For many years I have been regularly visiting and living in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry, South India. What touches me always is how, with a never-ending dedication, the ashramites take care of everything around them with so much awareness, loving care, gratitude and appreciation, may it be dusting a picture frame, placing flowers, sweeping the floor, offering tea, or putting a book back on a shelf. It always seems that all beams with light due to their special touch and deeper purpose. It is not so much the outer appearance of form that touches me so deeply, but the inner light that is visible. The inner light in matter seems to be awoken by the touch of this loving care. I witness not only loving care, but I sense something more behind it: the secret of dedication. All that is done comes from knowing about and in service for a greater truth.
One ingredient of a greater truth for me is Beauty. If we, as humans, miss out on Beauty, an important aspect of our physical world is lost. I can almost say that without Beauty we are lost.
I remember an article about a death camp during WW II. The guards stomped out even the tiniest blade of grass trying to find its way to the light through the asphalt or cement, so that no prisoner could possibly find joy by looking at it. The camp guards somehow sensed that Beauty is essential for the soul and that having no Beauty around can be deadly.
This wonderful thing we call Beauty is found in nature, art, and music. We all have had experiences of Beauty, such as when music touches our soul, when we are taken away to another dimension by a painting, when a breathtaking sunset changes us forever, or when we see eternity in the eyes of a child.
And then there is the other so-called beauty in our common world, where all is set perfectly, styled to the best, but is lacking truth. Sometimes—more often lately—it is painful for me to experience this emptiness, this lack of authenticity, of honesty, of denying the soul.
I remember an exercise my Soultype Instructor, Siv Roland, had me do at the beginning of my journey with New Equations. She asked me to look at the photographs of the faces of several well-known actors. They all looked beautiful according to publicity standards. After a few moments, Siv tested my body strength, and to my surprise my body was weak! Just from looking at photographs! My inner cry was: What are we doing to each other? We are losing our strength by looking into faces that are covered by image, stories, drama, lies! My thoughts began racing while at the same time I began to open to a dimension of new truth about how we are blindly pulling ourselves and each other down because we are unaware of this profound truth.
Then, Siv lifted me out of my dilemma. She showed me the same photos again, but this time asked me to embrace the people in the photos by using the strength and energy of my soul. Yes! I was strong again! What a physical manifestation of love!
Looking at the photographs with the inner eyes of my soul, supported by New Equations Music, the appearance of the people I looked at changed . . . I was able to see behind the curtain made out of image, to their true Beauty . . . and, perhaps, in that very moment they received a breath of love. Nothing can replace the love of the soul . . . being embraced by it, or when embracing others. It is so simple! It makes us incredibly strong—and, yes, beautiful. It is easy to create Beauty in our world. The loving touch from our soul is so needed.
Exactly this Beauty—this dignity of soul—moves me and awakens in me a great respect and love for life. When the soul becomes visible in the physical, as we experience in our soul-journey with New Equations, it gives Beauty. This dignity of an inner realization and majesty that comes from one knowing about the soul has a place.
When we concretely become who we essentially are, what is hidden in the depths of our being comes forward. Our dignity shines into the world because we are an expression of Eternal Beauty, and even an old picture frame we are dusting glows with Eternal Beauty because of our soul’s touch.
The moment I finished this blog the postman rang at my door delivering some new shoes I had ordered. I saw something written on the soles. It said: The soul has the color of your thoughts.
May we walk on Soul-Soles, seeing Beauty only!
Much love,
Betty Kraus
Betty Kraus, Soultype 8, is a student in the NEATO Level 2 – New Equations Expansion program. Betty lives in Freiburg/Black Forest, Germany. She is a Spiritual Grandmother and healer, and offers seminars and transformative journeys in Europe and South India.