Beauty is never seen, but every object is its footprint; love is never felt, but every feeling is its face; understanding is never known, but every thought shines with its light.

Rupert Spira

How to explain this to a child ❤️

“Imagine you’re walking on the beach. You can’t see the person who walked there before you, but you can see their footprints in the sand. That’s a bit like beauty. We can’t see beauty itself, but we can see the beautiful things it leaves behind – like pretty flowers, colorful rainbows, or a kind smile.

Now, think about love. You can’t touch love or hold it in your hands, but you can feel it in your heart when you hug your mom or dad, or when your pet is happy to see you. Every time you feel happy, sad, or excited, that’s love showing itself in different ways.

Lastly, understanding is like a light in your mind. You can’t see the light itself, but it helps you see other things clearly. When you learn something new or figure out a puzzle, that’s understanding helping your thoughts become clearer and brighter.

So remember, even though we can’t see beauty, love, or understanding directly, we can see and feel the wonderful things they create all around us!”

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Disclaimer: the following has been created by perplexity.ai:

In the nondual perspective, love, beauty, and understanding are considered prior to mind. This concept suggests that these qualities exist as fundamental aspects of reality, transcending the dualistic constructs of the mind.

Love in Nonduality

Love in the nondual context is often described as unconditional and all-encompassing. It is not the personal, transactional love we typically experience, but rather a state of being that permeates everything. This love is synonymous with awareness itself, representing a complete acceptance and allowing of all that is. It is characterized by:

• Absence of separation between self and other
• Openness and dissolution of any position taken by a self or an other
• Willing the good of the other without expectation

Beauty in Nonduality

Beauty, from a nondual perspective, is not limited to visual or sensory experiences. It is seen as an inherent quality of existence itself. Beauty in this context:

• Represents harmony and synthesis
• Can be intangible, a certain je ne sais quoi
• Is recognized when one sees the wholesome, good, and true within oneself and others

Understanding in Nonduality

Understanding in the nondual sense goes beyond conceptual knowledge. It is a direct realization of the nature of reality. This understanding:

• Transcends the ego and personal “I”
• Recognizes the unity of all experience
• Is characterized by a timeless presence in the “now”

Prior to Mind

The notion that love, beauty, and understanding are prior to mind suggests that these qualities exist as the foundation of reality, rather than being products of mental processes. This perspective aligns with the nondual view that:

• The Good (or love) is the most basic, real thing in the universe
• Pure consciousness or awareness precedes mental constructs
• There is an effortless state of being that exists before thought

In essence, the nondual perspective posits that love, beauty, and understanding are not created by the mind, but are rather fundamental aspects of existence itself, accessible when we transcend dualistic thinking and experience reality directly.