Shadow as Practice

Hi,

I've always been a person well aware of the darker side of life.  As I've practiced meditation over the years, I've found much darkness as well as light.  To me, one is not better than the other- light can be misused as much darkness in our habitual clinging and attachment.

I invite all interested to join any discussions on this!

Love,

Tharpa D

Re: Shadow as Practice

So what do you mean by shadow as practice?

Re: Shadow as Practice

yes, i'm curious about that too!

Re: Shadow as Practice

Well, good question.

If 'shadow' is anything rejected by the personality as not fitting with an image, then shadow as practice' means,  to me, saying 'Yes' to everything, and rejecting nothing.  In other words, everything is delicious, even when it's disgusting.  Especially when it's disgusting-  since we could not know delicious without it.  Disgusting is delicious; yet it is still disgusting.  Working with shadow brings up humor, irony, paradox in ways that make life really fucking amazing.

Also, for me, if I notice what I'm wanting to avoid and bring that into awareness, that's a good ongoing shadow practice.   But how do we become aware of what we deny?  How do we see our own blind spots?   Sangha seems crucial, of some sort.

But shadow also means the Lower World, not just denied aspects of the Self; although we tend to reject what is lower in a culture that wants to go up, always.

Shadow is the poison in the bee, the thorns in the roses.  Shadow is a wake up principle, and to practice with that means to make the Devil your friend.  He's great at parties.  That doesn't mean I trust him though!  Let's not be naive either.

What do you all think?  I'm just musing, my mind could go a hundred ways on this topic.

T

Re: Shadow as Practice

I may have a different take on shadow practice than the current modern patterns. (But then, I may not be current on the modern patterns. ;-}  )

I think one of the tasks that faces every serious practicioner is first, exploring and mapping their own internal shadow material and territory, and then safely interacting with internal shadow material to the point where it loses it's charge, or at least enough of it's charge that it can be integrated into the selfhood.

Most of the shadow's charge, of course, comes from the 'approved” elements of mind and self, that reject and fear the shadow material.

Not all that much can be done with external shadow, the shadow of society, because working on that involves healing the repressed material, fears, and violent rages of the millions and billions of other humans.