Darkness

Darkness has a function.

Today marks the beginning of Diwali. It's the Vedic celebration of light over darkness; knowledge and fulfillment over ignorance and stress. It's a wonderful time to remember what it is that we're up to: removing layer after layer of stress and allowing our inner fulfillment to shine brighter with each meditation.

As we continue our process of removing stress, it's important that we don't condemn it. If the only thing that's ever happening is progressive change, then stress and ignorance absolutely have a function. They provide contrast. By experiencing hardship and struggle, it makes experiencing fulfillment all the more wonderful. We need contrast in order to experience the full breadth of life.

We don't have to berate stress as it's on its way out. That's like screaming at your garbage as you take it out to the curb. It's all stuff that used to be relevant. Now it isn't. And so we let it go. Stress used to be a relevant (if unsustainable) way of surviving. The more we meditate, the more we thrive. And stress reaction as a means of survival becomes less relevant with each passing day. So we let it go without much fuss.

We recognize how sweet life is all thanks to having experienced the bitterness and struggle of stress.