Light and shade are ancient human concepts. The sun gives us the light and heat which sustain us. That same light and heat can cause us great pain and catastrophe. Man's appreciation of shade predates man himself. It is an animal instinct to get out of the midday sun. And, it is an animal instinct which draws us out into the sunlight.
Light is a metaphor for truth. Shade is a metaphor for dishonesty. Learning to live in full light and also shade our immediate passions and reactions is a way of looking at practice. Those who live entirely in the light with all their human and animal behaviors are the celebrities in the pop media. Those who live in the shade all the time, like former Vice-President Dick Cheney, become inhuman creatures with no sign of human dignity or human failing.
Those who learn the Middle Path know when to stay in the light and when to rest in the shade.
