A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe". He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is kind of a 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.
Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
~Albert Einstein
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What I love about this quote is the acknowledgement that "nobody is able to achieve this completely", and that "striving...is in itself part of the liberation". I wonder if I have just expecting way too much from myself here.
Also I love the phrase "optical delusion of consciousness"...
And another thing, I listened to a tape on mindfulness (since I now know that I am a buddhist, I've been reviewing my books and tapes) and there was a cool exercize in it for getting up in the morning.
It goes like this... when you wake up, before you get out of bed, smile a half smile. And then take charge of your breathing - by taking 3 good slow deep breaths...
The half smile is astonishing. I immediately feel better... as a friend of mine said "like the cat that swallowed the canary"... Whenever I notice that I am stressed out, I put on that half smile and instantly I feel better. And then I remember to breathe at least 3 times..
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