The Mirror of Beauty
We all have used mirrors, including hand, cheval, and full-length ones. In some ways, we humans are mirrors too, reflecting the features and attributes of our Creator based on the level of our development and growth. Here we are talking about psychological and spiritual growth, not physical development, because we reflect abstract rather than physical qualities. For example, the more tolerant, the more we can show forgiveness and reflect this desirable quality just like a mirror. The more we can nurture goodness in ourselves, the closer we will get to God. In fact, reflecting these virtues draws us closer to God; as He is the source of joy and peace, we will, in turn, feel happy and calm.
Just as our bodies need oxygen, our spirits require love, kindness and affection to survive. That is why in order to connect our spirits to the source of mercy, we need to cultivate God’s attributes of forgiveness and mercy in ourselves. The more we can strengthen our relationship with God, who is the source of love, the stronger our faith and the kinder we will become. Then we can see the good in others, cultivate a spirit of gratitude, and try to return the favours others do to us.
However, the key point is that we should practice virtues until they are ingrained into our character and turn into a habit. On the contrary, we should give up bad undesirable habits or replace them with good ones. As for desirable qualities, first, we should know and understand the beauty of noble qualities, and then we need to consistently repeat the good behaviour or action such as forgiveness, patience, kindness, etc. until it sticks.
Let us imagine a person who wants to become a chef. On the one hand, he should have knowledge, that is, he should know foodstuffs and recipes. On the other hand, mere knowledge is not enough. He should keep practicing until it becomes second nature and he becomes a successful chef.
The same goes for good qualities and behaviours. To become forbearing, for example, a person should both know how to be patient and exercise patience in his daily life. The same is the case with other virtues. Moreover, as God is the source of all power and perfection, we must strive to be like Him in order to attain all these true virtues and noble attributes. We human beings naturally seek the perfect good; therefore, if we cannot achieve it, we feel depressed and empty.
Indeed, the leading cause of most suicidal deaths is that the person fails to achieve what he has been created for, so he feels disappointed and frustrated and decides to end his life. To sum up, the only way to find meaning in life through spiritual perfection is to get close to the Creator, i.e. God, and attain His perfect attributes.
