Embracing the Shadows: Duality and the Dance of Life and Death

Last week, I met up with a friend—a doctor and spiritual teacher—and we fell into a conversation about duality—how the dark and the light aren’t just opposites, but pieces of the same puzzle. It got me thinking about this old cartoon I’ve carried with me for 20 years, God, the Devil, and Bob, and I found myself explaining the episode “The Devil’s Birthday” to him (you can watch it here). I didn’t play it for him, just told the story—how God forgets the Devil’s birthday, the Devil goes on strike, and God takes over with all light, only for everything to feel empty without the dark. I used it as a metaphor, a way to say: both light and dark matter, they need each other. And now, I want to share that with you all here, because it’s been humming in my mind ever since.

Here’s how it goes: the Devil, ticked off about his forgotten birthday, walks off the job. No more shadows, no more trouble. God steps in, floods the world with light, and it seems like it should work—except it doesn’t. Without the Devil, the world turns dull, lifeless. Bob, the regular guy caught in the chaos, has to beg the Devil to come back because the light alone can’t hold it together. I told my friend it’s been a touchstone for me—back when life felt too dark or unfair, I’d think of that story and see how the dark wasn’t just noise; it was part of the balance.

That chat led me to this article I’d read on Big Think, “Wisdom of Daoism: Why Yin-Yang Is So Much More Than a Tattoo” (check it out here). It digs into how Daoism sees yin and yang—dark and light—as inseparable. Lao Tzu says it simply: “A yin (with) a yang is called dao.” The path isn’t about choosing one; it’s about how they lean on each other. The article points out that too much of either—light or dark—tips the scales, and harmony slips away. It’s the same thing I was getting at with my friend, using that cartoon as a quirky little mirror.

And it all ties into death, doesn’t it? In my work here at Journeying On, I see death as that dark—the yin—that gives life its shape. I told my friend how the cartoon’s metaphor fits: without the Devil, the light’s just a washout, and without death, life wouldn’t hit as hard. It’s the shadow that makes the bright moments—love, laughter, a quiet goodbye—stand out. The Big Think piece echoes that: Daoism says the dark isn’t the enemy; it’s the partner. Death, like the Devil in the story, isn’t here to ruin the party—it’s here to make it real.

Explaining that to my friend, a doctor and spiritual teacher, wasn’t some big revelation for him—he already lives this stuff, breathing it in his work and wisdom. But it’s been clicking for me, especially sitting with families through loss. The dark of death opens up light they didn’t expect—connection, memory, raw truth. That cartoon and this Daoist lens keep showing me the same thing: we need both. Light and dark, life and death—they’re not at war; they’re dancing. So, I’m sharing these links with you—the episode and the article—because they’ve got me reflecting on how the shadows aren’t just part of the journey; they’re what keep it honest.

How do you see light and dark playing out in your own story? If you’re navigating those shadows—or the light they reveal—I’m here to help. Reach out through Journeying On; let’s walk through it together.
 
 - In Service, Sundara Heart