Meister Eckhart, Heidegger, and Syafaatun al-Mirzanah on detachment in/is Islam

Through a small book about the philosophy of Heidegger I came across his interest for Meister Eckhart (1260-1329) and his idea  of Gelassenheit, sometimes translated as detachment, releasement. And so I read in the book of the Ph.Thesis by Shafaatun the chapter on Detachment (pp. 121-157). Shafaatun takes another keyword of Eckhart, Abgescheidenheit, also translated as 'detachment'.

In the recent book on The Essential Caputo, a nice analysis of this concept of  Eckhart is given. There is a cool section of detachment: leaving things aside, making free from, like ascetism, which also may lead to indifference, lazyness. This is the negative side of the concept, like the Arab nafî, leading to some kind of purification, but not yet a final situation. But then isbât should of follow, as the fulfillment, realisation of union with God.

 

Caputo writes in this that after detachment a positive action must come: "As the soul transcends into the multiplicity of sensible things of the world to God himself." (61). Here Eckhart writes in a personal style about God, while Heidegger writes in an impersonal mood about Being itself. In fact, here is not only negative theology working (see Shafaatun pp 154-155) but also the positive side is coming in.

From this debate I thought again about the meaning of Islam. It is often translated as 'surrender to God's will and power', and so has the meaning of detachment, but it immediately must be given the positive meaning of sharing God's plan with the world, of a personal union. Entrustment could be a good translation of Islam too.

After 123 years: Ceremonial Dutch Golden Coach banned for reasons of discrimination

 In 1898 the Dutch Kingdom welcomed a new queen, Wilhelmina. The citizens of the capital, Amsterdam, gave her a new coach, commonly called 'the golden coach' for its rich decoration. Much of the wooden parts were made by cratfsmen from Jepara. Since 1903 the coach has been used every year at the third Tuesday of September to bring the royal family to parliament for its ceremonial opening and the King's speech. A few years ago it was decided that the coach should receive treatment for some deficiencies. Now it is finished and fine again and could be used for next Tuesday.

However, in relations to the demonstrations under the label of 'Black lives matter' there is a fierce criticism on colonialism again and especially the treatment of native population in the colonies who had to obey and to bow for colonial rulers, here represented by the former queen. Therefore it has now been decided by the government, no longer to use the Golden Coach for ceremonial purposes and to place in in a historical museum. Times are changing, although slowly!