Meister Eckhart

[David19]

I thought this was the relevant forum for this, but, has anyone here read any of Meister Echkhart's works, I've only just recently heard of him, but, from what I've seen, he seemed quite a cool writer, a lot of his teachings seem to have a lot in common with Hinduism, Eckhart seems to have engaged in prolonged meditation and came to the same realisations.

One of the things that seems to characterize Eckhart's work is he differentiates between God and the Godhead, God, I think, is the personal God, the Godhead is what is beyond that, it is, as Linda Johnsen said in her 'Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism', identical to the Nirguna Brahman of Hinduism.

As she describes it:

It is Absolute Reality itself, pure self-existent being. Any attempt to describe it falls flat. Even the words I just used are a dim reflection of its glory. The Supreme One is totally beyond our imagination. The human mind can't begin to grasp it.

What we can do is transcend our own minds, shift back into the pure awareness within ourselves, and simple experience the living reality itself. It can be known but it can't be communicated in words.

page 143

That seems to be what Eckhart said as well.

Here is a site that has quotes from Eckhart:

http://www.mythosandlogos.com/eckhart.html:

"When I came out from God, that is, into multiplicity, then all proclaimed, 'There is a God' (i.e., the personal God, Creator of all things). Now this cannot make me blessed, for hereby I realize myself as creature. But in the breaking through (i.e. through all limitations), I am more than all creatures, I am neither God nor creature; I am that which I was and shall remain evermore. There I receive a thrust which carries me above all angels. By this sudden touch I am become so rich that God (i.e., God as opposed to the Godhead) is not sufficient for me, so far as he is only God and in all his divine works. For in this breaking through I perceive what God and I are in common. There I am what I was. There I neither increase nor decrease. For there I am the immovable which moves all things. Here man has won again what he is eternally (i.e., in his essential being) and ever shall be. Here God (i.e., the Godhead) is received into the soul."

The Wikipedia article also seems to have a good selection of his Eckhart's doctrines, like:

Place of Christ
According to Eckhart, sin is not the real cause of the incarnation (591, 34). God wished rather to receive the nature of things through grace in time just as he had them by nature in eternity in himself (574, 34). Just as a man occupies a central position in the world, since he leads all creatures back to God, so Christ stands in the center of humanity (180, 7; 390, 37.) The same thought is found in Maximus the Confessor and Johannes Scotus Eriugena, but whence did Eckhart get it? Even at the creation of the first man Christ was already the end in view (250, 23); and now after the fact of sin, Christ stands likewise in the center of redemption. After the fall, all creatures worked together to produce a man who should restore harmony (497, 11). This took place when Mary resigned herself so completely to the divine word that the eternal word could assume human nature in her. However, this temporal birth of the son is again included in his eternal birth as a moment of the same (391, 20). And now God is to be born in us. In his human life Jesus becomes a pattern for man; and in all that he did and experienced, above all in his passion and death there is an overwhelming power that draws man to God (218-219) and brings about in us that which first took place in Christ, who alone is the way to the father (241, 17).

I've read something similar in D.T. Suzuki's 'Buddha of Infinite Light - The Teachings of Shin Buddhism, the Japanese Way of Wisdom and Compassion' (2002), where he discusses Echkhart, and quotes his statement that:

Christ if born in our soul, and when we recognize that birth, when we bcome conscious of Christ's being born within us, that is the time we are saved

p. 88

To me, I think Eckhart's teachings are very, very profound, and quite cool, from the little I've read of him anyway.

I really like his position on Ethics, like (from the above mentioned Wikipedia article):

Ethics
Whatever one may think of Eckhart's philosophical and dogmatic speculations, his ethical view, at any rate, is of rare purity and sublimity. The inner position of man, the disposition of the heart, is for him the main thing (56, 39; 297, 11; 444, S; 560, 43)

I like how his view is that, it a human should be of good nature anyway, just doing good works is not enough, and, it's not really about what you believe. I think Eckhart's works really needed to be studied and put into practice by more Christians, it would, IMO, change people for the better.

Anyway, I just wanted to know if anyone else has studied his works, if so, what are your thoughts on him?, do you agree with him, and, do you try to live his Philosophy?.

Thanks for any replies .

[john.a]

This might be very interesting to you. =) There seems to be lots of similarities with Christian mysticism. However, Tolle does have its theological and philosophical problems. =P



I myself haven't read Tolle's books, I must admit so I'm referring you to this guy until such time as I read them myself and can offer my own position.

[David19]

Originally Posted by john.a

This might be very interesting to you. =) There seems to be lots of similarities with Christian mysticism. However, Tolle does have its theological and philosophical problems. =P



I myself haven't read Tolle's books, I must admit so I'm referring you to this guy until such time as I read them myself and can offer my own position.

I'm not sure if we're on the same page, but, Meister Eckhart died in 1328, and Tolle Eckhart seems to be a New Age author, who wrote 'The Power of Now'. They have the same last name, but, otherwise, seem to be quite different (I'm assuming, I've never read any of Tolle's works.

Have you heard of Meister Eckhart, and, if so, what are your thoughts?.

[Owd Scrat]

Originally Posted by David19

I'm not sure if we're on the same page, but, Meister Eckhart died in 1328, and Tolle Eckhart seems to be a New Age author, who wrote 'The Power of Now'. They have the same last name, but, otherwise, seem to be quite different (I'm assuming, I've never read any of Tolle's works.

Have you heard of Meister Eckhart, and, if so, what are your thoughts?.

I for a second thought you were referring to Tolle as well! I really cannot stand that person for many reasons. I have never heard of Meister Eckhart, but he looks fascinating. So I am off to read up on him!

[David19]

Originally Posted by Owd Scrat

I for a second thought you were referring to Tolle as well! I really cannot stand that person for many reasons. I have never heard of Meister Eckhart, but he looks fascinating. So I am off to read up on him!

Hope you enjoy, from what I've read, he is quite interesting .

[john.a]

Originally Posted by David19

I'm not sure if we're on the same page, but, Meister Eckhart died in 1328, and Tolle Eckhart seems to be a New Age author, who wrote 'The Power of Now'. They have the same last name, but, otherwise, seem to be quite different (I'm assuming, I've never read any of Tolle's works.

Have you heard of Meister Eckhart, and, if so, what are your thoughts?.

Sorry, it's crunch-time at school - I've been away!

But yes, you are completely correct and I'm totally in error. I assumed for some odd reason that you were just jokingly calling Eckhart Tolle "Meister," as in Mr. Tolle. =S Odd assumption. At any rate, I truly have not read Meister Eckhart nor have I ever even heard of him until now. =)

[David19]

Originally Posted by john.a

Sorry, it's crunch-time at school - I've been away!

But yes, you are completely correct and I'm totally in error. I assumed for some odd reason that you were just jokingly calling Eckhart Tolle "Meister," as in Mr. Tolle. =S Odd assumption. At any rate, I truly have not read Meister Eckhart nor have I ever even heard of him until now. =)

No problem, and, it's a shame, not many people have heard of him, his ideas sound quite good, IMO, I think he was/is truly a great Christian Mystic, and, should be read by more Christians, and others.