(This is Part 4 of a series. Go back to Part 3.)
Sometimes it's thought that looking at the beautiful in life, or even more accurately, seeing life itself as beautiful, would necessarily involve an ignoring of reality.
In this line of thought, to see life as beautiful is to ignore the suffering, the pain, the tragedy of life, choosing instead to see life through a pair of Pollyanna glasses.
In this line of thought, it's recognized that the notion of "positivity" can be perverted to a style of life that ignores the pain and suffering that do exist in the world.
Such a criticism might continue like this: We can ignore the "downside" of the world if we want to, but how does that help humanity to confront the real challenges that exist in the world? Sure, we can put on a "positivity" lens and go about our business, but how does this ignoring of reality contribute to any empathy or action towards the world's problems and pain?
It's a valid criticism. But what we're discussing here is something more subtle than positivity, because it's not just "positive" and it doesn't ignore the "negative" in life.
Rather, it's a falling in love with the world as it is, seeing the beauty in all facets of existence, in all facets of the divine appearance—in full recognition of reality's dualities, its "positive" and "negative" faces.
Paradoxically, the more one sees the inherent beauty of life in all its forms the more one is open to existence as it is, including its suffering, its defeats, its losses, its pain.
It's a funny thing, but even the "negative" parts of life can begin to look beautiful. We begin to see how much they contribute to the whole, because existence can't exist without this duality.
Why? Because what we call "negativity" doesn't exist separately. It's an inherent part of existence. There is no "negative" or "positive" in reality; it just is what it is, the myriad mysterious faces of the one essence.
Moreover, it is through "negativity" that the heart opens, that the magic of the human heart is fulfilled.
As Jesus said, it's easy to love those who love us; that's what we all do. But our hearts truly begin to open, he said, when we can begin to love what we perceive as the ugly, painful and unwanted in life.
Then our love begins to partake of divine love, the love that loves all parts of itself, the love that sends sun and rain to "saints" and "sinners" alike.
The oneness takes no sides because all is itself, all is loved. Even to say that "all is loved" is inaccurate because the oneness is love itself. Simply, there is love, there is itself. And mirabile dictu, it happens through us, through your heart and mine.
Parts of reality, aspects of reality, elements of reality do exist in the mind. But that is the surface of things only. Deep down, reality is simply what it is, the oneness in love with itself through these very eyes of "you" and "me."
Then our little life—and life itself—is regarded with tremendous gratitude, seeing the seamless whole in all of it, seeing a mosaic of many-colored tiles—black, white and everything inbetween—in which all dualities support each other, are necessary to each other, are faces of one essence, one energy, one beauty.
From that place we simply do whatever we do, including any attempts to nurture our corner of the world. But since our actions come now from a place of less resistance, less stress, they do tend to be more relaxed and effective.
Paradoxically, the less we resist the nature of the world, the more we love reality as it is, in all its many hues, the more powerful and effective we tend to be in nurturing and watering this perfect seed.
And as a kind of side-benefit, happiness comes and sits on our shoulder.
(This is the end of Part 4. Go to Part 5.)
—jim sloman, 6.14.04 for Oct 9
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