You will attain oneness and blessedness in your soul’s spark, which time and place never touched.

Meister Eckhart

Your Soul’s Spark

Topic: Truth, Law, & Principle

Therefore, I say, if a man turns away from self and from created things, then—to the extent that you do this—you will attain oneness and blessedness in your soul’s spark, which time and place never touched.

Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart, whose full name was Eckhart von Hochheim OP, (c. 1260 – c. 1328) was born around the year 1260, possibly between 1250 and 1260, in the village of Tambach, near Gotha, in the Landgraviate of Thuringia, which is now central Germany, within the Holy Roman Empire. The prefix "Meister" in his name translates to "Master," signifying his scholarly prestige. His birth into nobility was initially purported, however, later examinations revealed that this notion stemmed from a misinterpretation of period archives, clarifying that his Christian name was Eckhart, with the surname von Hochheim.

Eckhart commenced his ecclesiastical journey around the age of 18, circa 1278, by joining the Dominican convent at Erfurt. His scholarly pursuits possibly led him to study at Cologne before 1280, and perhaps also at the University of Paris either before or after his time in Cologne. His commitment to the Dominican order was substantial, as he entered the order when he was 15 and later, around 1294, began his teaching career as a lecturer on the Sentences of Peter Lombard at the Dominican convent of St. Jacques in Paris.

Meister Eckhart's theological and philosophical endeavors were deeply rooted in mysticism, with a notable emphasis on the union between the individual soul and God, as expressed in his sermons both in German and Latin. His rising prominence was particularly noted during the Avignon Papacy, a period marked by increased tensions among monastic orders and diocesan clergy. Unfortunately, the latter part of his life was marred by accusations of heresy, leading to a trial by the local Franciscan-led Inquisition, and subsequently by Pope John XXII. Despite these challenges, Eckhart's teachings continued to resonate through his disciples like Johannes Tauler and Henry Suso, and his mystic philosophy continues to garner attention and appreciation in contemporary religious and academic circles.

(c. 1260-1328) Christianity

Meister Eckhart, [Star, Jonathan, Translator, Two Suns Rising (New York: Bantam, 1991)].

Meister Eckhart

Theme: The Light of Truth

Commentary on this Meister Eckhart Quote [Shorter version]

Meister Eckhart’s teachings revolve around the concept of God’s presence in the human soul, and our capacity to find divinity within ourselves. His works underscore the idea of unity with God, implying that we are not separate entities, but rather a part of the divine. Through the use of birth metaphors, he communicates that our soul is not just born from God, but is also a manifestation of God’s essence. He believed that the soul and God could become so intermingled that they essentially become one single entity. This unity, according to Eckhart, is the source of all existence, truth, and goodness.

Matthew Fox’s Commentary

Eckhart ’s use of “spark of the soul” is a core teaching in his theology. He says: The spark of the soul is where the “now” of time encounters the “eternal now” of eternity. Eckhart says: “Take away the now of time, and you are everywhere and you have the whole of time.”

At times, Eckhart identifies the “spark of the soul” with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes he calls it the “maternity bed” where God is born. And sometimes, an “uncreated something” that links what is created in us to what is uncreated, what links God the Creator to the Godhead, which is deeper, more hidden and darker than all of creation. It links being and doing, inaction and action.

This is how the angels perceive who “perceive in a light that is beyond time and is eternal. They therefore perceive in the eternal Now.”

Eckhart recognizes that the highest part of the soul dwells in community and close companions with angels in angelic nature. Angelic nature is not in contact with time, nor is the spirit which is… free from time.

—Adapted from Matthew Fox, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, pp. 189-193.

Commentary on this Meister Eckhart Quote [Longer version]

In the context of the theme “the light of truth,” Eckhart’s teachings suggest that the truth is not something external to be discovered, but rather an internal realization of our divine essence. This truth, much like light, illuminates our understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe. In Eckhart’s view, the light of truth is the recognition of our own divinity, the realization that we carry God within us. He suggests that the soul shines with its own radiance when it realizes its divine nature, which he equates to the light of truth.

To achieve this understanding, Eckhart asserts that one must empty oneself, surrendering completely to God’s will. It’s a process of self-emptying, of making space within oneself for the divine to dwell and work. In this state of openness and surrender, we allow the light of truth to enter, illuminating our understanding of our divine essence. Thus, Eckhart’s conception of the light of truth is not just about intellectual understanding, but a deeply personal and transformative experience of recognizing and embracing our inherent unity with the divine.

Additional Meister Eckhart Quotes

“There is no need to look for God here or there. He is no farther away than the door of your own heart. There He stands waiting till He finds you ready to open the door and let Him enter. No need for you to call Him from afar—He is waiting more impatiently than you for that door to open. He wants you a thousand times more urgently than you want Him. There is only one thing you must do—open the door and enter.

No one has ever longed so much for anything as God longs to bring man to Him. God is so close to us, but we are distant and turned away from Him. God is within, we are without. God is at home with us, but we are strangers to ourselves.”

—Meister Eckhart, [Pfeiffer, Frantz, and Evans, C de B., trans. (Meister Eckhart. London: John M. Watkins, 1931)].

Your Soul’s Spark

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