A monk asked his master, “What is the more important–inner or outer beauty?” In turn, the master asked, “Tell me what would you do if you wanted to buy a house, but you have only a little money. Would you buy a beautiful-looking but uncomfortable house or an ordinary-looking house, which is warm and reliable?” The monk replied, “I would rather choose a simple but convenient house.” “What if a proud person was buying a house? And he does not have enough money to buy a beautiful and cosy house.” “Surely, he would prefer the outer beauty!” “But you should understand that both of you are missing either the beauty or the comfort of the house.” “So does it mean that outer and inner beauty are equally important and valuable?” “You can say that,” concluded the master, “When you have one half of it, you always need to seek the other half. Because a half, no matter how big it is, will always be only a half.”
Inner and Outer Beauty
