What is the buddhist conception of light?

How do buddhists regard light? In their statues the eyes of Buddha are most times closed. Do they consider light a low worthy thing or something else. Newton showed gravity to be a powerful competitor of light. Hindi poetry considers the sun a selfish object despite the sun is supporting life. From this a doubt came to my mind that maybe buddhist regard light as a lowly? Light has cleansing and illumination quality, Islam stress upon physical cleaning before praying. Does buddhism consider bodily cleansing a high virtue?