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Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom: Indestructible Joy and the Path of Letting Go
Course objectives:
Discuss the mystical teachings of Meister Eckhart—the vision and path aspects of non-dual consciousness, or sense of oneness that pervades all of our lives
• Explain how the soul, as the interiority of ourselves, is capable of recognizing both the generosity of God, as well as inherent nothingness
• Define the three ways of being a human being, three states of consciousness, or ways of being in the world—the life of the natural person, the human being illumined by faith, and the awakened path of seeing the intimacy of the unseen
• Describe the importance of suffering, as well as the path of detachment, leading us toward disidentification—the path of inner liberation through the transformation of consciousness
• Discuss surrender, silence, stillness in relationship to Eckhart's teachings—living the immediacy without a why and coming home to a state of wonderment
The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us.
With Meister Eckhart’s Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today’s best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart’s insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them—through the spoken word.
"The eye with which I see God is the eye with which God sees me."
If the Divine dwells in all things, including ourselves, then why do we experience His presence only in fleeting moments, if at all? How do we let go of the illusions that imprison us to discover direct and felt liberation—not conceptually or in the afterlife—but right here and now? These were the questions that compelled Meister Eckhart to reflection, spiritual practice, and discovery.
In this in-depth learning program, James Finley guides us through teachings and meditations for bringing Meister Eckhart’s wisdom into our daily lives—to find for ourselves "the indestructible joy that that transcends even death," and to experience God not as a separate being, but as the loving eternal center that sustains and embraces each of us and all of creation.
Highlights
Meister Eckhart’s vision for finding God
• Stillness, the intimacy of detachment, and the path of inner liberation
• The transformation of consciousness
• The fathomless depths of God
• Surrendering to the unfolding, and opening our hearts
• Coming to a state of wonderment
• The birth of the Word in the soul
• Eckhartian meditation practice
• How to read Meister Eckhart
• Living the immediacy, and breaking through into the Godhead
• The life of contemplation in action
Discuss the mystical teachings of Meister Eckhart—the vision and path aspects of non-dual consciousness, or sense of oneness that pervades all of our lives
• Explain how the soul, as the interiority of ourselves, is capable of recognizing both the generosity of God, as well as inherent nothingness
• Define the three ways of being a human being, three states of consciousness, or ways of being in the world—the life of the natural person, the human being illumined by faith, and the awakened path of seeing the intimacy of the unseen
• Describe the importance of suffering, as well as the path of detachment, leading us toward disidentification—the path of inner liberation through the transformation of consciousness
• Discuss surrender, silence, stillness in relationship to Eckhart's teachings—living the immediacy without a why and coming home to a state of wonderment
The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us.
With Meister Eckhart’s Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today’s best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart’s insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them—through the spoken word.
"The eye with which I see God is the eye with which God sees me."
If the Divine dwells in all things, including ourselves, then why do we experience His presence only in fleeting moments, if at all? How do we let go of the illusions that imprison us to discover direct and felt liberation—not conceptually or in the afterlife—but right here and now? These were the questions that compelled Meister Eckhart to reflection, spiritual practice, and discovery.
In this in-depth learning program, James Finley guides us through teachings and meditations for bringing Meister Eckhart’s wisdom into our daily lives—to find for ourselves "the indestructible joy that that transcends even death," and to experience God not as a separate being, but as the loving eternal center that sustains and embraces each of us and all of creation.
Highlights
Meister Eckhart’s vision for finding God
• Stillness, the intimacy of detachment, and the path of inner liberation
• The transformation of consciousness
• The fathomless depths of God
• Surrendering to the unfolding, and opening our hearts
• Coming to a state of wonderment
• The birth of the Word in the soul
• Eckhartian meditation practice
• How to read Meister Eckhart
• Living the immediacy, and breaking through into the Godhead
• The life of contemplation in action
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First published June 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 6, 2017
This is a really sad case of a mere intellectual person writing his interpretation of the writings of a soul who meditated on the SPIRIT and rose on it to spiritual heights.
For example James Finley wriites " A teacher is someone in is able to say something and when we hear him say it we are forever transformed "
A spiritually realized person would say" A teacher is someone who gives instructions and when we hear AND FOLLOW them we are forever transformed "
If you are looking for the teachings of Miester Eckhart that he wrote himself you won’t find them here . The author does NOT first read Eckhart's writings verse by verse then give his interpretations .
Rather he at best gives a loose praphrase before launching into an imaginative , intellectual , conceptual interpretation. Using mental models and worldly examples to explain things that he(sincerely?) ASSUMES he has first hand experience of and is competent to elucidate. His assumption so great that He does not even say "perhaps Eckart means ... or "it seems to me that Eckhart means .." Rather than showing this humility he He boldly states "What Eckhart is saying here IS...."
If I compare this book to pulp fiction I give it 5 stars .
If I compare it to books written by TRUE MYSTICS I give it 1 star . (over all a generous 3 stars)
To be worthy to comment on Eckhart’s teachings we would have to know the spiritual practices by which he attained those heights and do them ourselves then only could we know what Eckhart was talking about . How can someone with a BA degree comment on the works of a PHD? If we compare Eckhart’s level of spirituality to a PHD then only another PHD could comment on Eckhart’s teachings .
The author started out as a trappist monk then became psychologist and he feel qualified to comment on Eckhart. (SAD) . He interprets the teachings upon the intellectual and emotional and intuitive cord they strike in him . He himself says “this is how it resonates with me “
He is basically giving his own teaching in the name of Eckhart .
The author’s teaching are are very beautiful and very healthy . As I said if I compare this book to pulp fiction I would give it 5 stars but if I compare it to The writings of any GOD MAN I would giveit 1 star . It depends on what else you’ve got to read .
If you want to know the true teaching of Eckhart I would NOT recommend this book .
Read books Eckhart wrote himself . My personal opinion is that he used meditation on the holy spirit which he contacted at his third eye (as described by saint paul . When he said I die daily . Which means his soul left his body behind like a barely breathing corpse every day (kept alive only by the silver cord mentioned by st paul) and his soul was then “Lifted up to heaven by the spirit” and he saw what he saw and can beck and wrote about it . This practice today is generally referred to a surat shabd yoga and I believe that there are surat shabd yogis that have written very lucid articles on Meister Eckhart in “the science of the soul” magazine (around 1985 when was published in UK and Willaim Pryor was the editor( We have all the back issues in our local science of the soul study center library ) though I don’t have the exact articles but when I do my review I will try to have a few just to show what I personally believe were the salient points of Eckhart’s teachings .
I just found a free download of meister Eckharts tecahing here
https://philocyclevl.files.wordpress....
and yes you CAN copy and paste so here goes
THE GRAIN oF MUSTARD SEED
When all began
(beyond mind's span)
the WORD aye is
Oh what bliss
(my comment : Eckhart is mentions the WORD and says it is BLISSFUL . My guess is that his soul was focused at the eye center and was hearing and seeing the WORD (aka the holy spirit /the shabd)
When source at first gave birth to source!
Oh Father's heart
from which did start
that same Word:
yet 'tis averred,
From both doth flow
a loving glow:
in double troth known to both
comes forth from them the Holy Ghost,
of equal state
inseparate
The three are one:
who grasps it? None!
(my comment : My guess is that Eckhart is the WORD emanated from the heart of God and it comes i into the spiritual womb of man (which I guess is the third eye ) Then” the Word's still kept in womb perforce.” Would mean that if a person forcest his mind to be still at the third eye (the womb) he will experience a “loving glow “ which is the lowest manifestation of the holy spirit .” in double troth known to both comes forth from them the Holy Ghost,” I guess means that when he first contacts the spirit at the eyecenter it BOTH light and sound - a double troth flow from it to the aspiring soul . (REMEMBER THIS IS A TRANSLATION NOT WHAT ECKHART WROTE so I have to fit together the puzzle pieces ) “who grasps it? None!” My guess is that Eckhart was saying PRACTIACLLY no one knows this secrete much less stills their mind at the eyecenter and grasps this inner light and sound within themselves. Im my opinion He must be saying “no one at this monastery has stilled his mind at the eyecenter and grasped this WORD “
The threefold clasp
we cannot grasp,
the circle's span
no mind can scan:
(my comment : the translator likely played havoc withteh meaning of these verse in order to rhyme them ( refer to original German)
for here's a mystery fathomless.
Check and mate,
time, form, estate!
The wondrous ring
holds everything,
its central point stands motionless.
MY comment : I guess” The wondrous ring” refers to the ringing sound of a bell the shabd makes when contacted at the eye center .” holds everything” I guess means that if the stilled mind of the practitioner listens with a motionless mind to the ringing of the bell the bell will pull it up stage by stage to the supreme being and then the soul will get EVEYTHING. “its central point stands motionless.” I guess this means that IF the mind holds motionless at the central point of the eye center it will gain everything from merging in the wondrous ringing and being lifted by it back to God”
The peak sublime
deedless climb
if thou art wise!
(I guess this means that the body when sitting crossed legged is like a mountain and we must “die daily” by sitting still and keeping our mind still at the eyecenter which is the peak of the mountain . We”deedless climb” by NOT DOING ANYTHING by being still in mind and body with attention in our mantra and inner gaze fixed at the peak w gradually “die while living” –our soul currents gradually leave the body and focus at the eye center and w contact the WORD “if thou art wise!” DUH---means if you are wise I urge you to follow this course under my tutelage.
So –yeah that’s how a surat shabe yogi MIGHT interpret Eckhart .Its a lot of work . James Finley’s interpretation of just hearing a saying of a teacher and being forever changed would be A LOT easier ! LOL!!!!
For example James Finley wriites " A teacher is someone in is able to say something and when we hear him say it we are forever transformed "
A spiritually realized person would say" A teacher is someone who gives instructions and when we hear AND FOLLOW them we are forever transformed "
If you are looking for the teachings of Miester Eckhart that he wrote himself you won’t find them here . The author does NOT first read Eckhart's writings verse by verse then give his interpretations .
Rather he at best gives a loose praphrase before launching into an imaginative , intellectual , conceptual interpretation. Using mental models and worldly examples to explain things that he(sincerely?) ASSUMES he has first hand experience of and is competent to elucidate. His assumption so great that He does not even say "perhaps Eckart means ... or "it seems to me that Eckhart means .." Rather than showing this humility he He boldly states "What Eckhart is saying here IS...."
If I compare this book to pulp fiction I give it 5 stars .
If I compare it to books written by TRUE MYSTICS I give it 1 star . (over all a generous 3 stars)
To be worthy to comment on Eckhart’s teachings we would have to know the spiritual practices by which he attained those heights and do them ourselves then only could we know what Eckhart was talking about . How can someone with a BA degree comment on the works of a PHD? If we compare Eckhart’s level of spirituality to a PHD then only another PHD could comment on Eckhart’s teachings .
The author started out as a trappist monk then became psychologist and he feel qualified to comment on Eckhart. (SAD) . He interprets the teachings upon the intellectual and emotional and intuitive cord they strike in him . He himself says “this is how it resonates with me “
He is basically giving his own teaching in the name of Eckhart .
The author’s teaching are are very beautiful and very healthy . As I said if I compare this book to pulp fiction I would give it 5 stars but if I compare it to The writings of any GOD MAN I would giveit 1 star . It depends on what else you’ve got to read .
If you want to know the true teaching of Eckhart I would NOT recommend this book .
Read books Eckhart wrote himself . My personal opinion is that he used meditation on the holy spirit which he contacted at his third eye (as described by saint paul . When he said I die daily . Which means his soul left his body behind like a barely breathing corpse every day (kept alive only by the silver cord mentioned by st paul) and his soul was then “Lifted up to heaven by the spirit” and he saw what he saw and can beck and wrote about it . This practice today is generally referred to a surat shabd yoga and I believe that there are surat shabd yogis that have written very lucid articles on Meister Eckhart in “the science of the soul” magazine (around 1985 when was published in UK and Willaim Pryor was the editor( We have all the back issues in our local science of the soul study center library ) though I don’t have the exact articles but when I do my review I will try to have a few just to show what I personally believe were the salient points of Eckhart’s teachings .
I just found a free download of meister Eckharts tecahing here
https://philocyclevl.files.wordpress....
and yes you CAN copy and paste so here goes
THE GRAIN oF MUSTARD SEED
When all began
(beyond mind's span)
the WORD aye is
Oh what bliss
(my comment : Eckhart is mentions the WORD and says it is BLISSFUL . My guess is that his soul was focused at the eye center and was hearing and seeing the WORD (aka the holy spirit /the shabd)
When source at first gave birth to source!
Oh Father's heart
from which did start
that same Word:
yet 'tis averred,
From both doth flow
a loving glow:
in double troth known to both
comes forth from them the Holy Ghost,
of equal state
inseparate
The three are one:
who grasps it? None!
(my comment : My guess is that Eckhart is the WORD emanated from the heart of God and it comes i into the spiritual womb of man (which I guess is the third eye ) Then” the Word's still kept in womb perforce.” Would mean that if a person forcest his mind to be still at the third eye (the womb) he will experience a “loving glow “ which is the lowest manifestation of the holy spirit .” in double troth known to both comes forth from them the Holy Ghost,” I guess means that when he first contacts the spirit at the eyecenter it BOTH light and sound - a double troth flow from it to the aspiring soul . (REMEMBER THIS IS A TRANSLATION NOT WHAT ECKHART WROTE so I have to fit together the puzzle pieces ) “who grasps it? None!” My guess is that Eckhart was saying PRACTIACLLY no one knows this secrete much less stills their mind at the eyecenter and grasps this inner light and sound within themselves. Im my opinion He must be saying “no one at this monastery has stilled his mind at the eyecenter and grasped this WORD “
The threefold clasp
we cannot grasp,
the circle's span
no mind can scan:
(my comment : the translator likely played havoc withteh meaning of these verse in order to rhyme them ( refer to original German)
for here's a mystery fathomless.
Check and mate,
time, form, estate!
The wondrous ring
holds everything,
its central point stands motionless.
MY comment : I guess” The wondrous ring” refers to the ringing sound of a bell the shabd makes when contacted at the eye center .” holds everything” I guess means that if the stilled mind of the practitioner listens with a motionless mind to the ringing of the bell the bell will pull it up stage by stage to the supreme being and then the soul will get EVEYTHING. “its central point stands motionless.” I guess this means that IF the mind holds motionless at the central point of the eye center it will gain everything from merging in the wondrous ringing and being lifted by it back to God”
The peak sublime
deedless climb
if thou art wise!
(I guess this means that the body when sitting crossed legged is like a mountain and we must “die daily” by sitting still and keeping our mind still at the eyecenter which is the peak of the mountain . We”deedless climb” by NOT DOING ANYTHING by being still in mind and body with attention in our mantra and inner gaze fixed at the peak w gradually “die while living” –our soul currents gradually leave the body and focus at the eye center and w contact the WORD “if thou art wise!” DUH---means if you are wise I urge you to follow this course under my tutelage.
So –yeah that’s how a surat shabe yogi MIGHT interpret Eckhart .Its a lot of work . James Finley’s interpretation of just hearing a saying of a teacher and being forever changed would be A LOT easier ! LOL!!!!
October 18, 2017
To be honest, if I didn't like James Finley so much, I would have given this book one star. My problem is philosophical. I don't believe you can capture the essence of a mystic with an endless collection of words. To me, this felt like a massive attempt to intellectualize a mystic. By definition that is an exercise in missing the point, and this project missed it by a mile.
August 10, 2020
This book I believe requires much from the reader. I had problems following many of the points which were delivered in the book. I did get some 3-4 quotes or points which I find useful, but had expected the book to move my point of views some more and give some more take aways.
December 8, 2021
A really nice, reflective series of discussions on the wisdom and essence of Meister Echart's teachings. This is a strong contemplative look into the ideas of Eckhart from the author's perspective and reflection. Great for my morning commutes.
October 12, 2022
Finley presents the deep, contemplative work of Eckhart with an approachable and deft use of modern language and experience. He helps the reader’s understanding with the brilliant use of metaphor. I was happy I was able to listen this book!
March 25, 2019
This was a difficult read. Very deep.
March 13, 2025
3rd or 4th listen—a fantastic, earthly exploration of Eckhart which doesn’t sacrifice any of the potency. There are plenty of guidelines at the end for reading the sermons yourself.
August 16, 2025
Hard read. Needed John O’Donahue to parse out the key ideals but he died.
March 20, 2017
I have grown a little closer to understanding some elements of Meister Eckhart, the Christian mystic.
May 30, 2016
What Ekhart is saying is that all we've been given is God. We've been given God to give God to others. This "reciprocity of love" is the "birth of the Word in the soul". It is perceiving that all things have God as their ontological core.
This is a thoughtful and contemplative book that ascends toward God intellectually, leaving the work of the heart to the reader. That is to say It leads with intellect and asks the heart to follow. It's a treatise on detachment as a way to empty ones self to an infinite God. The author makes fine use of metaphor to describe ineffable spiritual experiences such as detachment, surrender, and abiding with God
This is a thoughtful and contemplative book that ascends toward God intellectually, leaving the work of the heart to the reader. That is to say It leads with intellect and asks the heart to follow. It's a treatise on detachment as a way to empty ones self to an infinite God. The author makes fine use of metaphor to describe ineffable spiritual experiences such as detachment, surrender, and abiding with God
October 27, 2015
In these reflections, Jim has done what I hoped for—reignited my interest in further exploring Meister Eckhart's nondual mysticism.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews