A FOURTEENTH-CENTURY Dominican was charged with mystical heresy. Meister Eckhart had to defend his beliefs that God is love and that personal salvation, the center of life, can only be sought by direct union with God— a union that could be achieved only by facing God with unswerving affection. He also believed that “however you accomplish this is the way for you.” A legend tells of Meister Eckhart meeting a beautiful naked boy and asking where he comes from:
“I’ve come from God.” “Where did you leave him?” “In virtuous hearts.”