I pray God to rid me of God. ~ Meister Eckhart
If I say that ‘God is sweet,' this isn’t true. I’m good, however God shouldn’t be good!. ~ Meister Eckhart
What might Eckhart — a devoted Dominican — probably imply when he exclaims that he desires to be "rid" of God or that "God shouldn’t be good"? Within the timeless custom of many mystics, Eckhart speaks in a language known as "damaging" or apophatic theology, which reorients our pondering by describing what God shouldn’t be. Eckhart challenges us by drawing consideration to the best way we casually apply restricted ideas to the infinitude of the divine. The human idea "good" can solely apply to that which is restricted, akin to Eckhart himself. Eckhart desires to be freed from false, restricted fascinated with God.
Equally, the custom of yoga makes use of the phrase "neti neti," which interprets as "not this, not that," which means that something the thoughts encounters is restricted, and due to this fact shouldn’t be one thing with which to determine. When asking the query "who am I?" the thoughts should at all times reply "neti neti," since our true nature lies past the thoughts's expertise.
Nonetheless, what’s past the thoughts shouldn’t be past our capability to know. Yoga provides an reverse, and complementary, observe to damaging theology that embraces every thing as "iti iti," or "all this, all that." It celebrates and affirms that every thing, even limitation itself, is God. The religious journey requires the thoughts to let go of identification with limitation as we joyfully have fun every thing as a manifestation of the divine.
Typically in our observe we’d like "neti neti," and different occasions, "iti iti." Collectively, they make up the extraordinary and pleasant play of the divine in its boundless abundance. You may hearken to this brief chant as a fruits of the "not this," and the "all this." In the end, the thriller lies past phrases. In any case, God asks: Who can say what I'm not?
