The Mystical Thought Of Meister Eckhart (No Login)
The soul's ultimate goal is a "breakthrough" ( durchbrechen ) beyond God as creator to this silent, "superessential nothingness" of the Godhead. 2. The Grunt (The Ground of the Soul)
One of Eckhart’s most radical ideas is the distinction between the "God" of religion and the "Godhead".
Once detached, one lives sunder warumbe (without a why), performing good acts not for a reward (even heaven) but because they flow naturally from the divine ground. 4. The Birth of the Word in the Soul Meister Eckhart - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart
At the deepest point of the soul lies a "spark" or "ground" that is uncreated and identical to the Ground of God.
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–1328) stands as one of the most provocative figures in the history of Western mysticism. A Dominican friar and "Meister" (Master of Theology), his thought famously pushed the boundaries of medieval orthodoxy, leading to the posthumous condemnation of several of his propositions. The soul's ultimate goal is a "breakthrough" (
"God" refers to the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) as he relates to creation and human activity.
Below is a structured guide to preparing a paper on his mystical thought, highlighting the key concepts and scholarly perspectives you should include. 1. The Core Distinction: God vs. Godhead ( Gottheit ) Once detached, one lives sunder warumbe (without a
Eckhart describes this state using the "Eye" metaphor: "The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me". It suggests a shared consciousness rather than a relationship between two separate beings. 3. Gelassenheit (Detachment or Releasement)