What things do you think are beautiful?

In Your Own Words

The description of Krishna’s bodily features by King Kulasekhara is extremely beautiful. He prays jayatu jayatu megha-syamalah komalango: “All glories to the Personality of Godhead, the hue of whose soft body resembles the blackish color of a new cloud.” This is further explained in the purport that the color of the Lord’s body is blackish, like that of a new cloud. This description of the Lord enchants me the most and keeps me captivated by His beauty.

Also the experience in Sri Vrindavana-dhama is very beautiful. The chirping of birds, the flow of the Yamuna, beholding the utmost beautiful forms of Sri Sri Radha-Syamasundara, Sri Sri Krishna-Balarama and Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, the fine sand that seeps in between our toes and the wonderful Krishna-katha are so enthralling that they make me feel out of the world.(Ninad Gandhi, Mumbai).

The most beautiful things in this world are felt more than seen. Have you ever experienced the feeling of the morning dew on your face when you go out in the garden? Have you felt the warm glow in your heart when you see your beloved? What a feeling it is when your baby runs to you and gives you a tight hug! The feeling in the heart when you sacrifice something for the happiness of others. The feeling of pride when we hear the glorious stories of sacrifices by pure saintly souls to give us God consciousness. Now this is what is really beautiful(something far far beyond the limitations of our senses.

We cannot see God in our present conditioned state, but we can feel His love through His beautiful nature. All beautiful things are a spark of the splendor of the Supreme Lord. Ultimately, the most beautiful thing is none other than the Lord who is the source of all beauty. (Sita Devi Dasi)

Anything that comes in contact with Sri Krishna is divine and beautiful. As the breeze flows, the peacock feather in His turban moves and tells us to dance to the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.The wind enters the bansuri, she pleads Krishna to play her with His butter-like soft hands. When Krishna plays the flute with the divine notes, all devotees and friends of Krishna completely get lost in the beautiful melody, so absorbed that they do not realize their existence. Water flowing as river Ganges becomes holy and beautiful as she has touched His sweet little lotus feet and transformed into the charanamrta of the Lord. A mountain of stones, plants, and grass became the most pious and beautiful Govardhan Hill wherein Krishna and His gopa friends played the whole day with the calves. Krishna is all-beautiful, all-attractive, hence once He touches our lives, it becomes beautiful, with no place for contamination. (Kalyani Ajrekar)

The hearts of Krishna’s devotees are more beautiful than anything else. And how does this beauty manifest? It is in the compassion they carry for souls like me who are struggling with the mind and the material energy. Vaishnavas are para-duhkha-duhkhi. They know that there is no real happiness in gratifying the senses. Hence, they are constantly encouraging us on the path of bhakti and accepting personal inconveniences in this endeavor. In their spirit of compassion sometimes they are humbly begging or sometimes vehemently charging upon the living entities to quit selfishness and serve the lotus feet of most beautiful Lord Sri Krishna. This inspires deep admiration in my heart for them. Other beings who are not servants of Lord Krishna are either para-duhkha-duhkhi (happy on seeing other’s misery) or para-sukha-duhkhi (sad by other’s happiness), and it is because of them that the material world appears ugly. (Madhusudan Sharma)

Srila Prabhupada said, “Decorate the Deity as nicely as possible with nice flowers and dress. You will forget all other false beauty.” Beauty in this world is relative and temporary. What is beauty for one becomes a cause of repercussion for another. Also, it is not permanent. That is why our goddesses of media become long forgotten with time. Real beauty is that which is absolute and permanent. And this quality rests alone with Lord Krishna. He is called Madana-Mohana, one who attracts Kamadeva, the Love God. Now, Kamadeva is the one who convinces us about certain things being beautiful. So if someone can charm Kamadeva, that’s the pinnacle of beauty. That is Krishna. Krishna means all-attractive.  Still influenced by the three modes, one tends to find things of this world as beautiful, which indicates that we have not yet realized our true identity of being above matter. (Rahul Danait)

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. In my view, it is love that makes a thing beautiful, hatred makes it ugly.

Mother cow finds her calf so beautiful that she licks its whole body. Every mother finds her child beautiful. Thus it is not the substance or matter but the feeling, and the soul that imparts beauty. The dead body of a beloved may not be so appealing.

Everything(matter, place and time(are in modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. While in mode of goodness they are beautiful and pleasing to heart.

Thus when one chants the holy names of the Lord(Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare(and becomes the well-wisher of every living entity, one becomes BEAUTIFUL. (Gayatri Gaitonde)

Touch that soil which bears so many flowers and veggies, it’s beautiful.

Look at a vase that holds colorful flowers, isn’t it beautiful?

Watch out that table, which allows everything to be put on it, it’s also beautiful.

And that closet can hold so much, a knife can cut so many things nicely, a needle sews such attractive clothes, a house allows anyone to stay(they are all so beautiful. What about those hands that cook tasty feast, those feet that shake on stimulating rhythms, that mouth that sings beautiful hymns(all are so beautiful.

Beautiful are those eyes that appreciate everything, and those lips that glorify everyone, and a heart that loves everyone.

Because beauty isn’t what eyes see and like; beauty is what heart feels and loves. (Manish Goel)