The Inner Journey

Reaching the peace that dwells within…

In our ever busy schedules, amidst all the tension and pressure, we find ourselves caught up with a lot of work in hand. In this supposedly fast-paced world, we are always looking for success and power. With it, we presume, comes happiness. To a few students, happiness might mean just marks and to others happiness might be acquiring as much knowledge as possible and to some it might be building strong relationships. At the end of the day, all of us want to lead a happy life. However, in one’s life there will be a time when one might feel that life has no meaning anymore.

“The purpose of life is a life or purpose.” – Robert Byrne

How much ever one earns, how much ever one is informed, it won’t stop the person from wanting more. Greed and wants are never ending. But once content comes in, the world looks too materialistic. And happiness will follow.

The Dhammapada, versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself, states:

“From craving springs grief, from craving springs fear, For him who is wholly free from craving, there is no grief, much less fear.” (V.216)

When the time of self actualization happens, no outer force can influence the person. It, of course, doesn’t happen overnight. It comes with many sessions of introspection and self-forgiving. For a few, it happens early in life but like in most cases, it happens later in life. One need not be a saint to attain the state of self-realization. Yes, it is scary when we think of a spiritual life as such but it’s not a new concept. People have lived in the outer world after discovering their inner world. In fact, those are the ones who actually live happily and make others happy too. When one has travelled through the inner self, life outside becomes even more blissful, purposeful, eventful and wonderful.