You know whatever you are looking for, whatever you could possibly hope for or wish for, is here — just here and now. But there is a thin veil concealing it. And this veil is the longing - the longing is the separation. Otherwise it is here. It has always been here; it was never far away. But once you put it away, it becomes far away. You are longing for a woman, for a companion, for a house. You are longing to have a position, to be a teacher. You are addressing a group of people who marvel at your erudition, your capacity, your learning and expression. You want to be recognized, to make an impression on the world, to leave your footprint, a mark of having existed.
But have you ever walked on the sandy beach by the ocean? There are so many footprints, so many people have left their marks; but they are all rubbed away by time. Whatever imprint you leave will be wiped away by the sands of time. How does it matter that someone walked here? It is only memory now.
You may achieve or create anything you want, but when you look at it, it is all absurd. Gradually, as things become clearer to you, you give up the smaller attractions. You give up your daily longing and wanting of small or mundane things. Meanwhile, the mind opens up to acquire more things, bigger and better things. You can increase the circle, but it doesn’t matter, because whatever you have, it is all limited. Whatever comes, whatever is achieved, is not only limited, but it limits you. It becomes a prison.
Therefore, when you look at the whole picture, you don’t want any of these things anymore; you are no longer dreaming of anything. Wanting is gone, but still, there may remain some unfulfilled space, some ache — not of loneliness perhaps — but something, something is missing, and you don’t know what it is. The something that will make life worthwhile — the spark, the joy, the significance in life — seems to be missing. You are longing for that something which you don’t even know.