The California gold rush, which lasted but a feverish 7 years from 1848-1855, rarely led to fortunes amassed. Instead, although it did have the unintended effect of settling more parts of California, it often ended up with prospectors going bust.

Similarly, in the realm of spirituality, many of us have long searched feverishly for “the next thing,” only to discover that we’ve also gone bust.

Have you noticed?

We set out by stipulating that some physical object–wealth, success, or status–or (mark this) some mental object like well-being, peace of mind, less stress, or a great purpose will be the next thing that will prove, in this case, to be the last thing.

It never is–but then we fudge it.

Unlike prospectors, we don’t go broke, alas–or don’t feel it anyway. The accountant never stops by to deliver the bad news. Without receiving such a notice, we’re granted another opportunity, which we use to fiddle with the nobs in the hope, this time, of getting some more nuanced object to bring our dis-ease to an end. Fiddling doesn’t work, but we may, once more, draw the wrong conclusion: “More finesse! Not this one but that one!”

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Fever begets fever. Fool’s gold begets, well, more tomfoolery.

We need to stop all of this. “All of what?” Stop trying to secure our happiness in the physical or mental realm. In lieu of continuing to point our finger out toward the horizon, we need to slowly turn the finger around until it points at our original face. What is this invisible, undeniable presence? Instead of tracing our finger in the sand with a view to drawing yet another makeshift map, we’re invited to take the backward step, says Dogen, and turn the light within.

Why not presume, just this once, that peace lies somewhere within? “Where within?” Slam on the breaks, get out of the car, and fall backward to discover what’s always been here.