[Buddha-l] Article of possible interest

[Joy Vriens]

Hi Lance,

>>Well, what did the church condemn in Protestantism ? What were  
>>Eckhart and Marguerite Porete condemned for? 
 
>I was thinking specifically of mysticism, not of religious movements  
>generally. I would see early Protestantism as mainly a kind of  
>fundamentalism, challenging the authority of the Church. 

I found Luther pretty much of a mystic, or motivated by mystic experience. Initially at least. Until politics got mixed in probably.
 
>Eckhart is an interesting illustration. His writings were not  
>condemned until after his death. And they might well not have been,  
>had he been alive to defend them. 

In his book, Delacroix made a study of Suso, his disciple, who as he noted was much more prudent in how he expressed himself and who tried to make Eckhart's view more palatable (as you suggested earlier). 
 
>Marguerite Porete and others supposedly belonging to the Brethren of  
>the Free Spirit are another matter. But I doubt that it was her ideas  
>that led to her condemnation so much as the type of paranoia that  
>invented accusations against the Jews and others. 

I am very moved by her story, her book, her theories, her courage and amazed at how one can get burned for preaching love... 
 
>>  >>I am pretty distrustful of correct memories of childhood. I am not  
>>>>sure correct memories exist. How does one correctly revive something  
>>>>that is gone? 
 
>>>There is a description of how to do this in Achaan Brahm's latest book :-) 
 
>>Can you give a hint without spoiling the plot of the book? :-) 
 
>Basically you enter a state he claims is jhaana with the aim of  
>remembering past lives. On emerging you remember something. He talks  
>about the kind of thing that happens. 

:-)