Nature Photo-Quotes: Because of the interpenetration of all things, beauty can be transferred from one place to another.

Welcome! I am a contemplative thinker and photographer from Colorado. In this blog, you'll discover photographs that I've taken on my hiking and backpacking trips, mostly in the American West. I've paired these with my favorite inspirational and philosophical quotes - literary passages that emphasize the innate spirituality of the natural world. I hope you enjoy them!

If you'd like to purchase photo-quote greeting cards, please go to www.NaturePhoto-QuoteCards.com .

In the Spirit of Wildness,

Stephen Hatch
Fort Collins, Colorado

P.S. There's a label index at the bottom of the blog.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Because of the interpenetration of all things, beauty can be transferred from one place to another.

The vivid hues of Oregon's Crater Lake stun the observer into a state of awe, an experience which can then be transferred to the mundane events of daily life. For beauty involves a symmetry and balance between external loveliness and the grandeur of a beautiful attitude - one that involves the qualities of awe and wonder. In beautiful places - like National Parks - the former element predominates. In everyday life, the latter aspect - an attitude that can be PRACTICED - comes to the fore. Since every element of life interpenetrates every other element - which, in this case, would mean the beauty of extraordinary places on the one hand and the mundane occurrences of life in society on the other - the two aspects can easily be shuttled back and forth. All that is needed is a good memory (and perhaps photos life these) and a willingness to embody a beautiful attitude.