In this second meditation from the ‘Meister Eckhart and the Love of God’ series, we explore the silent ground of the soul – the innermost sanctuary of being in which no trace of thought or image remains. Drawing on Eckhart’s profound insights, we consider how the apparent self, with all its faculties and movements, may fall away, revealing the light of God’s being as our very own. This is not a union of two, but the unveiling of what is already and always one.
Sink back into the silent ground of being, where infinite being, God’s being, shines as your very own self.
As Meister Eckhart writes:
When the soul enters this ground, she leaves behind all her powers and rests in the being she shares with God. There she neither gives nor takes, neither acts nor suffers, but simply is – in the same way God is. All motion, all change, all distinction is gone.
The Natural Divestment of Being
Every night, as you fall asleep, nature gives you a rehearsal of the return to being. It begins with the withdrawal of perception – sights, sounds, tastes, textures, smells. As they fade, your awareness of the world dissolves. You remain aware, but no longer aware of the world.
Then sensations recede, and with them, your experience of the body vanishes. Only thoughts and images remain – the realm of dreams. But even as these layers of experience fall away, you do not pass from one essential state to another. You remain as you are. Perceptions and sensations have simply left you.
Eventually, even thoughts and images dissolve, and with them, the activity of the mind subsides. What remains is deep sleep – not a void, but the silent presence of pure being. Awareness remains – all alone, utterly awake – but no longer aware of anything. You do not stop being aware; you are simply no longer aware of anything.
