The Philosopher Einstein

 

The Genius Philosopher

Whenever we hear the name Einstein, an image of unparalleled scientific brilliance naturally comes to mind. However, as I stumbled upon some of his quotes, I realized that he lived on the fringes of cutting-edge knowledge across various subjects. Perhaps this is true of many brilliant thinkers—they transcend the boundaries of specific fields.

At the highest levels of science, math, art, and music, I believe the lines begin to blur. One quote, where Einstein speaks about a sense of "oneness" with the universe, illustrates this well. I recently read an article in The New York Times from March 29, 1972, that mentioned his exchanges with a rabbi, which further convinced me that, like Pythagoras, Thales, and Descartes, Einstein was not only a remarkable scientist but also a philosopher.

The rabbi had written to Einstein, troubled by his inability to console his 19-year-old daughter after the loss of her 16-year-old sister. While I’m not certain if Einstein directly provided guidance, his response pointed to his own quest for unity in nature—a frustration in not fully uncovering it.

Einstein wrote:

"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison, restricting us to personal desires and affection for those closest 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. While nobody can achieve this completely, the effort itself is part of liberation and lays a foundation for inner security.”

I hope you enjoyed this snippet!

A similar theme coincidentally is found in one of the oldest philosophy books, Gita, where Krishna tells Arjuna that -

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः ।

उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ 2.16 ॥

सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शन: ॥ 6.29 ॥
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते ।
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ 18.20 ॥

While thousands of pages have been written to explain the above verses and those in context of it, the gist of above is that - 

The seers of truth conclude that nonexistent [illusory world & body] doesn't last and eternal [the soul] doesn't change (2.16). A yogi sees themselves in all beings and all in them equanimously (6.29). Such knowledge of imperishable pervasive undivided compassionate existence is the path of supreme goodness (18.20)!

May be Einstein was a seer of truth and our unified theory probably rests somewhere in the depths of our compassionate hearts..?

Lots of Love,
The Lightworker