Meister Eckhart: biography, books, spiritual sermons and discourses

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Meister Eckhart (1260 - 1327) was a German mystic, theologian and philosopher who taught a radical religious philosophy: to see God in everything. His esoteric experience and practical spiritual philosophy made him popular, but also led to accusations of heresy by the local Inquisition. Although condemned as heretical, his writings remain an important source of mystical experience within the Christian tradition, represented by Silesius, Nicholas of Cusa, Boehme Jakob, Eckhart Meister, Kierkegaard, Francis of Assisi and others.

Short biography

Eckhart von Hochheim was born in Tambach near Gotha in Thuringia in present-day Central Germany. It was an influential province in terms of religious movements in medieval Europe. Other notable religious figures born there are Mechthild of Magdeburg, Thomas Müntzer and Martin Luther.

There are not many reliable records of Eckhart's early life, but, throughoutApparently, at the age of 15, he left his home to join the Dominican order in nearby Erfurt. The order was founded in the south of France in 1215 by St. Dominic as a preacher whose members were trained to become teachers and orators. In 1280, Eckhart was sent to Cologne to receive a basic higher education, which included 5 years of philosophy and 3 years of theology. Between classes, he read monastic services for 3 hours a day, the Orationes Secretae prayer and was silent for a long time. In Cologne, Erkhart met the scholastic mystic Albertus Magnus, doctor of all sciences and teacher of Thomas Aquinas, the most famous theologian of the church. By 1293, Eckhart was finally ordained a monk.

Study in Paris

In 1294 he was sent to Paris to study the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard. The University of Paris was the center of medieval learning, where he was able to access all the important works and apparently read most of them. In Paris, he became a teacher at the Dominican monastery of Saint-Jacques, and later he was appointed abbot of a monastery in Erfurt near his birthplace. His reputation as a theologian and prior must have been good, as he was entrusted with the leadership of the region of Saxony, which had 48 monasteries. Eckhart was considered a good and efficient administrator, but his main passion was teaching and public preaching.

In May 1311, Eckhart was invited to teach in Paris. This was another confirmation of his reputation. Foreigners were rarely given the privilege of beingtwice invited to teach in Paris. This post gave him the title of Meister (from the Latin Magister - "master", "teacher"). In Paris, Eckhart often took part in heated religious debates with the Franciscans.

The main part of his duties was to educate the members of the Dominican order as well as the uneducated general public. He gained a reputation as a strong teacher who stimulated the work of thought in his students. Meister Eckhart filled his sermons and writings with a mystical element that was underestimated or not mentioned in traditional biblical and church teachings. He also had the ability to simplify complex concepts and explain them in plain language, which appealed to the common people. This increased his personal popularity, and his sermons were a great success.

In 1322, Eckhart, the most famous preacher of the time, was transferred to Cologne, where he gave his most famous speeches.

The divinity of man

Eckhart's philosophy emphasized the divinity of man. He often referred to the spiritual connection between the soul and God. One of his most famous sayings is: “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me. My eye and the eye of God are one eye and one look and one knowledge and one love.”

This is reminiscent of the words of Jesus Christ that he and his Father are one. Eckhart's statement also illustrates how his philosophy harmonized with Eastern mysticism that emphasized the nearness of God.

meister eckhart spiritual sermons and discourses

Receptive Mind

Meister Eckhart was a committed mystic because he taught the importance of stilling the mind so that it becomes receptive to the presence of God. “To a peaceful mind, everything is possible. What is a calm mind? A calm mind worries about nothing, worries about nothing and, free from bondage and self-interest, completely merges with the will of God and becomes dead to its own.”

Detachment

Eckhart also taught the importance of detachment. Like other esoteric teachings, Meister's philosophy suggested that the seeker should separate the mind from earthly distractions such as desire, for example.

Indestructible detachment brings a person into the likeness of God. “To be full of things, one must be empty to God; to be empty for things, one must be full of God.”

The omnipresence of God

Meister Eckhart believed that God is present in all living organisms, although he recognized the Absolute God, who was beyond all form and manifestation of God in the world. “We must find God the same in everything and always find God the same in everything.”

Although Eckhart was a mystic, he also advocated selfless service to the world to help overcome the selfish nature of man.

Allegations of heresy

With the growth of his popularity, some high-ranking figures of the church began to see elements of heresy in his teachings. In particular, the archbishopCologne was concerned that Eckhart's popular sermons were misleading to the simple and uneducated, "which could easily lead its hearers into error."

In 1325, the representative of the Pope Nicholas of Strasbourg, at the request of Pope John XXII, checked the work of the preacher and declared them true believers. But in 1326 Meister Eckhart was formally accused of heresy, and in 1327 the Archbishop of Cologne ordered an inquisition process. In February 1327, the preacher made a passionate defense of his convictions. He denied doing anything wrong and publicly argued his innocence. As Meister Eckhart argued, spiritual sermons and discourses were intended to encourage ordinary people and monks to strive to do good and develop a selfless love for God. He may have used unorthodox language, but his intentions were noble and aimed at instilling in people the most important spiritual concepts of the teachings of Christ.

“If the ignorant are not taught, they will never learn, and none of them will ever learn the art of living and dying. The ignorant are taught in the hope of turning them from ignoramuses into enlightened people.”

"Thanks to higher love, the whole life of man must be raised from temporary selfishness to the source of all love, to God: man will again be master over nature, abiding in God and raising it to God."

Death at the papal residence

After being found guilty by the Archbishop of Cologne, Meister Eckhart traveled to Avignon, where Pope John XXII set up a tribunal to investigate the preacher's appeal. Here Eckhart died in 1327year before the Pope came to a final decision. After his death, the head of the Catholic Church called some of Meister's teachings heresy, finding 17 points that were contrary to the Catholic faith, and 11 more that were suspected of this. It is assumed that this was an attempt to rein in mystical teachings. However, it has been said that Eckhart renounced his views before his death, so he personally remained without blemish. This compromise was meant to appease critics and supporters alike.

Eckhart's influence

After the death of a popular preacher, his reputation was shaken by the condemnation of some of his writings by the pope. But he still remained influential in the Dominican order. Eckhart Meister, whose books were partially not condemned, continued to influence the minds of his followers through his writings. Many of his followers participated in the Friends of God movement that existed in communities throughout the region. The new leaders were less radical than Eckhart, but they retained his teachings.

Meister's mystical views were probably used in the creation of the anonymous work of the 14th century, The Theology of Germanicus. This work had a great influence on the Protestant Reformation. The Theologia Germanicus was significant because it criticized the role of the ecclesiastical hierarchy and emphasized the importance of man's direct connection with God. These ideas were used by Martin Luther when he challenged the secular authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

Revival of the teachings

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a wide range of spiritual traditions re-popularized the teachings and legacy left by Meister Eckhart. Even Pope John Paul II used quotes from his works: “Didn't Eckhart teach his disciples: all God asks you most of all is to get out of yourself and let God be God in you. One might think that by separating himself from the creatures, the mystic leaves humanity aside. The same Eckhart claims that, on the contrary, the mystic is miraculously present at the only level where he can really reach him, that is, in God.”

Many Catholics believe that the teachings of the German preacher are in line with long-standing traditions and have similarities with the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of the church and fellow Dominican. Eckhart's work is an important canon in the tradition of Christian spirituality and mysticism.

Meister Eckhart was brought back to prominence by a number of German philosophers who praised his work. These include Franz Pfeiffer, who republished his works in 1857, and Schopenhauer, who translated the Upanishads and compared Meister's teachings with those of Indian and Islamic esotericists. According to him, Buddha, Eckhart and he all teach the same thing.

Jakob Boehme, Eckhart Meister and other Christian mystics are also considered great teachers of the Theosophical movement.

In the twentieth century, the Dominicans took the trouble to clear the name of the German preacher and presented in a new light the brilliance and relevance of his work. In 1992, the general master of the order made an official requestCardinal Ratzinger to annul the papal bull that stigmatized Meister. Although this did not happen, his rehabilitation can be considered completed. He can rightfully be called one of the greatest masters of Western spirituality.