Here are two poems by the Kashmiri mystic Lalleshwari about the journey every spiritual seeker must endure, and a glimpse of the long-sought arrival.  For more about Lalleshwari’s life and influence, see this earlier post.

I have worn out my palate and tongue
reading the holy books,
But I have not learnt the practices
that would please my Lord.
I have worn thin my finger and thumb
telling the rosary beads,
But I have not been able to dispel
duality from my mind.

* * *

I traveled a long way seeking God,
but when I finally gave up and turned back,
there He was, within me!

O Lalli!
Now why do you wander
like a beggar?
Make some effort,
and He will grant you
a vision of Himself
in the form of bliss
in your heart.