The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcendpersonal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both thenatural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sensearising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as ameaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any
religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be
Buddhism. (
Albert Einstein
)It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, alie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in apersonal God and I have never denied this but have expressed itclearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it isthe unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as ourscience can reveal it. (
Albert Einstein
, 1954) From Albert Einstein:The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman,Princeton University PressScientific research is based on the idea that everything that takesplace is determined by laws of nature, and therefore this holds for theaction of people. For this reason, a research scientist will hardly beinclined to believe that events could be influenced by a prayer, i.e. by awish addressed to a Supernatural Being. (
Albert Einstein
, 1936)Responding to a child who wrote and asked if scientists pray. Source:Albert Einstein: The Human Side, Edited by Helen Dukas and BaneshHoffmannA man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy,education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary.Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fearof punishment and hope of reward after death. (
Albert Einstein
,"Religion and Science", New York Times Magazine, 9 November 1930I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, orhas a will of the kind that we experience in ourselves. Neither can Inor would I want to conceive of an individual that survives his physicaldeath; let feeble souls, from fear or absurd egoism, cherish suchthoughts. I am satisfied with the mystery of the eternity of life andwith the awareness and a glimpse of the marvelous structure of the
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No-Religion: These quotes are not spurious; they are genuine. But whether Einstein or anyone else says such things or not, that will not affect the veracity or otherwise of Buddhism. If a person is really interested in finding out if after all there could be some truth in Buddhism which is not found in their own faith system they must read more about it, and be more informed, and educated.
'Albert is the Best Buddhist' - not according to Buddhism. A best Buddhist is the one who has walked out from re-formation and recurring known as samsara by abandoning the doubt in the law of nature and abandoning kilesa (anger, greed, ignorance). That one is known as Arahant or arhat. But I have no doubt he is one of the best amongst the lay Buddhists. He saw many difficult things in Buddhism c
Please also read: The Consciousness and the Universe - Chapter V of AGR-ABR
Loved it. As gifted in the art of communication as Einstein was though, I feel like a few of these quotes contradict themselves only slightly. Thank you for the "enlightening" words. :)
Having read quite a bit, in translation, of Einsteins writing, I was interested in a quote I had not see. A Google Search, using the key words "buddha" & "einstein", immediately brought up the blog of the editor of Tricycle in which quotes by Einstein about Buddhism were suggested to be spurious. On the internet there are many attributed quotes that which appear to be of dubious authenticity.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.