Albert Einstein

In this collection of Einstein quotes, the first and second quotes are my favorite. In the first quote, Einstein declares that the sensation of the mystical is the most profound human emotion. He ties it into the limitless possibilities that mysticism can bring. The fact that Einstein is a scientist shows that in order to be intellectual, unworldly ideas do in fact have a place in science, and that place begins at the theory. From the theory stems the hypothesis and from the hypothesis comes experimental research. The duty of experimental research is to falsify or support the hypothesis. However, without these ludicrous ideas, theories would never be propagated. It is incredibly important to note that of all people, Albert Einstein, often regarded as the most intelligent person to ever live, is the same person that suggests to not limit thinking and to invite abstract ideas. Putting this into perspective, I doubt that Einstein would have been able to single handily create distinctive contributions to astrophysics and nuclear physics without an imagination. This greatly ties in with the second passage when scientists and nature are brought up. Basically, this is a passage that suggests that nature is incredible and that scientists strive be as great as God's creation--to become a god in their own right, a Dr. Frankenstein so to speak.

Novalis

Novalis' lines were intriguing yet simplistic. "We are close to waking up when we dream that we are dreaming," is a perfect example displaying simplicity. It is a thought provoking statement that makes complete sense. I notice that it is quite common, at least for me, that when I know I am dreaming I wake up not far after. This might not make sense to some people but when you dream that you are dreaming, the mind is actually consciously aware that you are, in fact, dreaming.
Another line I enjoyed is "When you understand how to love one thing--then you also understand how best to love everything." I particularly liked this line because I feel it is a true and compelling statement. When you read about love in literature or even in behavioral science, the person in love tends to show compassion for all other things, and even a lack of angst against hated ones.

Heraclitus

Though Heraclitus' sayings are very short they are condensed with meaning. "All things flow," reminds me of Albert Einsteins theory of relativism. However, I'm sure it is more closely related to the yin yang and the idea of equilibrium. From analyzing the other quotes from this excerpt, most seem to include this idea of flow, or somehow suggest it. A prime example being "Opposition brings together, and from discord comes perfect harmony." There is no flow or equilibrium without an opposite and this seems to suggest that much like the yin yang, where there is good there is evil and they will always coexist. Of course this would also apply to most polar identities like hot/cold, tall/short, angel/demon, etc. "From all, one; and from one, all," is probably the most eloquently crafted statement I've ever read. Not only does it elude to the unity of self but from the self to all; in order to convey that a great spirit is in all of us, individually and as a group. I've never read anything by Heraclitus before and although his statements are brief, they are sagacious in nature.

The Hermetic Writings

The Hermetic Writings have an omnipotent approach to the subject of God. I liked it because of the light but stern tone. This segment is proof of the tone: "If you don't make yourself equal to God, you can't perceive God; for like is known by like." This passage also introduces the moral of what the rest of the writing is about. After reading the rest of the writing, you will understand that it is impossible to be God. This is because it is not humanly possible to be old, young, unborn, in the sky, in the sea, on the land, etc. all at the same time. Therefore because you cannot experience all these things at once, you cannot be God or even completely perceive God. However, just because you can't fully perceive God doesn't mean you cannot get to know him. This is where I feel the Hermetic Writings gets profound. I believe it to be profound because of the emphasis this passage puts on spirituality instead of living by what is factual and learning to trust and believe in something you cannot behold. What we take from this passage is that God is beautiful from all aspects, including all of his creations--essentially the world we know, not just biological entities.

Rumi

A friend once told me about Rumi so then I read a couple of his shorter poetry. When I read the poetry contained in The Enlightened Mind, I thought most of it was pretty difficult to understand. However, the way in which he delivers deep thought (which reflects Islam) shows an adept poet, or perhaps a philosopher. I preferred the passage in which Rumi references gold but uses it metaphorically. I particularly enjoyed it because of its portrayal of love and what it should feel like to love; as if everything is golden. I found this to be a profound excerpt because of the way the message is carefully melded (no pun intended) by taking an inanimate object deemed beautiful by the masses while it also simultaneously represents greed. However, initially, Rumi creates an illusion that the gold is something good by taking advantage of the superficial nature of humans and then smacking the metaphor it represents, right in the reader's face. The complexity woven into Rumi's work is still unprecedented today.

Al-Bistami

This was an intriguing read and I liked it. I generally find Islam to be a very deep moral religion with a solid faith. I was intrigued by the complexity of the verses and the assertiveness contained within each. With that said, the following verse is my favorite from Al-Bistami, "Forgetfulness of self is remembrance of God. Whoever knows God through God becomes alive, and whoever knows God through self becomes dead." While this is not an entirely profound statement, I feel that it is an important part of this religions. Simply, this verse is wanting the reader to be a selfless person that believes in God and be humble in life so that you don't regard yourself as a God; which is usually regarded as a sin. Basically, each verse somehow implies or directly mentions God or heaven backed with a moral or wise statement.