The Way of Chuang Tzu
Translated by Thomas Merton
The Subjectivity of Beauty:
When someone has a fire in their belly, it threatens to come out of their mouth as words.
If a person puts a trumpet in front of their mouth when the fire comes out, we call it "music" and we say that it is "beautiful".
If a person puts nothing in front of their mouth when the fire comes out, we call it "obscene" and we say that we are "offended".
What is the difference?
Namaste,
CET
"Much of the suffering in the world comes from the illusion that we are separate from one another." - Gautama Buddha
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chris_cather- The Spiritual Atheist
Comments
I come from a slightly different line of thinking when I hear the phrase "fire in the belly." To me, that's a good thing, but again, it is something that I may find beautiful and something that someone else may find completely offensive.
So it is the interpretation of the persons looking in that makes the difference. I'd like to also add that perhaps it is the intent of the firey one that matters as part of the equation as well, for if it is our intent to turn that fire into something of beauty, we show it, just as we show our intent to turn that fire into something obscene.
Peace, love and live rock -
Tala