Einstein quote

[Neo]

I've since long figured Einstein was very inspired about buddhism, because of his own world wiev. I stumbled across this quote today, beautiful right?

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _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 to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." - Albert Einstein

[Jishin]

“The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description.”

― Albert Einstein

Gassho, Jishin

[Kokuu]

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

-- Albert Einstein

[Risho]

I'm paraphrasing, I think from the book "What the Buddha Taught", but truth isn't Buddhist, Christian, etc. Truth is truth; now the path to realize truth may be different, but reality is reality man!

Gassho,

Risho

[Juki]

Baby Thor and Mon Cul were at the table. Marx Marvelous blinked at the luminescence of the child's gaze; his eyes were like bare wires. He was both amused and flabbergasted by the baboon's antics, such as the way it juggled strawberries before devouring them, the way it scratched its pelt with a fork.

Amanda chatted gaily with her son, tossing an occasional aside to her husband, to the baboon or to Marx Marvelous. She jabberred about seashell Buddhas and sweet cream rainbows and abot a proposed trip to the hills to hunt the morel (which Marvelous gathered was a species of mushroom). In contrast, John Paul said nothing. He sucked up his breakfast with manners that Marx found nearly as atricious as the baboon's. Ziller ate everything with his fingers, including the berries in honey. To Marx, this seemed a disgusting display of contrived primitivism. He was about to say as much when Ziller suddenly asked, "Mr. Marvelous, do you think that anything exists between space and the wall?"

It was the kind of question that made Marx Marvelous cringe, that offended him deep down in his bowels. Nevertheless, he was prepared. "Albert Einstein once defined space as 'love.' If that is an accurate definition, then we may conclude that if something could fit between love and its object, then something could fit between space and the wall."

Tom Robbins, from "Another Roadside Attraction"

Relevant to nothing, just a passage that mentions both Einstein and Buddha and a passage I have loved for 35 years, since I first read the book in 1979.

[Jishin]

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Albert Einstein

Gassho, Jishin

[Daitetsu]

I have always loved Einstein - nice quotes in this thread!

However, I think it is funny that seemingly everyone wants to have Einstein on their side...

When I was in Deist boards many years (in fact decades) ago lots of them claimed that Einstein was a Deist.
When I was in Atheist boards lots of them claimed he was Atheist.
I met Christians who claimed Einstein was in reality a Christian.
Of course many people think he followed the Jewish religion.
I guess it was high time that people claim he was drawn to Buddhism.

There are several fake Einstein quotes on the internet and one should be careful with quotes by him (and by the Buddha btw) - see this Tricycle link about this:
http://www.tricycle.com/p/176

I guess the reason for this is that Einstein was the stereotype of a genius - and if people can say he belonged or was close to their group, then their point of view or even worldview must be right.

I love Einstein, not just for his achievements as a scientist, but also for his philosophical views and those as an individual.
He was pretty much influenced by the world view of Spinoza. Wikipedia has an own entry about Einstein's religious views:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religio...lbert_Einstein

Some quotes:

It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I feel also not able to imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. My views are near those of Spinoza: admiration for the beauty of and belief in the logical simplicity of the order which we can grasp humbly and only imperfectly.

and

In an interview published in 1930 in G. S. Viereck's book Glimpses of the Great, Einstein, in response to a question about whether or not he believed in God, explained:

Your question [about God] is the most difficult in the world.
It is not a question I can answer simply with yes or no. I am not an Atheist. I do not know if I can define myself as a Pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. May I not reply with a parable? The human mind, no matter how highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child, entering a huge library whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written those books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the human mind, even the greatest and most cultured, toward God. We see a universe marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways the constellations. I am fascinated by Spinoza's Pantheism. I admire even more his contributions to modern thought. Spinoza is the greatest of modern philosophers, because he is the first philosopher who deals with the soul and the body as one, not as two separate things.

and finally:

In a 1950 letter to M. Berkowitz, Einstein stated that

"My position concerning God is that of an agnostic. I am convinced that a vivid consciousness of the primary importance of moral principles for the betterment and ennoblement of life does not need the idea of a law-giver, especially a law-giver who works on the basis of reward and punishment."

Gassho,

Daitetsu

[Myoku]

However, I think it is funny that seemingly everyone wants to have Einstein on their side...

I love to get my position confirmed, most people do, right ? We should however be happy if someone questions our beliefs, at least thats what I believe.
Gassho
Myoku

[Daitetsu]

Hi Myoku,

I love to get my position confirmed, most people do, right ?

Absolutely, but I have found Einstein and the Buddha to be exceptionally popular...
And I fully agree - people who challenge our (non-)beliefs and opinions are very important.

Gassho,

Daitetsu

[John Cloud]

I've since long figured Einstein was very inspired about buddhism, because of his own world wiev. I stumbled across this quote today, beautiful right?

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _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 to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." - Albert Einstein

Very good quote !
Thank you very much

Gassho

[Troy]

Love the quotes!

[Myozan Kodo]

"I'll have the tiramisu and some coffee after, please."
- Albert Einstein

Only joking! ;-)

Lovely, inspiring quotes. Thanks for sharing.

Gassho
Myozan


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[Shokai]

" EXCUSE ME PLEASE ! "
-Albert Epstein

I find the tiramisu sometimes bitter



gassho, Shokai, still learning the way and knowing nothing.

[Oheso]

Juki:

gassho, O