“Seek That Driving Force”

“Seek That Driving Force”: The Movement of the Soul in the Vision of Rumi:
Hazrat Rumi says:
There is a force in you that gives you life; seek it.
What moves every moment of our lives? In the dazzling pursuits of the external world, where can we find the inner flame that keeps us alive? This article is concerned with these basic questions in the spiritual vision of Hazrat Rumi.

The Basis of the Impelling Force: The Primordial Sound “I”:
The life-giving force, as referred to by Hazrat Rumi, is the impelling force within. Science explains physical motion in terms of energy, and spirituality is an inner energy that is the cause of all human activity and experience.
The most basic expression of this driving energy is the primal sound, “I.”
The silent “I” is the propelling force that starts the vital life force (prana) into action before every inhalation begins and at the end of every exhalation. It is this inner power that still makes us breathe rhythmically, effortlessly, inside of ourselves, inhalation and exhalation. In this regard, the driving force is the invisible divine energy that supports every living being. This hidden reality is what Hazrat Rumi calls us to discover.

How we go after it:
Usually we think of seeking as looking for something outside of ourselves. But spiritual seeking is not about finding something outside of us. Instead, it is about awakening to the primal impulse, the silent ‘I’ that exists prior to every thought, perception, and action.
This primitive urge is present in every aspect of our experience:
Action: Notice the silent “I” that’s there before the sense of being the doer, between the object of action, the action itself, and a doer.
See the luminous presence that is there before the knower, among the known, knowledge, and the knower.
Perception: In the perceived, the perception, and the perceiver, discover the silent awareness that precedes the perceiver.
Eating: Recognize the presence that is there in between the food, the eating and the eater.
In meditation one should be aware of the silent force that is in front of the meditator, i.e. the object of meditation, the process of meditation and the meditator himself.
In every one of these experiences the silent impelling power, expressed as “I,” must always be acknowledged.

Realization of the Imperishable State:And this consciousness is persistent and unbroken, then a great transformation occurs. The ego, or personal sense of “I,” fades away gradually. The doer, the knower, the perceiver, the eater, and the meditator—the difference between them disappears.
What is left is the direct experience of the existence of only One Reality, the one driving force, the one Pure Awareness, the one Śivam, the source of all existence.
It is the state of immortality, beyond birth and death, not realized as an idea but as one’s own direct experience.

In this deep state of union, the individual self breaks its ties and becomes one with the infinite existence. Here, you will feel a tremendous peace and a sense of connectedness – all beings are expressions of one fundamental essence.

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha 🙏