Some like to say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
That is true. But the statement is a tautology and therefore meaningless.
Confusion in life is a confusion between levels of existence.
The world is as real as the mind perceiving it. The precision of an observation cannot exceed that of the instrument.
The reality of this world is as much as that of this body that you possess.
As I live in this world, I am a part of it.
There are certain problems which exist at that level. Which can be solved only at that level.
Such problems of this world are not solved by going to another level, as the correspondence between levels does not exist.
That is the meaning of the term "level". If a correspondence exists, then the levels are not distinct.
You cannot get pleasure through meditation. Pleasure belongs to the domain of sensation, and meditation lies beyond that.
Appreciation of beauty in this world is discrimination.
The perception which makes everything beautiful is of a different order. There, beauty and appreciation become meaningless terms.
In this world, beauty consists of characteristics.
Most of human beauty is considered to be in the face, as this is the most expressive and sensual (in terms of the concentration of a variety of sense organs) of human organs.
Beauty is what pleases the senses.
What is pleasant to the nose? A smell away from that of decomposition.
What is pleasant to the ear? A sound not of pain.
What is pleasant to the skin? A touch reminding one of youth.
What is pleasant to the mouth? A sweet taste. As disease leads
to a bitter mouth. And sugar is nourishing.
One has to be careful.
Hard rock pleases not the ear, but the mind.
In the same vein, licking the genitals of a woman pleases
not the tongue, but the mind.
Sensory conception of beauty is formed by the perceived health and mental well being of the person. For that is what we desire ourselves.
Appreciation of beauty is identification of oneself with that object.
Flowers are beautiful, not the thorns.
Flowers do not cause pain. Thorns do.
Flowers smell sweet, thorns do not.
Flowers are radiant, just like the skin of a healthy person.
One who considers thorns beautiful is confusing the language. (as Wittgenstein would say)
Coming to fatness of body, a fat woman (not considering fat men for the moment) is considered ugly in today's society. Why?
Because it is harder to enjoy her sensually. Her body is such that it leads to exhaustion and sweat, which makes the skin slimey and slippery rather than soft and tender. One cannot enter her deep enough easily. She is physically less active. Fatness represents risk of disease. One cannot hold her in one's arms. Her body does not follow the bone structure and is therefore contradictory in expression. Her breasts droop, a sign considered of old age. Her face is large, a common symptom of mental retardation.
But most of all, she doesn't fulfill the expectation which demands that a woman be physically lighter and smaller than a man.
If a woman's body fails to satisfy the majority expectations, she is considered ugly. "BBW" (Big beautiful woman) movement is an attempt to get over this feeling of inadequateness.
But as always, we attack the symptom rather than the disease.
If you want to look beautiful, ugliness is a potential. If you seek acceptance, rejection is just round the corner.
Fat acceptance is the acceptance of ugliness, a contradiction in terms. For ugliness is synonymous with dislike.
Fatness may be due to any cause. Society is not concerned about responsibility, it is concerned about the end product.
For the past cannot give sensory pleasure.
For every person in this world is inherently selfish.
Existence in this world is the existence of a separate body-mind. If that ceases, existence moves to another plane and such considerations are useless.
A fat woman can be appreciated and loved for OTHER reasons. But that does not take away the fact of her physical ugliness.
Ugliness is a matter of opinion, but that does not mean it does not exist.
Ugliness and beauty exist in this world.
The standards of beauty are set by various means, and for various reasons. Attacking those reasons is attacking the symptom.
Changing your criteria is one thing, Banishing criteria altogether is action on a different level. And then you cease to be of this world.
Fat acceptance (or acceptance of ugliness) is the blinding of eyes. "Love me with your eyes closed and see how beautiful I am." But then I cannot see you. I can hear you and touch you, but then I cannot see you.
Total acceptance is not of this world.
Unconditional love does not exist. If it is unconditional, the word "love" ceases to have meaning.
There was a time and there may well be, when fatness is considered a sign of beauty, and largeness of a woman's body is appreciated.
But then, what about Thin acceptance?