Childhood and Family: Meister Eckhart and Kabir

Johannes "Meister" Eckhart was born in 1260 AD in a village named Hocheim near Gotha within Thuringia in central Germany. His father was a knight's castle steward in the Thuringia Forest (Tobin pg. 4). At fifteen, he joined the Dominican order in Erfurt, where he studied for nine years. Then, he proceeded with his studies to Cologne, where Albert Magnus greatly influenced him. At forty, he wrote his first pamphlet, "These are the Talks of Instruction. "He talks about self-denial, prayer, growth, and devotion to God. In the year 1302, he received his master's degree, so he was known as Meister Eckhart College of Paris. Dietrich of Freiberg was an important figure that influenced Meister's life. Eckhart was born during the Interregnum (1254–73). Meister's life was filled with conflict between the church and the empire. He was later tried for heresy in the last years of his life.

Kabir is regarded as one of the great saint poets of northern India. He is respected by Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims. His work includes both social criticism of Hinduism and Islam. He was born in 1398 into a weaver family who converted to Islam. Kabir was a disciple of the Guru Ramananda, a famous teacher in the 15th century whom he looked up to. His first encounter with Ramananda was when he stepped upon the rivers of the Ganges, where Ramananda was accustomed to bathing, and he called his name "Ram Ram, " meaning he had been initiated into discipleship.  He was his disciple for many years, gaining knowledge about the Brahmans. Kabir was a skilled musician and a poet. Kabir was a saint and a poet who firmly believed in the unity of God and denounced the caste system. He preached a religion of love. According to him, all life is an interplay of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma), and the other is God (Paramatma), and salvation brings these two divine principles into union.

    In conclusion, Meister Eckhart and Kabir belonged to different religious and cultural contexts but shared a common belief in having a personal experience of the divine. Kabir's mysticism was rooted in the union of the Sufi and Hindu traditions, which he expressed through poetry. While Meister Eckhart belonged to the mystical Christian traditions, he wrote some treatises in German and Latin. Both mystics had a connection with emphasizing inner spirituality over external rituals.

Sources

Kabir, & Tagore, R. (2010). Songs of Kabir. Floating Press. 

Flasch, K. (2015). Meister Eckhart : philosopher of Christianity (A. Schindel & A. Vanides, Trans.). Yale University Press.

Encyclopedia of Hinduism, see the entry on Kabir. REF 294.503 J765e 2007.

Encyclopedia of Hinduism (edited by Cush), see the entry on Kabir. REF 294.503 E564 2008.

MLA 9th Edition (Modern Language Assoc.) Flasch, Kurt, et al. Meister Eckhart : Philosopher of Christianity. Yale University Press, 2015. APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.) Flasch, K., Vanides, A., & Schindel, A. (2015). Meister Eckhart : Philosopher of Christianity. Yale University Press. Meister Eckhart preached about the unity of the divine and the human.