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A great wise man once said that
although it is only a foot or two away,
this journey can take you many years.
The end of this journey is what you seek, whether you know it or not.

hint:

No matter you are young or old, the mind can be cold.

To answer this question, there are two parts:

What is this destination? Where are you traveling from?

Note:

This is a true story.

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  • $\begingroup$ Who is this "great wise man" and when did this "true story" happened? $\endgroup$
    – user9174
    Commented Feb 22, 2015 at 6:07
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    $\begingroup$ About the "true story" , it was said by Srinivas Arka, whom I know very well. He wrote a book called Adventures in Self Discovery. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 24, 2015 at 4:17

7 Answers 7

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What is this destination?

Heart

Where are you traveling from?

Mind

A great wise man once said that although it is only a foot or two away,

This is roughly a distance between your head and your heart.

this journey can take you many years.

We try to overcome illusions of our mind and find who we really are deeply in our heart.

The end of this journey is what you seek, whether you know it or not.

Your mind may not know what you seek, but it's your heart that feels seeking. So whether we know it or not, we seek to find who we are and what is that we really seek.

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  • $\begingroup$ Bravo +1 .. Congrats on receiving the bounty. Excellent answer. Also, congratulations on this being your first accepted answer on this site! $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 22, 2015 at 2:19
  • $\begingroup$ What is this destination? Heart , thats weard $\endgroup$
    – user9543
    Commented Feb 22, 2015 at 11:27
  • $\begingroup$ @MichaelRize But he hasn't received the bounty yet! Also, nice riddle :-) $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Feb 24, 2015 at 11:21
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What is this destination?

Adulthood

Where are you traveling from?

Adolescence

A great wise man once said that although it is only a foot or two away,

Most people will grow a foot, or two, from adolescence to adulthood

this journey can take you many years.

Yes, it will

The end of this journey is what you seek, whether you know it or not.

No child wants to stay a child forever

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  • $\begingroup$ I had not considered this solution, good job. However, not all of us are adolescent now, so it does not meet all criteria. The correct answer applies to all people, young or old. "The end of this journey is what you seek." $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 18, 2015 at 0:19
  • $\begingroup$ Fair enough, my take on it was that there was nothing to say people might have already taken the journey. So yes, not everyone is adolescent right now but they were and they took that journey. Back to the drawing board for me! $\endgroup$
    – Mashton
    Commented Feb 18, 2015 at 9:54
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The destination is:

Death

You are travelling to there from:

Life

Why?

although it is only a foot or two away,

You are buried at that depth

this journey can take you many years.

It takes pretty much your whole life

The end of this journey is what you seek, whether you know it or not.

We are all headed there, whether we realize it or not.

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    $\begingroup$ I do believe people are buried deeper than that, otherwise nice try. Also, most people do not seek death. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 17, 2015 at 8:31
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    $\begingroup$ This is exactly what I would have said! +1 $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Feb 17, 2015 at 11:04
  • $\begingroup$ "6 feet under" is the correct measurement. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 18, 2015 at 0:25
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I call upon the lessons my father has taught me when I answer this:

The first step. It has been said that the first step toward any goal is always the most difficult one, in that it means beginning your journey requires motivation that you may need to accumulate over the years. The distance in the idiom is measured as a foot or two because that's the accepted length of a human stride. Sometimes, the end of your journey is not what you expected when you started. It's difficult to spell out a specific to and from, but I suppose the best summary would be
To: The first step towards a goal
From: Figuratively standing in place, unmotivated

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  • $\begingroup$ I like this answer. However, "The end of this journey is what you seek". The first step is the journey, not the destination. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 18, 2015 at 0:31
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What is this destination?

Marriage

Where are you traveling from?

Being single / alone

A great wise man once said that although it is only a foot or two away,

The person you feel an affection for can be right in front of you

this journey can take you many years.

Getting to know someone, figuring out compatibility, building a large degree of intimacy, and allowing for life plans can all make getting to marriage take a long time

The end of this journey is what you seek, whether you know it or not.

The end of the journey would be the wedding, finally reaching the goal you set out for. You may be seeking it as a way to "cement" your relationship in place

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  • $\begingroup$ Very clever, but again does not meet all criteria as not everyone is single. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Rize
    Commented Feb 18, 2015 at 0:30
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What is this destination?

Knowledge

Where are you traveling from?

Ignorance

...although it is only a foot or two away,

A comfortable distance for books (well, maybe now a tablet or Kindle)

...this journey can take you many years.

Learning can take a lifetime

...The end of this journey is what you seek, whether you know it or not.

Wisdom / Enlightenment

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What is this destination?

Truth.

Where are you traveling from?

Illusion.

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