Saturday 29 January 2022

Meister Eckhart: from 'In hoc apparuit caritas dei in nobis'

 


Swer daz leben vrâgete tûsent jâr: war umbe lebest dû, solte ez antwürten, es spræche niht anders wan: Ich lebe dar umbe daz ich lebe. Daz ist dâ von, wan leben lebet üzer sînem eigenen grunde und quillet üzer sînem eigen; dar umbe lebet ez âne  warumbe in dem, das ez sich selber lebet. Swer nû vrâgete einen wârhaften menschen, der dâ würket ûz eigenem grunde: war umbe würkest dû dîniu werk?, sollte er rehte antwürten, er spræche niht anders dan: Ich würke dar umbe, das ich würke.

 

Were anyone to ask life for a thousand years: Why do you live?, it would say in answer nothing but this: I live in order to live. That is the case because life lives out of its own grounding and wells up out of its own source; therefore it lives without any why, since it lives in itself. Were anyone to ask a true human being who acted out of his own grounding: Why do you carry out your deeds?, and were he to answer honestly, he would answer nothing but this: I act in order to act.

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