Chapter 1

The Flowering of Human Consciousness.

"Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature."

Eckhart Chapter 1 Highlights:

• Ego - "this is important for two related reasons: The first is that unless you know the basic mechanics behind the workings of the ego, you won't recognize it, and it will trick you into identifying with it again and again." "An imposter pretending to be you."

• "to sin means to miss the mark, as an archer who misses the target, so to sin means to miss the point of human existence." "It means to live unskillfully, blindly, and thus to suffer and cause suffering."

• "No doubt: The human mind is highly intelligent. Yet its very intelligence is tainted with madness."

• "You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already with you, allowing that goodness to emerge."

• "What a liberation to realize that the 'Voice in my head' is not who I am. "

• Ego is the "complete identification with form - physical forms, thought forms, emotional forms. This results in a total unawareness of my connectedness with the whole, my intrinsic oneness with every 'other' as well as the Source."

Marilyn’s Thoughts/Notes:

Stefan’s Thoughts/Notes:

• [Stefan] There is a feeling of relief with the awareness that I am not my 'compulsive' or 'anxious' thinking.

• [Stefan] Who am I then, if I am not my thoughts? Where do I find myself? How do I differentiate from others? Don't I need to be unique to have value in this world? If no one values me, I am alone!