I often ask myself what does Rumi mean by inward journey? Where is the destination? How far away is it? Is it the same for everyone?
I am sure our destination may not necessarily be somewhere high-up in the Himalayas nor in faraway ashrams. According to to Jaggi Sadhguru the revered spiritual leader “to make a journey you need a distance. What is the distance between you and yourself? How long would it take to make this journey? The word journey is used more as a device, otherwise people will just sit around …!”
So the destination has to be within our Being and one of the ways inwards can be through our breath. Mindful breathing exercises or Pranayama when practiced regularly the negative thoughts pass away and we slip into the present moment effortlessly. Yet I am sure there are several different paths though the destination is the same – a happy and joyful state of mind.
Dear friends do please share your thoughts and of course have a lovely day! 🙂
Namaste
Breath of Joy 
This is lovely. Love your creativity. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Thank you Kally it’s so kind of you. Regards.
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Not sure if it means the same thing, but, as I grow older, more and more I realise that it is all about the journey, not the destination.
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Hey Ankur that’s a bulls-eye 🙂 I agree its the journey which is here and now! Lets savor it and be in joy 🙂
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Dilip… I found Surinder’s blog post so no worries about the link 🙂
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Oh good. Cheers and wishes for a lovely Sunday 🌹
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Once we begin to see that our outward world is a reflection of our inner one.. We then can see perhaps the need to go within and create some peace and tranquillity..
Only when we begin to still our minds and go within and find our own balance, will we then begin to share our peace, and the outer world too will once again mirror harmony..
Love and Peace dear Dilip.. wishing you a peaceful and Joyful weekend 🙂
Sue
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Your thoughts and words dear Sue are so beautiful and true. It is our inner calm which brings us peace and happiness. The challenge is to perfect this state to remain undisturbed even under stressful conditions.
Cheers to you dear Sue and a happy week 🍀
Oh by the way the Gods have been kind and we are enjoying some wonderful showers from the receding monsoons. This year in my state we had meagre rain and were fearing a drought.
Felt like sharing this good news with a fellow gardener 🌾🌾🌿🌿 😀
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Oh I am so so pleased.. 🙂 Have you posted recently upon the Farm? for I have not seen updates of this blog either myfriend??
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I knew you would be happy to know of good days for my little farm. I have not posted anything really but now I am sure to be inspired to write.
Thank you Sue. 🙂
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I hope you do.. Look foreward to seeing an update 🙂 xxx
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Everything is inside us, just that we go outside to search and avoid doing the soul searching which is very much within us…
Very profound thoughts!!!
😀
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Thanks Nihar you are right we avoid the hard part that is our introspection. Yet many people knowing this fail to turn their thoughts inwards. It is surely not easy beacause the outside world can be very distracting.
Regards.
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Our mind is cluttered with so many things we just forget where to go and what to see, we miss the right and go the wrong way…it is revealing and it is indeed a profound way to look at ourselves.
😀
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Ah, but our journey begins whether we want it or not. I guess that when we consciously travel inwards …to the unknown, that’s when we really get to ‘see’. Beautiful and insightful post, as always, my dear Dilip. Enjoy the rest of the week, my friend! 🙂
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Thank you dear Marina. What you say surely could be another way of looking at this quest for turning inwards. I have read of artists, musicians and people who live life selflessly and also reach the point of eternal bliss.
You too have beautiful weekend. Cheers 🙂
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I believe the journey within ourselves means we need to be in the present and being in sync with our state of mind (being present oriented, free of wandering thoughts).
Wise words, but then that’s why they are Saints 🙂
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Spot on Alok what you say is true. Your last line “but then that’s why they are Saints” made me smile.
Thanks my friend and have happy weekend ahead.
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You too, enjoy 😊
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🍷 to that!
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Hello, hello dear friend, I hope you are warm and glowing these days. 🙂 A beautiful post you share, thank you for your peace and light, Dilip.
Blessings and hugs,
Allison
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How wonderful too hear from you dear Allison after long. Thank you for your blessings and appreciation. Coming from you it means a lot.
Kindest regards
Dilip 🙂
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Truly knowing oneself is a difficult task, perhaps something we can never fully achieve because we can never be completely objective. But the journey itself is probably just as important.
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What you say is absolutely true Binky. We do derive many benefits in the process.
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Making the inward journey or knowing oneself minus the trappings of the world seems to be the essence of all religions, and as per some of the greatest saints only the paths are different. So while someone may follow a path of regime, someone else may follow a path of meditation or the path of bhakti, whichever suits the person or the person has access to. It is like solving problems using different methods to arrive at the solution. However lethargy and resistance to change prevents us from making a start. So aptly Rumi asks ‘When will you begin the journey into yourself’.
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Beautifully said by Somali!! My day is made! “minus the trappings of the world seems to be the ESSENCE of…….”. This indeed is the way and sacrifice. Then out of infinite paths, one may choose that which he likes. Best wishes to travelers on the path.
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Hoe nice of you to appreciate Somali’s beautiful comment. And I am aware to a large extent you are following it.
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That’s a lovely and perfect explanation. Yes bhakti path is so beautiful and suits many people especially those with deep shraddha. Yes lethargy and procrastination are a common impediment. Eventually we must make a commitment of “Now or never”.
Thank you so much for your time.
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That’s a lovely and perfect explanation. Yes bhakti path is so beautiful and suits many people especially those with deep shraddha. Yes lethargy and procrastination are a common impediment. Eventually we must make a commitment of “Now or never”.
Thank you so much for your time Somali.
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A good place to start. How are you? It is good to hear from you. 🙂
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So nice of you to stop by. I am very well thank you and send my best wishes for your well-being. Cheers 🙂
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You are most welcome. I am grateful for your kind wishes. I wish you the same. Have a good week Dilip. 🙂
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Thanks Nomzi! Some flowers for you 💐
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Why thank you Dilip. What a lovely surprise. Thank you. 🙂
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😀
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😀
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My dear dilip, the problem is that religious nuts around the world have exported everythinge that is beautiful about a human being to the other world. If you talk of love, they speak of divine love, If you talk about bliss, they speak of divine bliss;peace,divine peace. We have forgotten that these are all human qualities. A human being is fully capable of joy, of love, of peace. These are not superhuman qualities. These are very much human qualities. We can empower our body, mind and energy for joyful living by turning in. Meditation is the answer. Living in the moment is the key.
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Hi Ajay I like and entirely agree with your positive words “A human being is fully capable of joy, of love, of peace. These are not superhuman qualities. These are very much human qualities”.
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My dear dilip, the problem is that religious nuts around the world have exported everything that is beautiful about a human being to the other world. If you talk of love, they speak of divine love, If you talk about bliss, they speak of divine bliss;peace,divine peace. We have forgotten that these are all human qualities. A human being is fully capable of joy, of love, of peace. These are not superhuman qualities. These are very much human qualities. We can empower our body, mind and energy for joyful living by turning in. Meditation is the answer. Living in the moment is the key.
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The same applies to our becoming, the self-created deception that we progressively become more advanced seekers, more ‘spiritual’, closer to Nibbana, and whatever other orientations we have in the matter. It is the paradox of the seeker that we conceive of ourselves as a subject acquiring or absorbing into such objects, when in the end both subject and object are seen as mind creations alone. The whole thing has been a circular journey of sorts, to realise what we always were by coming home.
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Ah Hariod what you say is true about ‘self-deception’ in fact life itself passes by in self deception. As such it is important for us to be in awareness of our real self which in your words “in the end both subject and object are seen as mind creations alone”.
Thank you for your response.
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Rajagopal has shown the direction. There are only two worlds for a human, either the world of the senses that we are already in or the world of our Creator ( Not this His creation but the one where He resides in infinite Bliss) It our choice which world we want to be in? Almost all chose the world of senses that is so attractive.And Rumi points to the journey towards the other world and asks, “And YOU, when will you begin that long Journey?”. This is extremely difficult choice, because you can’t be journeying in two opposite directions. Can you? It is a long and difficult journey!
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Well said sir about exercising a choice between the two worlds. But this may be possible for an advanced seeker as for most folk who are working for their living it may be difficult. The common man t can be a ‘karma yogi’ who will go about life like any other person yet remain connected to the Supreme Being. It means he will do his work in a “NIshkam bhav’ taking no credit for himself!
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My destination has always to feel free and when I journey within that is where I feel it… It is a wonderful practice, consciously breathing and being present and free…. Barbara x
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Hi Barbara that’s a lovely response. Feeling free and light is a gift from God and only simple people who are happy and joyful receive the joy and happiness.
Thanks so much for your refreshing comments.
Dilip
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Beautiful comments, dear Dilip.
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Gracious of you sir.
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In the ultimate analysis, there are only two directions in life, Dilip, inwards and outwards. Many of us think in terms of geographical directions, North, South, East and West, based on the rising and setting sun. In a world that is spinning on its axis, such external directions are at best notional, as it is fluid all the time. In real terms, we are either in or out of our own self. And that is the distance we need to traverse, the journey from individual self to universal self. If the Kingdom of God is within, we need to be there, and meditation may be one of the devices…best wishes.
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That’s a beautiful interpretation Raj. Your words “the journey from individual self to universal self” seem to answer many questions. To me ‘individual self’ represents my identity my ego which I need to surrender in-order to merge into my ‘universal self’!
The process of removing the ego while carrying on with our daily responsibilities is challenging and so takes long. Meditation and a positive approach are the way-inwards and will also accelerate the process.
Many thanks And kind regards.
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Dear Dilip, you are so very right that for the inner journey from individual self to universal you need to remove the Ego and that perhaps is difficult to do because of daily responsibilities. And here RUMI says, “Put your thoughts to sleep ……..Let go of thinking……”And thus we have to decide between Shreya and Priya the two paths- one towards God and other towards the world of objects and beings…….
We need to constantly ponder on this and make our choice.
Best wishes and regards.
Surinder
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Dear Surinder sir Shreya and Priya so well describes the main dichotomy. Rumi’s quote is so beautiful and the wisdom in ‘..let go of thinking” is indeed profound. To me this could mean don’t overthink but go with the flow intuitively. Hope I am on track ? 😉
Have beautiful week dear sir. 🍀
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