By light is meant the parts that are open to something higher, nobler, beautiful, divine, for example courage, generosity, wideness, perseverance. The shadow is that which resists and opposes this opposes this good quality, higher possibility, Godward movement.
Thus, for example, a man who is courageous in one part may be quite afraid in another, one who is wide in one aspect may be quite narrow in another, perseverance may be countered by impatience, one seeking to give oneself to God may find riddled with lust, and so on and so forth.
This may seem frustrating in the beginning for the sadhak. But as he progresses he realises the profound wisdom in such an arrangement. Instead of each one bearing all possible difficulties that are present in universal Nature, each one has to ‘bear his own cross’ as it is said. The shadow and the possibility are different in each one. It is as if conquering your unique obstacle is the main challenge that stands between us and the future.
We can recognize it by the observing sincerely the chief difficulty in us which opposes our forward march. We can overcome it by persistently opposing it by a more obstinate will than the obstinate difficulty, by refusing to succumb to it or give up, by replacing or substituting the shadow, each time it arises, by the equivalent movement of Light. Thus if anger arises, practise peace, patience, forgiveness etc. Most importantly keep increasing the aspiration regardless of the difficulty, however towering it may seem, and keep invoking the Grace and offer it to Her. One day it dissolves and Ravana, the opponent of Rama becomes the devotee of the Lord.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
