bod. We’re talking about poetry in motion -grace, deportment, elegance. Then there’s sexuality and sensuality, wherein beauty is intuitively recognised in flowery terms of fecundity, fruitfulness, sex appeal. Aka va-va-voom.

Ok then, you get the drift. But what does it take to be beautiful; to be more beautiful? Well, if you’re talking about outward appearances, money helps. Quite a lot actually. On average, Americans and Brits spend around $300 on cosmetics every month. And that doesn’t include the cost of primping and preening sessions at the beauty parlour.

Hang on a sec, what about spiritual beauty: that ineffable glow; the transcendent sheen of purity, radiance, serenity; the saintly halo. How do you polish yourself up – the diamond in the rough, so to speak, that the mystics describe you as? Well, the Buddha would say that you don’t need to polish your immortal soul, because you’re already a perfect diamond (even if buried in the mud and dross of the physical realm). How do you clear up your karmic debt; part the veils of māyā to become illuminated and join the ranks of the numinous luminaries; brighten up your aura; or just get off the treadmill to step out into the great beyond and be liberated from the bonds of Saṃsāra (reincarnation)?

A doctor of divinity has an apothecary of prescriptions to help illuminate your path to the gates of euphoria. You can meditate; medicate (bliss bombs anyone?); fast; pray; chant mantras; engage in acts of self-sacrifice; perform good deeds; become a yogi; engage a spiritual counsellor; deny your carnal nature via sensory deprivation; flagellate; and/or study the holy scriptures (so many to choose from, so little time). Or you could book a 1-way ticket to Tibet.

In the end – as in the beginning – to each his/her own. As for me, my focus is on fostering “inner” beauty – health, clarity, vitality. In other words, not just the superficial or skin-deep visage, but the deep, internal alchemical sciences that make for true radiance. Accordingly, I have devised and utilise synergistic programs that draw from and integrate the best of the Western bio-medical and Eastern bio-energetic arts & sciences. Sounds complicated? It’s not. It’s based on the following simple principle and associated practices: take care of the energy (life-force and metabolism), and the energy will take care of you. So that you’ll feel, function and look great. Which is to say – beautiful.

On a final note, there is yet another dimension to beauty. Being (or becoming) beautiful is not something that just happens or is bequeathed. Nor is it achieved simply by means of artifice or exercise or study. It is a state that is attained from being tempered through the fires of adversity; from battling hardship, pain, loss, defeat – and coming out wiser, ennobled, dignified, compassionate, caring.

So, if any of this rings your bell, you’re welcome to ring mine and contact me at david@kinergy.life. In parting, let me say don’t just be good: be great, full of wonder, unabashedly and unapologetically the beautiful miracle who you are.