Beauty draws us before we know why. Bahá’u’lláh observes that even one ray of the divine name the Beautiful shining in a person attracts hearts and minds, and then insists that inner beauty has a power a thousand times greater. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speaks frankly of physical loveliness as a play of water and color upon dust and stone, so fragile that a little discord among the elements turns its grace to disgrace and sends its admirers away. Against that impermanence stands a radiance that can grow, and He names its source plainly: the light of faith is the essence of beauty and the true grace of humankind. Plato too imagined a lover climbing from bodily beauty toward beauty of soul [1], though here the ascent is lived out in conduct that attracts and nourishes others. To seek such beauty is to tend one’s character as carefully as a garden. The path continues into cleanliness and refinement, into the courtesy that gives grace a social form, and into the simplicity that lets inward light show through.
Observe outer beauty: if but one ray from the divine name "the Beautiful" is manifested in a person, hearts and minds are seen to be attracted. But by the life of God! The power and might of inner beauty is a thousand times greater and more glorious. Blessed is the soul that hath attained this most exalted station. Whosoever acteth according to and is adorned with goodly deeds, pure words and spiritual qualities - such a one possesseth inner beauty in the sight of God, exalted be His glory.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1299 ? [1881-1882], to Abdu'l-Karim -- BH03182)
02
O My handmaid, pass beyond that which is apparent and turn thy gaze towards the inner reality. Behold the beauty of the loved ones of God with the eye of truth. If outwardly they do not have the best of looks, inwardly they manifest such beauty that makes them the envy of all those who are beloved. The physical beauty is adored by lust and passion, but spiritual beauty is loved by God. Now which one wilt thou choose? Of course, that which is chosen by the Beloved has been and will ever be desired by His loved ones. Know thou that the outward beauty is a worldly phenomenon; its appearance seems ornamented, adorned and beautiful, but causes the foot of whosoever behold it to slip and his head laid off.
Ye are the pearls of the sea of oneness - consider the pearl, whose luster and dignity are inherent to itself. Were it to be wrapped in the finest of silks, that silk would prevent the manifestation of its freshness and beauty. Its adornment is within itself. Seek ye this adornment and be not saddened by lack of outward means.
Physical beauty is but the reflection of water and color cast upon dust and stone, and when the slightest conflict and strife arise among the compound physical elements, that light is transformed into darkness and that grace becomes disgrace. The lovers flee and the yearning ones withdraw.
But the Beauty of Abha which shineth in the countenance of the divine loved ones is an eternal effulgence and an everlasting grace and loveliness. Its radiance increaseth moment by moment and its sweetness groweth ever greater.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1912-Mar-29, to Aqa Siyyid Jamalud-Din -- AB08855)
05
O Mahbanu! The women of the world may shine like the moon at first, but such mortal comeliness passeth away and cannot remain the object of the heart’s abiding love. But the Lord God, purely out of His endless grace, has bestowed upon you a beauty and radiance that is heavenly in its manifestation and eternal in its brilliance. Day by day it increases and shines forth, its manifestation grows greater and its radiance more intense, until it reaches such a degree that it illuminates the blessed concourse on high and appears resplendent in the delightful paradise of the Most Glorious Kingdom. Consider what beauty and radiance God has bestowed upon you, that old age becomes the cause of freshness and sweetness, and advancing years the source of grace and charm. This is the blessing of the Most Glorious Beauty upon the handmaidens.
Mortal charm shall fade away, roses shall give way to thorns, and beauty and youth shall live their day and be no more. But that which eternally endureth is the Beauty of the True One, for its splendour perisheth not and its glory lasteth forever; its charm is all-powerful and its attraction infinite.
O friends! Human perfections are not confined to spiritual conditions; rather, physical perfections are also necessary so that the human world may shine forth in both spiritual beauty and physical perfection in the assemblage of existence. Therefore, the beloved of God must also strive in every way to acquire physical perfections. Divine characteristics are like spirits, and physical perfections are like bodies. Spirits have manifestation and appearance through bodies, and bodies have spirit and triumph through spirits. When both appear in the contingent world with the utmost perfection, abundant grace is achieved and the light upon light shines forth.
The substance of this gate is that the Lord loveth in the Bayan that whatsoever there be of any thing – even from the stage of seed of that thing up to the furthest limit of its development at the stage of perfection – should be at the highest level of loveliness, both of form and of character, so that not so much as an atom of aught abhorrent may come upon any soul, and he may not be compelled to suffer that which he loveth not.
(The Báb, Bayan-i-Farsi (Persian Bayan) -- BB00001)
09
Order and harmony are of two kinds, the one which is in accord with the world of nature, and the other which conforms to the image of reality and truth. The former beautous arrangment may cause the arousal of worldly desires, whereas the latter stirreth the conscience of man. Through the first kind of synthesis the physical senses are excited, whereas by the second kind the divine spirit is stirred up and released. The one provideth for material comfort, the other ensureth the well-being of the soul and the tranquillity of the conscience.
Mr. Woodcock closed with two Oriental stories; one told by Abdul-Baha is particularly impressive. It concerns a rivalry between Greek and Japanese artists, at some period of history. This competition became so keen that an opportunity was given to these artists to compare their skill. A gallery was provided and the rivals were to decorate opposite sides. A sliding scaffolding concealed the work of one party from the other.
Finally, the day of the test came. The king and his party inspected first the work of the Japanese, who had most wonderfully depicted figures, scenes and objects on their side of the wall, in a manner which seemed superlatively great. When the other side was unveiled it developed that the Greeks had devoted their time to polishing their side, and it was so perfectly done that the pictures from the opposite side were mirrored therein and depicted even more exquisitely.
So we are to polish our mirrors in this great Day.
If the heart of a gardener is not an artistic garden in itself he will not be able to produce a single flower. His outward garden must be a representative of his inner garden.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to some friends, spoken on 1915-Apr-22 -- ABU2791)
12
Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form, and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the children of men.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet of the Divine Plan (U.S. and Canada IV), 1917-Mar-08, to Baha'is of the United States and Canada -- AB00094)
13
But do not seek the honors and loves of this world, seek rather God and His love, and then the Honors and Loves which belong to Him will be yours. All the glory of the heavens in his, all the beauty of the flowers, the scent of the roses and the colors of the sunset. But more than this the beauty of the soul is His, so that when you look long upon His beauty, it takes many forms and reappears in your consciousness in many figures. But all other beauty fades and disappears, all other honor but His becomes insignificant, all other love but His is undesirable.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. Oct. 1911 -- ABU0789)
14
The essence of beauty and the reality of sweetness is the light of faith, which constitutes the true grace and beauty of humankind.
How might a person’s beauty deepen over a lifetime through the relationship between faith, character, and deeds described in these passages?
What might the cultivation of inner beauty bring to our understanding of art, outward refinement, and the people whose beauty we have yet to recognize?
What do the garden, mirror, and harmony images add to the distinction between outward appearance and enduring character?