The inner journey is the foundation of the self-seeking path. Like a compass or guiding light, the inner journey helps us fulfill the basic purpose of our spiritual pilgrimage — which is to unite with our soul or true nature.
Without the inner journey, we would not be able to grow, expand, and mature on our Path. The inner journey, with its many twists and turns, is what allows us to achieve ultimate freedom and liberation from suffering — what ancient mystics and sages call Nirvana, Emancipation, Enlightenment, Buddhahood, Christ-consciousness, Oneness, or Moksha.
The more we commit to the inner journey, the more we can peel back the layers upon layers of our mysterious existence to reveal the core of who we are — our Inner Being.
While these layers are there to shield us from potential threat, they also inadvertently cocoon us into fear, isolation, feelings of unwholeness, addiction, depression, and many other inflictions that corrupt our soul and plague our human existence.
Returning Home
The inner journey can be likened to a thick, dense forest. The bad news is that there are shadows lurking in every corner of our inner landscape; the good news is that the looming shadows disappear as soon as we shine our light of consciousness on them.
Awareness is the source. Consciousness is the light of that source.
In the far distance of the forest, a small flame flickers its eternal light — this indestructible, pervasive life force that can neither be created nor destroyed is our soul. The entire effort of our inner journey is to embody this eternal flame, an experience often described as “returning home,” or feeling Whole.
But just like the sun appears much closer on the horizon, our mind tricks us into thinking that “home” is only an arm’s length away. The reality is that this journey can take a lifetime — and for many people, it can take many lifetimes.
However, we must not be discouraged by how long it might take because the point is not to race through the forest, but rather to immerse ourselves in the experience of being fully present and alive to every taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound that blossoms in our senses.
The Paradox of the Inner Journey
Imagine setting out to walk down the street. In order to reach halfway there, you have to first go a quarter of the way. In order to reach a quarter of the way there, you have to first go an eighth of the way. In order to reach an eighth of the way there, you have to first go sixteenth of the way. And then a thirty-second, a sixty-fourth, and so on. Basically, in order to complete any small step on the journey, you have divide that step by an infinite number of half-steps — which makes the feat, by definition, virtually impossible. In other words, no matter how many steps you take, there will always be an infinite number of smaller, half-steps to take. The only way to work around this conundrum is to literally remain unmoving; but how can you start your journey if you don’t move?
This paradox, known as the Dichotomy Paradox, represents our inner journey. If you’re wondering whether or not the paradox can be solved, it can!
The paradox is solved by decreasing the amount of time it takes to travel the distance of “half-steps.” In other words, the paradox is solved at the point where time and space collapse. This point represents eternity — it’s the beginning and the end and represents the full circle of life. It is both the source and the destination.
Each moment on our inner journey represents this point; each moment on our journey is eternal.
So what to do?
In the wise words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, “the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all.” The paradox of the inner journey is that there is no journey — there is only a direct experience of Being…our being-ness is the journey because our being is eternal. The only reason why we refer to it as an “inner journey” is to conceptualize the myriad of emotional/mental conditions that obfuscate our true nature and preclude our ability to feel Whole at any given moment.
At any given moment, we have an opportunity to become eternal by connecting to the deepest part of ourselves.
It turns out, it doesn’t take much to satisfy our heart’s deepest longing — which is to be free from the shackles of misery, pain, suffering, and confusion so that we can enjoy who we are, and become who we are meant to become.
Where are you on your inner journey?
Much love,
Sattva
p.s. Make sure to check out Part 2 of this post, where I explain how to navigate the Inner Journey Map.
