1,700 Steps: Is It About the Destination or the Journey?

My today’s trip showed me more clearly than ever that nothing is about the destination and everything is about the journey itself -- about every little step I take along the way.

We all know that saying -- 'It's not the destination, it's the journey' -- often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. But do we ever truly feel like living our lives through these words -- to the core? We tend to assume it’s true, yet at the same time, we plan our destinations. Today, somehow, it happened: without looking for proof, I received that message clearly through my own experience.

Not focusing on a destination but being in the journey keeps us in the present moment continuously -- here and now, at all times. The moment we look toward our goal or destination (we can think big, like life’s ultimate destination, or small, like the next project) is the moment we leave our here and now and jump into the future. In fact, the future doesn’t exist, and moreover, we know nothing about a destination besides a point on a map or the name of a goal or project. Focusing just on the next step is about trusting, going with the flow, and letting go of control. If we keep our eyes on the prize -- our goal or destination -- we tend to try to be in charge of the journey, with all the shoulds, musts, and expectations. But life is not about control at all. Anyway… can you really control your life? Really?

I went to visit the Lempuyang Temple which actually is 7 temples all together. And Lempuyang (Temple Of Penataran Agung Lempuyang called Gate of Heaven) is the most famous one because of these Instagrammable mirror pictures. I wanted to visit all the temples, and if it was with the divine timing also to get these famous pictures. Yes, you need a divine timing as the wait for the pictures is between 2 and 3 hours.

So I got my number for the picture-line and went for a walk through the temples, which was only about 2 km long but all the way up through 1,700 steps. And it’s quite a walk, given that you walk in about 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), fortunately partially in the shade. It was a very cleansing and purifying experience for me --something I could feel deeply even hours later. The last steps before reaching the final destination, the highest of the temples, were kind of tough. And when I got there, reaching my destination, I realized that you actually walk all the way up to see that empty temple, which is almost forgotten and barely visited (besides by locals). You spend only a few minutes there, and after the fulfilling journey to reach it, you’re ready to go back down. I realized how much it was all about walking all the way up, rather than spending time in the temple itself. The views along the way and the surrounding nature were so rewarding, and of course, all the inner insights that flowed to me were absolutely precious. The purification and connection with my body were profound. I saw a bee’s nest, many butterflies, the jungle was speaking to me, and my mind was quiet, simply enjoying the present moment.

As mentioned -- even for this short temple hike -- it was all about the journey: enjoying every single step, the views, and many ‘now’ moments, without thinking about or focusing on the destination or goal. It’s like when you run a marathon or long run -- you don’t look ahead to the finish line; you just focus on taking the next step. You literally look down at your feet so you can focus on each step and not on where the destination is. This is what I did today. It was only about two hours, but quite meaningful hours.

Whenever you go to reach your destination, don’t look ahead, don’t look for a finish line, don’t look back, don’t think about what it will be like when you get there -- just enjoy your walk, your ride, your journey, your life, literally every step you take. Because when you reach your destination, it will be gone in the snap of a finger, and the biggest joy is along the way.

P.S. I made it back on time for my pictures. Actually, I still had some waiting time, which was great, as I was able to cool down after my 1,700-step inside-insight journey.

Taking these pictures and observing the crowd waiting and preparing for their shots was an interesting experience as well. You have about two minutes to do 4-5 poses, and that’s it -- after a 2-3 hour wait.

I didn’t take it as seriously as some of the people I watched (makeup, special outfits, preparation of poses, etc.). So I just followed my inner guidance, and the funniest thing was—I’m never good at pictures when someone asks me to jump (it’s always a disaster in my case, and in general, I don’t know how to jump for a picture)—except this one you see here! One try, one take, and the end result? A picture I really like! Well done, me!

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavatu -- May All Beings Everywhere Be Happy -- written on a sign in one of the temples on the top of my hike.