Buddhist Concept of Asthetic or Beauty

Buddhist Concept of Asthetic or Beauty

Aesthetic is very important as far as personality because every person have two aspects of his personality: Intellect and Emotion. If one has no aesthetic, he can become a very selfish person. In regard to this, there are two main qualities': Aesthetic and Compassion.

In Sakkapañha Sutta, there was a deity named Pancasikha. He was facing a problem of love because he loved very much a beautiful deity lady. One day, he composed the loved song mentioning about the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, the Arahants and love. One of places in his song, “appako vata me santo, kāmo vellitakesiyā, anekabhāvo samuppādādi, arahanteva dakkhinā” : 

when we offer some food to the Arahant, our merit increases to the higher level, when I see the waving hair, my desire of love increases in my mind. Although this supra-mundane and mundane mixed in his song, the Buddha did not deny and criticize because mundane contacts with supra-mundane and supra-mundane contacts with Aranhantship.

Similarly, in Dhammapada, the Buddha took the prince Nanda to the heaven and asked if he wanted to get Janapadakalyānī or these dancers. Nanda says, “I want to get one of them”. “If so, you have to strive hard in the practice of the Dhamma” said the Buddha. When Nanda attained Arahantship, he told the Buddha that he did not want to get these dancers. Here, the Buddha also used aesthetic concept to encourage Nanda.

In Mahāsamaya Sutta is concerned with the aesthetic concept. In this Sutta, the Buddha addressed the monks and asked them, “Please see the Devas, they are shining, retinue and how they are shining, etc, but the monks cannot see them. So, they had to meditate to see them. Then, they can see little by little. This is aesthetic concept used by the Buddha in order to encourage the monks to develop divine power.

In Ātānātiya-Sutta, the four celestial kings came to the Buddha and asked permission to teach the bhikkhus the Ātānātiya verses. The Buddha gave his consent by remaining silent. Then, the Buddha advised his disciples to teach Ātānātiya verses and master them and remember them. Here, the Buddha used aesthetic concept to encourage his disciples.

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha decorates so many sermon with aesthetic aspect like that; ‘Yathāpi bhamaro puppham, vann gandha mahethayan, paleti rasamādāya, evam gāme munī care- As a bee without harming the flower, its colour or scent, flies away collecting only the honey, even so should the sage wander in the village’. They appreciate this sermon because of using aesthetic concept.

In the Therīgāthā, there are many stories concerned with this title. For example, Therī Vimalā says; I was by mind beauty. I had great fame. I was very young. Then I thought that I am the most beautiful lady in the world, etc.  Here she used aesthetic concept to attract to her.)

So, aesthetic concept is very useful in our life. If we neglect it, we do not need to get aesthetic idea. That is not a good way. We have to use it properly. That is why, in these Suttas, the Buddha used it.