Page:Mind (Old Series) Volume 11.djvu/44

 MEISTER ECKEHART, THE MYSTIC. 33 in which it was before entering the phenomenal world ; it has recognised itself as idea in God and thrown off all creature-attributes (creatilrlichkeit), the remaining in which is what Eckehart understands by hell ; it sees everything sub specie ceternitatis. Secluded from men, free from all external objects, from all chance, distraction, trouble, it sees only reality. To all sensuous matters it is indifferent. " Is it sick ? It is as fain sick as sound ; as fain sound as sick. Should a friend die? In the name of God. Is an eye knocked out ? In the name of God." It is complete sub- mission to the will of God, absolute indifferentism to heaven or hell, if they but come as the result of that will (fb., 59-60, 203, &c.). This is the state of grace wherein no joyous thing gives pleasure and no painful thing can bring sadness. It is the extreme to which Christian asceticism Christian renunciation of the world of sense can well be pushed. 1 Putting aside the antinomy between Eckehart's pheno- menology and practical theology, let us endeavour to see the exact meaning of his theory of renunciation. He asserts that it is possible by a certain transcendental process to attain a "higher knowledge"; that this higher knowledge consists of an union with God, whereby the individual soul is able to recognise and thus absolutely submit to the will of God. The will and conception of God are identical. His conceptions are the prototypes (vorgSndiu bilde) or reality. Hence we might well interpret Eckehart's mystical higher knowledge to refer to a knowledge of the reality which exists behind the phenomenal, and consequently the submission of the individual will to the laws of that reality. Such a theory possesses a certain degree of logical con- sistency and is strikingly similar to Spinoza's doctrine of the beatitude which flows from the higher cognition of God. Unluckily, Spinoza's cognition leads to joy and peace in this world, while Eckehart's produces only a pure indifferentism. Still more striking is the contrast when we examine the methods by which the cognition is supposed to be attained. Spinoza's is only to be reached by a renunciation of obscure ideas, by a casting forth of blind passion, by a laborious intellectual process. Eckehart declares, on the other hand, that all knowledge of reality is only to be gained by a transcendental act of the divine will; the act itself must occur during an emotional trance, wherein the mind endea- vours to free itself from all external impressions, to disregard 1 Meister Eckehart even goes so far on one occasion as to assert that pain ought to be received, not only willingly and joyously, but even eagerly! (I). M., ii. 599.) 3