Shadow pays homage to light
In a place beyond compare
And as a cautionary tail
May you not be doggedly wagged
This short poem is a tip of the hat to the Taoist idea of complimentariness or yin-yang, such as light/dark, good/evil. That light can only be understood in relation or contrast to dark is a deeply embedded reality in human experience. While the Tao, or the Way, is beyond compare, good and evil often show themselves in stark contrast. In relation to human development and enlightenment, our dark side, our shadow, can provide powerful insights and cautionary tales as landmarks to help us to move along to a better place. Of course, a fixation on or brooding over our dark side can imbalance the good it serves to enlighten and demarcate through contrast. While good and evil have a complimentary aspect, good and evil are not equivalent. If our perceptions, attention and will are not seeking the good, then the tale of woe and darkness may wag the dog. Seek ye first the good and all else will follow — even that wagging evil so doggedly attached to all of human endeavors.
