Meister Eckhart was a German mystic and theologian who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries. His philosophy was heavily influenced by Neoplatonism and Christian mysticism, and he believed that the ultimate goal of human life was to achieve a direct experience of God.
Eckhart’s concept of detachment was central to his philosophy. He believed that detachment involved letting go of all attachments to the things of this world, including material possessions, social status, and even the self. This was not an emptying of the self, but rather a surrender of the ego to the divine will. Eckhart believed that only by letting go of the self could one experience union with God.
Eckhart also believed in the importance of inner spiritual contemplation as a means of achieving this union with God. He believed that this contemplation involved a surrender of the will to the divine will, and that it was not something that could be achieved through external means, such as religious rituals or sacraments. Instead, Eckhart emphasized the importance of direct experience of God through the practice of detachment and inner contemplation.
Eckhart’s philosophy was also heavily influenced by his concept of the Godhead. The Godhead was the ultimate reality, which transcended all categories and distinctions. It was beyond language, beyond thought, and beyond being and non-being. However, from the Godhead, there arose a movement of self-reflection, which Eckhart referred to as the “Godhead’s birth.” This movement gave rise to the creation of the world and the individual souls that inhabited it.
Eckhart believed that the individual soul was a microcosm of the universe, and that the ultimate goal of the soul was to return to its origin in the Godhead. He believed that this could only be achieved through the practice of detachment and inner spiritual contemplation. In his sermons, Eckhart often used paradoxical language and metaphors to express his ideas, which have made his philosophy difficult to interpret.
One of Eckhart’s most famous and controversial statements is “The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me.” This statement expresses the idea that the human soul and the divine are intimately connected, and that the individual’s experience of God is not separate from God’s experience of the individual. This idea has been interpreted in a variety of ways, but it is generally seen as expressing Eckhart’s belief in the unity of all things in God.
Eckhart’s philosophy also emphasized the importance of action in the world. Although he believed that detachment and inner contemplation were essential for achieving union with God, he also believed that this union should manifest itself in action in the world. He believed that the individual should act in accordance with the divine will, which could be discerned through inner spiritual contemplation. This emphasis on the importance of action has made Eckhart’s philosophy appealing to social activists and those interested in the relationship between spirituality and social justice.
Eckhart’s philosophy was controversial during his lifetime and was later condemned as heretical by the Church. In particular, his emphasis on the individual’s direct experience of God was seen as a challenge to the authority of the Church and its sacraments. However, Eckhart’s ideas continued to be influential in later mystical and philosophical traditions, and his writings have been studied by philosophers and theologians for centuries.
In conclusion, Meister Eckhart’s philosophy emphasized the importance of detachment, inner spiritual contemplation, and the individual’s direct experience of God. His ideas were heavily influenced by Neoplatonism and Christian mysticism, and his concept of the Godhead was a central aspect of his philosophy.