The Still Desert (book)
“…the soul’s spark… wants to penetrate to the simple ground, to the still desert, into which distinction never peeped…”
Meister Eckhart
This new book, contains a selection of photographs, accompanied by short quotations from the German mystic Meister Eckhart. (See below for more information and a video of the book)
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Meister Eckhart
Despite having some of his writings condemned as heretical, the German mystic, theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart, born in the 13th century, remains an important source of mystical experience and inspiration, and not only within the Christian tradition. Increasingly, many Buddhists are recognising the closeness of Meister Eckhart's thinking to that of Mahayana Buddhism. Especially, they point to the deep similarities between his notion of God as "pure nothingness" and the Buddhist doctrine of śūnyatā, (‘emptiness’ or ‘openness’). For many people, these similarities allow Meister Eckhart’s work to function as a helpful bridge between western Christianity, and eastern, non-dual, spiritual traditions.
For me, it is Meister Eckhart’s writing about “the now of eternity” which particularly chimes with my own spiritual and creative practice. It resonates especially with my experience of being immersed in the natural creative processes which I discover, and relish, in graveyard photography (and which I’ve written about elsewhere on this site).
Eugene Gendlin, the 20th century American philosopher was also profoundly influenced by Meister Eckhart. He says:
“Eckhart speaks of a state where you can really be silent,… where there is deep silence…. he says that there is only God…, only God, then the weight falls away. Knowing that … everything is only God… one can become completely free… this makes the free breath…”*
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Book information:
Text: Meister Eckhart; Images: Zoe White
Book size: 8.75"x8.75"; Hardcover; Pages: 39; Images: 19; Cost: € 35.95 plus post & packing
A video of the book is available below
To order The Still Desert: contact Zoe via the Contact form on this website
* quoted from conversations between Eugene Gendlin and Donata Schoeller. See The International Focusing Institute website (Eugene Gendlin and Mysticism workshop).
