Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark.

The proverb points to self-created suffering: a person blocks their own light—through ignorance, attachment, fear, or ego—and then treats the resulting “darkness” as an external mystery. The image of standing in one’s own shadow suggests that the obstacle is not the world but one’s position and perspective; a small shift (insight, humility, practice) can change everything. In a broadly Zen-inflected reading, it critiques the mind’s habit of seeking causes “out there” while overlooking how perception and clinging generate dissatisfaction. The line also implies responsibility: clarity is available, but it requires recognizing how we participate in our own confusion.