Lean into the Light
written by Maggie Griffin
Existential philosopher Jean Paul Sartre once described the human condition as a conundrum: ”The angels dwell in constant light, the devil lives in total darkness. Pity man, the poor bastard, who dwells between.”
‘Humaning’ is hard. Our lives take place in a dappled world of joy and sorrow, victory and defeat, hope and hesitation, love and fear.
The terrain on this journey isn’t always predictable. There are forks in the road, unexpected obstacles, indecision, mixed emotions, lethargy, anxiety, and moments as dark and cold as a moonless night in a distant desert.
We have names for that kind of night—
the valley of the shadow of death, the dark night of the soul, the bardos.
And we have stories of people who have journeyed through that darkness.
Jonah is swallowed by a whale.
Arjuna is trapped in the darkness of betrayal and indecision.
Nachiketa is sent to the realm of death by his own father.
Usha often tells the story of the prince who becomes enamored by the mysterious princess he saw in a painting. A despondent and determined prince makes a journey to find the person he believes will complete him. He finally discovers that the person he was looking for all along is himself.
The prince shows us that suffering and its intensity can be measured by the distance between what we desire and what we haven't yet found within ourselves.
The journey to discover our authentic selves isn’t always a story of epic proportions. Sometimes the journey feels like death by a thousand paper cuts—one disappointment, one bad hair day, one ‘failure’ after another. However, these small deaths might be mitigated through a thousand acts of kindness and the conscious choice to lean into the light where we will find countless opportunities to sample the honey of wholeness, radiance, non-separation.
Every time we do the right thing rather than the easy thing, we lean into the light.
Every time we hold space for another, we lean into the light.
Each time we choose to witness before we react, we lean into the light.
Every time we resist taking things personally, we lean into the light.
Even when storms rage around us—the tantrum of a child who is having a hard day, the tempests of betrayal, the collision of competing realities—we can choose to lean into the light—not the light of spiritual by-pass but the light that we can’t always feel or see.
Every time we practice gratitude, we lean into the light.
Every time we tell the truth—the hard truths—we lean into the light.
Every time we choose balance over excess, we lean into the light
Every time we practice equanimity with ourselves and others, we lean into the light.
On those dark nights when the storms of our worries disturb our sleep, we can sit up. We can meditate. We can offer our breath. We can lean into the light.
Meditation:
“Let me light my lamp
says the little star
And never debate
If it will help remove the darkness". Rabidranath Tagore
