Buddhism and Natural Beauty in the Therāgathā

It is argued in this paper that the remarks in praise of natural beauty in the Theragāthā (Male Elders’ Verses) are important for their contributions both to the theory of beauty and to understanding the place of beauty within Buddhist teaching. After introductory remarks on the suspicion of beauty expressed in some canonical texts and on the idea of ‘inner’ beauty, the paper examines two main ways in which, for the Elders, natural beauty is significant. First, it is a main reason why it is possible for the monks to find in nature a ‘refuge’ from a human world that easily arouses ‘disgust’. Second, happiness in the presence of natural beauty disposes the monks to reflection and meditation. These considerations are important contributions to aesthetics, since they help to answer the question of why natural beauty is not only enjoyable, but something that deeply matters to people. They also help in understanding the notion of ‘inner’ beauty and, more generally, the roles of beauty within the Buddhist conception of life.