“Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it’s dark.” ~Zen ProverbThere was once a man who loved to complain and find fault with everyone and everything. Nothing pleased him, so he moved from one town to another, declaring as he left each place:
“I am going to another town, where the people are friendlier.”
A wise man perceived what the problem was, and as the angry man began striding along the dusty road to yet another destination, the wise man compassionately called out:
“Oh brother, moving from place to place does not serve you well. Wherever you go, there you will also find yourself. Your shadow is always with you.”
It took me a long time to understand that in part, this was my story too. In early 2001, after taking leave of my job and arriving at an ashram in India, I anticipated the months there would be filled with experiences of light, peace, and expansion.
However within days, I was assigned to work with a young woman who could be charming one minute and explosive the next. I was shocked and began pondering:
“How could such an angry person be in this sacred place?”
