Appreciating the Beauty of the Moon - Essay Example

In an argument that conveys how the essence of objects on the other side of typical beauty ought to be perceived, poet and Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenko inquisitively claims “Are we to look at cherry blossoms only in full bloom, the moon only when it is cloudless?” Then he readily adds “To long for the moon while looking on the rain, to lower the blinds and be unaware of the passing of the spring  --  these are even more deeply moving.” Kenko speaks as such on meditating on what equivalent goodness may be derived from sights that seemingly contradict the wonderful scenes of nature according to normal human perception.

            It is not always the ideal as seen or felt that should be held in standard as one designates an aesthetic value to a matter of potential beauty yet is bound to face other consequences of nature in terms of loss or disaster. To Kenko, if beauty must be real and stand its firm ground in serving thought and purpose, it should do so by being justified for the sake of priceless wisdom that lasts for eternity. The poet-monk makes a point about the unnoticed worth of ‘impermanence’ on things or circumstances regarded as beautiful which, by the truth of natural law, are implicitly meant to live within a fleeting period. Through a similar statement, Kenko declares “The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty” after providing analogies between mortality in men and the trait of unfading occasions that take place with the dews of Adashino and the smoke over Toribeyama.

The mere fact that human beings tend to become exhausted after watching a series of good shows for relief or some other reasons should suffice to answer the question for man himself is filled with several concerns that are usually dealt with by the ways of the world. Thus, it would be impossible to treat the senses with adherence to the notion of stable beauty since men are rather disposed to gain increasing fascination over things and events that undergo change or evolution with time.

            There is something about the imperfection or what Kenko considers as ‘uncertain’ that deserves quite remarkable attention about finding a more sensible perspective of looking at the externals. The creative proposition enables us to obtain an understanding of life via the metaphysical realm where how we put things in context with the way we see them determines how we can be capable of celebrating even simple and unexpected pleasures. While there appears much worth in blissful encounters such as those made by the blooming of flowers or the shining of the moon across the clear night sky after the naked eye, we are summoned to depths of discerning the significance of occurrences that do not stir physical attraction on the surface. It is not at all a sight of wonder to observe how leaves and petals wither but they exhibit the pure meaning of natural creation that must yield back to earth from which every life springs forth. Perhaps we can grow weary of the living that does not perish and it might all of a sudden come as artificial to feel the kind of beauty which stays constant or undying. When this happens, we run the risk of diminishing our interest in several matters of natural value so that we can emerge with difficulty acquiring back the essential delight marked by genuine levels of affection.

            I find Kenko’s philosophy compelling in the sense that it is peculiar and bears the capacity of opening one’s mind to insights of further hope and strength. With the instances where he presents consideration to take the opposites of attractive events into account, I can begin to comprehend every good reason to live for truly, life is lived in a short period when death follows a length of transition from birth. Just the basic idea that plants wilt away and the moon is sometimes covered with clouds and mountains altogether builds an inspiration that there would be a transformation of the landscape, giving the opportunity for new things to develop and be witnessed with awe once again. This way, people become inclined to seize each passing adorable chance of ample importance so that no moments of whining or taking pity on themselves are found necessary.