Photography: A Perspective Inspired by Meister Eckhart
In both my workshops and book writing endeavours, I rely heavily on insights gained from intuitive conversations with nature and my regular meditation practices. After gathering these raw insights, I’m often curious to see what’s already been documented on the subject—thank you, Google. I believe that all of us access a shared pool of universal wisdom, just expressed differently according to individual perspectives. This common source makes me open to exploring religious texts too, irrespective of my personal beliefs.
I find joy in sharing perspectives drawn from my observations in nature and human behaviour—these are insights stripped down to their purest form, free of any dressing.
My journey led me to the writings of Meister Eckhart, a theologian who’s intrigued me with his unique perspective. Though he often framed his wisdom in Christian terms, I see them as universal truths that match what I have felt during my own meditations. I like to keep my own insights pure and free from any religious context.
Eckhart’s view on vision fascinated me, especially because I found it resonated with my own approach to photography. He said:
“The two eyes of the soul of man cannot both perform their work at once: but if the soul shall see with the right eye into eternity, then the left eye must close itself and refrain from working, and be as though it were dead…no man can serve two masters.”
I find it striking that Eckhart speaks of the right eye as the one that perceives eternity, as that is also the eye many photographers use to capture timeless moments. The left eye, according to him, focuses on the immediate environment, a description that perfectly aligns with how I engage with the world through my lens.
Would you agree? I find these parallels inspiring.
If this insight has piqued your interest and you’d like to delve further into such topics, feel free to leave a comment below.