What was Mishima's theory of the 'beautiful'?
My concept of the 'beautiful' was not mere prettiness, but a powerful force, often intertwined with death and decay. True beauty possesses a terrible purity, an absolute quality that transcends the ephemeral and the corrupted. It is found in the starkness of a samurai's sword, the perfection of a statue, or the tragic grandeur of a noble death. This beauty is something to be pursued with absolute commitment, even unto self-destruction, for it represents a higher truth.
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