A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘universe’. A part limited in time and space. We experience ourself, our thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest: a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a 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.