Above and below Quote by Erwin Schrodinger
“This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole; only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the Brahmins express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and so clear; tat tvam asi, this is you. Or, again, in such words as "I am in the east and the west, I am above and below, I am this entire world."”
About This Quote
Source Book: What Is Life? by Erwin Schrödinger, 1944
Existence is a unified whole, not fully graspable in a single view; the self is identical with the universe.
In simple terms: All is one, beyond simple observation.
Key Takeaway
Recognize interconnectedness.
Themes
philosophy
unity
self
existence
holism
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- spiritual contemplation
- scientific reflection
- personal identity
Key Concepts
non-duality
identity
cosmic perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- How does seeing yourself as part of everything affect your actions?
- What limits arise from seeing the whole as a single glance?
A Different Perspective
Simplifying complex reality can be misleading.
![“This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole; only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the Brahmins [wise men or priests in the Vedic tradition] express…” quote by Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bec/erwin-schrodinger-8450_brahmins_this-life-of-yours-which-you-are-living_2988259.jpg)
![“I am no friend of probability theory, I have hated it from the first moment when our dear friend Max Born gave it birth. For it could be seen how easy and simple it made everything, in principle, everything ironed and the true problems concealed. Everybody must jump on the bandwagon [Ausweg]. And…” quote by Erwin Schrödinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/734/erwin-schrodinger-8450_born_i-am-no-friend-of-probability-theory-i-h_434486.jpg)
