Concept Of Beauty In Vedant - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Concept of Beauty in Vedanta," by Hemant Shah:

The paper explores the concept of beauty, its general philosophical understanding, and its specific reflection within Vedanta philosophy, drawing from the Vedas and Upanishads.

General Concepts of Beauty:

Ubiquitous and Multifaceted: Beauty has been a subject of discussion across various disciplines like philosophy, axiology, sociology, mathematics, and even physics.
Pleasure and Value: Beauty is universally recognized as a "Value" that pleases the soul. This pleasure can be subjective, stirred by contemplation of beautiful objects.
Objective vs. Subjective: While the subjective aspect of beauty is clear (pleasure), the objective aspect (whether beauty is inherent in the object) remains a puzzle for some aestheticians. Some believe beauty is transcendent, coinciding with truth and goodness.
Modern Physics and Symmetry: Contemporary physicists see symmetry as a fundamental aesthetic principle, suggesting that nature is beautifully designed. Aesthetics is considered a driving force in modern physics.
Philosophical Insights: Various thinkers offer perspectives on beauty:
- Rupa Goswami compares beauty to an unlocalizable "shadowy something."
- Abhinavagupta describes it as delight born from the cessation of thirst.
- J. Krishnamurti states that true beauty arises when all desire for experience ceases, not through seeking.
Aesthetics as a Discipline: Modern aesthetics began with A.G. Baumgarten, who defined beauty as the end of sensuous knowledge, distinct from logical reasoning but related to recognizing truth and goodness.
Etymology and Meaning: The term "Beauty" connotes something that pleases the senses. In Indian philosophy, "Sundar" means that which "wets our heart with pleasure." It's an abstract quality that attracts and fills the heart. Etymologically, it can also mean "shining" or "that which deserves respect."
Attributes of the Divine: Beauty, like Truth and Goodness, is considered a divine attribute and, in its absolute state, co-exists with them. In Indian philosophy, "Sundaram" (Beauty) is equated with supreme Reality or perfect Being.
Indian Recognition of Beauty: Contrary to some Western scholars' views, ancient India had a rich concept of beauty, with many words denoting it, signifying attractiveness, proportion, order, rhythm, and charm.
Types of Beauty:
- Classical understanding: Beauty of Nature and Beauty of Art.
- Indian classification: Worldly (temporary, through objects, sensuous, inferior pleasure) and Divine (higher nature, inner beauty).
Nature of Beauty:
- Pleasing and Joyful: Its primary nature is to please, providing pleasure and joy.
- Divine Aspect: Considered an aspect of divinity, like Truth and Goodness.
- Experiential: One cannot experience beauty without being beautiful oneself.
- Eternal: Forms are transitory, but beauty itself is eternal and to be felt, not just intellectually grasped. Plotinus describes it as "perfectly pure," and Upanishads as "perfectly complete."
- Elusive: Beauty eludes those who try to possess it.
- Disinterestedness/Interestlessness: A crucial condition for experiencing beauty is a lack of selfish interest or practical goals, focusing on the pure appearance of the object.
- Freedom and Awakening: True beauty is independent and a state of freedom. For ancient Indians, it represented an "awakening to the Universal nature of things," a union of the self with the super-self.
- Subjective Harmony: J. Krishnamurti emphasizes that beauty exists only when the mind and heart are in harmony, not in external objects.

Beauty in Vedanta Philosophy:

Essence of Vedas: Vedanta, derived from the end portions of the Vedas (Upanishads), is the philosophical culmination of Vedic thought. It has a profound influence on Indian thought.
Ultimate Goal: The ultimate goal in Vedanta is Jeevan Mukti (liberation from ignorance).
Unity in Reality: Vedanta asserts the unity of all things in one reality – "all is one, God, one soul." God is the ultimate Reality (satya), both qualified (saguna) and unqualified (nirguna).
Brahman as Source: Brahman (God) is conceived as the pure ground of reality, consciousness, and joy. Realizing the self is the highest goal.
Aesthetic Pleasure and Brahmananda: Experiencing aesthetic pleasure can provide a "foretaste of Brahmananda" (the bliss of Brahman), freeing one from attachments and leading to spiritual pleasure.
Ananda and Brahman: Vedanta equates Ananda (bliss) with Brahman. Brahman is called Ananda because it is realized through inner universal harmony, which is identified with beauty.
Inner Harmony: True beauty, according to Vedanta, is the "inner harmony underlying all diversities of experiences."
Beauty as Ultimate Reality: True beauty, like Truth and Goodness, is the ultimate reality that appears in the form of Ananda.
Rasa and Ananda:
- The Upanishads imbue the word rasa (essence, taste, aesthetic relish) with profound significance, equating the Absolute with rasa.
- Rasa is considered the soul of Indian aesthetics, leading to aesthetic delight and depending on bhava (emotional complex).
- Rasa leads to Ananda, which is the summum bonum of Indian philosophy.
- Rasa is described as enjoyment through sympathetic, disinterested contemplation of God, humanity, and nature, expressing cosmic emanation.
- Ananda is experienced through the object of beauty.
Stages of Ananda: Ananda is categorized into three phases: Priya (simple experience), Moda (conscious experience), and Pramoda (active participation).
Trinity: Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram: Indian philosophy's unique contribution is the Trinity: Truth (Satyam), Goodness (Shivam), and Beauty (Sundaram). The absolute idea realized in practice is goodness, and manifested in man and nature is beauty. All truth is good and beautiful.
Beauty's Connection to Truth: Vedanta states that beauty without truth is not true beauty. Whitehead is quoted stating that without truth, beauty is diminished, and without beauty, truth becomes trivial.
Purpose of Beauty in Vedanta: The Vedantic approach to beauty aims to establish emotional unity with God. Beauty removes barriers, leading to the realization of God as pure joy. Beauty is an end in itself.
Beauty as Manifestation of God: Whatever beauty is found in the universe is ultimately an aspect of Godhead. Perfect beauty is God himself.
Art as Revelation, Not Observation: Anand Coomaraswami highlights that in India, art's concern was not the pursuit of beauty as an aesthetic observation but the revelation of beauty as a divine condition, a religious adherence to a traditional canon.
Beauty as Value to be Lived: For Indians, beauty is a value to be lived, possessing the power to harmonize life, balance it, and make it attractive and joyful. Striving for beauty is striving for Truth and Goodness.
Distinguishing True vs. Vulgar Beauty: The paper distinguishes real, pure beauty from vulgarized, valueless beauty seen in commercial advertisements or superficial transformations.
The Path from Ugliness to Divine Beauty: The pursuit of beauty, in the Vedantic sense, involves moving from the ugliness of thought, feeling, and will towards beauty, and ultimately to Divine Beauty.

In essence, the paper argues that Vedanta views beauty not just as a sensory experience or an external quality but as an intrinsic aspect of ultimate reality (Brahman), intimately linked with Truth and Goodness. It is a profound, internally experienced harmony that leads to Ananda and spiritual liberation, representing a divine condition to be revealed rather than merely observed.