a part of the whole

EinsteinI ended up quoting dear Albert a couple of times in my most recent book z2, but I just discovered the quote below and it has risen to one of my favorites of his.  It is so well suited to the theme of x0 that I had to post it here.  Thank you Mr. Einstein.

100_0075“A human being is a part of the whole called by us ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling 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