This Terrible Beauty

detail from the painting "Anunciation," of Kali by Nafeeah Kim

“… Oh Goddess, this child has contemplated

awesome Aspects so intensely.

Put down your terrible sword. 

Drown me in your tender delights.”

- Babaji Bob Kindler

Today is the fifth day of Navaratri. On the first day, we discussed embracing all aspects of Mother Divine. Today, we'd like to discuss this point further: 

There is a certain understanding, a deeper initiation, a perspective that the Divine Mother gives to the souls who she alone chooses. It is the understanding of the Terrible Beauty.

There was a Sage who had this understanding. On a walk, one day, he came upon some others, who after having observed his manner and character, decided to test whether he would remain as he was. The others pointed out to him a dead and rotting dog in the gutter. It was quite a sight to see!

After contemplating the decomposing corpse for some moments, the Sage remarked with admiration upon the pearly white perfection of the dead dog’s teeth. Was the Sage merely a blind optimist or a goody-good who couldn't admit the unpleasant? Or could the Sage see the beauty in the terrible and the terrible in the beauty? 

One who can see this way sees the world more mystically, most profoundly, and sees beyond the duality in creation. What does it take to gain this perspective? Perhaps it's a calamity, a walk with death, a confrontation with the brutality and then the mercy of Nature? Or is it perhaps decades of penance or sadhana or a shock and shame that culminates in redemption? 

There are many ways to gain this perspective and when Mother grants the gift of this understanding, it will be yours forever. 

For more information about the events Navaratri and forward, please visit our calendar at The Sai Humanitarian Outreach Webpage: