True Detachment

Detachment, one of Meister Eckhart’s main themes, doesn’t imply withdrawal from the world but being free of the burden of separation with its needs, fears and insecurities. The qualities of our being – imperturbable peace, causeless joy and unconditional love – can then be fully expressed. One who has this detachment may become more active. Their attention is no longer taken up with inner dramas, so they have free attention. Their will becomes aligned with God’s will. Meister Eckhart gave an analogy: the outer person can be active while the inner person is completely free. As a door swings on its hinge, the boards move but the hinge stays in the same place. True detachment is a mind that stands unmoved by all fluctuations, like a mountain unmoved by wind. Whatever they desire, they obtain, because there is no distance between desire and having. This detachment comes from recognising that being is already free.