Oh Holy Night
The night dawns as darkness. As contradictory as this sounds, it is really true. Darkness dawns in the mind no less than the light. But we often fear the dark, so we do not appreciate its dawning. Darkness is where we learn to appreciate the light—like opening the shades in a darkened room. So, we must find solace in darkness and value what we learn by casting a light on what it teaches.
I remember some of the darkest periods of my life and find they have so much gold in them. They are where I have mined the most valuable lessons, and they all seem to collapse into one epiphany; I must carry what I learn into the light and embody it through a deeper sense of compassion. When we integrate the experience of darkness in the way we walk in the light, it is the union of the two.
The play of shadow and light is a fundamental human experience. In any given moment, life’s changes and challenges can throw shade even on the most sunny days. We move from happiness to sadness within a beat of the heart. It is precisely those moments when we understand the flexibility of the mind and its capacity to quickly shift perception and perspective. We can just as easily move from shadow to light, because we recognize the radiance of awareness. We have the ability to enter the shadow without forgetting the light that cast it.
When Buddha attained so-called enlightenment, it was at the behest of Mara, the dark archetype of the self that feels disconnected from innate luminosity. Mara arose in the shadows of young Siddhartha’s mind to challenge him, to ensure he was worthy to walk in and reveal the light. I think of this story when I am in the throes of difficult and murky times. Mara is inviting me to let go of hiding in the darkness and find insight in the en-lightening aspects of my mind.
So, the song that is sung by many during Christmas celebrations is quite apt. “Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining; it is the night of the dear savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” This could be a Buddhist spin: “Oh night of awareness, the light is here abiding. In darkness we my suffer, but insight lights a candle. Long we may lay in darkness and depression, but the sun reappears when we remember who we are.”
So, on this winter solstice, and in the many observances this time of year, may we remember the returning of the sun and discover the holy union of light and dark. May all our celebrations be filled with the joy of this remembrance.