Inspiration from Albert Einstein: A Human Being
June 21, 2009
*
A human being is part of a whole,
called by us the Universe,
a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings,
as something separated from the rest,
a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us,
restricting us to our personal desires
and to affection for a few persons nearest us.
Our task must be
to free ourselves from this prison
by widening our circles of compassion
to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature in its beauty.
*
I chose this quote for today’s inspiration because, when I first read it, I thought it was something the Dalai Lama had said. I was suprised to find Einstein discussing the sense of self as a delusion, and how misguided it is to love only those closest to us. This sounds like the most basic Buddhist teachings!
Then he goes on to tell us we can only free ourselves from these delusional shackles, and that the way to do it is by caring for others. Spiritual, philosophical, and scientific master minds all seem to agree on this: compassion is the key to happiness. Focusing solely on ourselves and our own problems just keeps us trapped in a self-created prison.
So, if you didn’t believe me when I wrote that Personal Development is a Prisoner’s Dilemma, perhaps you would consider taking Einstein’s advice. From what I understand, he seemed to be a pretty smart guy.
What do you think?
Is it possible to distance ourselves from the misguided notion that we are each separate from each other? Is it conceivable that the answer to our individual happiness is as simple as helping others? What is it that keeps us from reaching out, and breaking free from our self-created prisons?
Happy Sunday!
Related posts:
- Inspiration from Aldous Huxley: The Inexpressible
- Inspiration from Pema Chodron: Everyone and Everything
- Inspiration from Marcel Murrell (1916 – 2009)
- Inspiration: Nobody Trips Over Mountains
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Morning Lisis!
Einstein was great. He was a very different kind of thinker and has some great quotes. I agree that we are all part of something bigger, but there is also something about us that is separate. Nobody can get inside my head and I can’t get inside anyone else’s. At least not yet. In that regard we are essentially alone. We must face that and accept it and then somehow reconnect with that bigger thing that we are all a part of. I just depressed myself
Stephen – Rat Race Trap´s last blog ..Don’t Be Offended
Hey Lisis!
the first line got me… def going to be quoting einstein, as people do, to bring credability to a statement like you are everything. ooh, einstein said it, it MUST be right
the whole prose in fact is beautiful. could have said it was out of an eastern book of life, and it’d have still made so much sense.
generally read and write comment alongside in a notepad document as i read 
-…and that’s kinda what you said immediately after the quote
i definitely think that we are part of the whole. that we are the whole. it’s just ego stuff that wants separation…and that wants oneness. you can’t want oneness without wanting separation. just the idea of wanting is a mindset of separation.
inspiring stuff.
gave it a stumble
keep well
alex – unleash reality
Wow, this is so interesting. I’ve never read it before, but I think it’s a great concept. I’m not sure how easy it is for people to recognize they are part of a whole (especially when living in a VERY individualistic society like that of the US) but it’s a great concept to ponder and work towards. Great post!
Positively Present´s last blog ..blueprints for a life: 10 lessons my dad taught me
Love your humor coming out at the end. That’s one reason why I so enjoy your writing; it’s enlightening while always being very accessible.
Just recently, I’ve been opening my mind to this kind of thinking (Buddhist teachings) and I’m not quite sure what I think anymore. It sounds reasonable, however, I haven’t experienced enough of it yet for it to feel real. So, as I still come from that “have to see it (experience it) to believe it” mentality, I do know that connection to my fellow creatures is what works for me to feel balanced and happy.
P.S. The Comment Luv plug-in (or is it a widget?) on the bottom of the comments box just keeps processing but never finishing.
For me, life would have little meaning if not for the ability to help and interact with others. Good insightful post.
I have a non-duality approach towards the world; i.e. I don’t see any of us as distinct and separate from each of us. All of us are part of a larger whole. That being said, I’d like to mention a caveat on creating happiness through compassion. Some people fall into the trap of trying to give purely because they want to be happy, which makes the reason for compassion rooted from one of ego, self-satisfying reasons. Not that the action should be judged as wrong, but it’s not what I see to be the purest reason for helping others.
Hi, everyone! Sorry I fell off the face of the Earth on today’s comments. I’ve been without internet access since Friday afternoon. No blog, no email, no facebook, no twitter. It was kind of a weird feeling, but also a nice one… just out seeing the world and enjoying the sunshine. I’ve got to do that more often!
I know the concept of no separate self is one of the tougher Buddhist teachings for those of us in the super-individualistic West. But it’s really not as radical or unlikely as it first sounds. Maybe I’ll write a post about that topic to put it in Western terms: “Non-Self for Non-Buddhists 101.” It’s actually a pretty liberating cocept.
@Celes: I do agree that if your main motivation for helping others is to become happy, it’s not completely compassionate action. In fact, you would be using the misfortune of others for your own selfish purposes. Somehow I don’t think that would have the same effect on the individual… though at least someone ELSE would still benefit.
@Suzanne: Thanks for the heads up about Comment Luv. I’ll look into that and see what I can do to get it working again.
I want to thank all of you for stopping by today. It sure was nice to see all your names here when I first logged back on.
Hi Lisis,
I love the last paragraph of this poem, Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” That is SO powerful, but yet, something we should all strive for.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful and inspiring words.
Barbara Swafford´s last blog ..Do “They†Have The Right To Know
What is it that keeps us from reaching out, and breaking free from our self-created prisons?
I would say fear.
@ Barbara: That is my favorite part too. He sums it up so beautifully!
@ Gina: I believe you are right… fear holds us back from almost everything we could or would do otherwise. There must be a way to minimize the power that fear has over us. If there is a way, we’ll certainly find it by working together.