A Parable by Meister Eckhart

"There was a learned man who desired that God would teach him the truth.  After many years, a voice of God came to him and said, "On a certain street, you shall meet a man who will show you the way to blessedness." 

When he went down the street, he found a poor man covered with dirt.  He greeted the poor man, "God give you a good day."  The poor man answered, "I have never had a bad day."

The learned man said, "God give you good luck."  The poor man said, "I have never had ill luck."  "May you be happy."  "I have never been unhappy."  The learned man said, "Pray explain this to me for I can not understand it."

The poor man answered, "If  I am hungry, I praise God.  If the weather is foul, I praise God.  Even when I am wretched and despised, I praise God.  For I have never had an evil day."

Finally the man shot back at the poor man, "But if God should cast you into hell, what would you do then?"  The poor man answered, "If God cast me in hell, I will have two arms to embrace him.  One arm of true humility I will lay beneath him and with the right arm of love, I will be united with him since I have two arms to embrace him.

I should so embrace God that He would have to go to hell with me.  And I would rather be in hell and have God, then in heaven and not have God."

Then the Man finally understood that true abandonment with utter humility is the nearest way to God" (Evelyn Underhill, Mysticism, p.209).

 

Seeing God in Everything

I recently began reading, at the inspiration of the post by my friend here, Meister Eckhart (Meister is German for Master - just read that today in the introduction to the Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart).  (Interesting side note - Meister is not his first name.  In the Eckhart book, which is an older work, the translator said that after the title of Meister was given to Eckhart, he was then known (from that time on) as Meister.  My observation is I am not aware of any other individual known by that title from antiquity.)

Anyway, I first purchased the older work and its first chapter is a series of talks.  The main emphasis just in this chapter alone that is very challenging is to see God in everything, and Eckhart means everything.

So I also purchased and read On Becoming a Mystical Christian.  I read this before I got the Eckhart book.  So I am reading English's book and he references this song.  Not even a Christian band, but wow what a work of Art.  It took me a few times to "get" the whole video, but God is there in it.

So I am going to post a few posts of various things that draw me to God.  Right now it is going to be new songs/music that God comes through to me.

Everyday Mystics

MYSTICS BELIEVE THAT HEAVEN IS MORE REAL AND SOLID THAN EARTH

Most of us rarely come across someone who speaks or acts like a mystic.  Someone whose very presence smells like Christ and whose very nature reminds you that there really still are saints today.  Someone who was often misunderstood and lived during the 14th century was Meister Eckhart.  We need everyday mystics today.  Listen to Eckhart's words and wisdom for today:

"A man who has been well off for many years, loses it all.  He ought then to reflect wisely and thank God for his misfortune and loss, for only then will he realize how well-off he was before.  He ought to thank God for the well-being he enjoyed for so many years . . . If then, it is true that all that is any good for comfort is lent to man to care for it, what complaint has he when God wants to take it back?  Let him rather thank God that he lent it so long."  -  Meister Eckhart