Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (good books to read .txt) 📕

nature. But as to what any man shall say or think about him or do against

him, he never even thinks of it, being himself contented with these two

things,—with acting justly in what he now does, and being satisfied with

what is now assigned to him; and he lays aside all distracting and busy

pursuits, and desires nothing else than to accomplish the straight course

through the law, and by accomplishing the straight course to follow God.

12. What need is there of suspicious fear, since it is in thy power to

inquire what ought to be done? And if thou seest clear, go by this way

content, without turning back: but if thou dost not see clear, stop and

take the best advisers. But if any other things oppose thee, go on

according to thy powers with due consideration, keeping to that which

appears to be just. For it is best to reach this object, and if thou dost

fail, let thy failure be in attempting this. He who follows reason in all

things is both tranquil and active at the same time, and also cheerful

and collected.

13. Inquire of thyself as soon as thou wakest from sleep whether it will

make any difference to thee if another does what is just and right. It

will make no difference (VI. 32; VIII. 55).

Thou hast not forgotten, I suppose, that those who assume arrogant airs

in bestowing their praise or blame on others are such as they are at bed

and at board, and thou hast not forgotten what they do, and what they

avoid, and what they pursue, and how they steal and how they rob, not

with hands and feet, but with their most valuable part, by means of which

there is produced, when a man chooses, fidelity, modesty, truth, law, a

good daemon [happiness] (VII. 17)?

14. To her who gives and takes back all, to nature, the man who is

instructed and modest says, Give what thou wilt; take back what thou

wilt. And he says this not proudly, but obediently, and well pleased with

her.

15. Short is the little which remains to thee of life. Live as on a

mountain. For it makes no difference whether a man lives there or here,

if he lives everywhere in the world as in a state [political community].

Let men see, let them know a real man who lives according to nature. If

they cannot endure him, let them kill him. For that is better than to

live thus [as men do].

16. No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to

be, but be such.

17. Constantly contemplate the whole of time and the whole of substance,

and consider that all individual things as to substance are a grain of a

fig, and as to time the turning of a gimlet.

18. Look at everything that exists, and observe that it is already in

dissolution and in change, and as it were putrefaction or dispersion, or

that everything is so constituted by nature as to die.

19. Consider what men are when they are eating, sleeping, generating,

easing themselves, and so forth. Then what kind of men they are when they

are imperious and arrogant, or angry and scolding from their elevated

place. But a short time ago to how many they were slaves and for what

things; and after a little time consider in what a condition they will

be.

20. That is for the good of each thing, which the universal nature brings

to each. And it is for its good at the time when nature brings it.

21. “The earth loves the shower”; and “the solemn ether loves”; and the

universe loves to make whatever is about to be. I say then to the

universe, that I love as thou lovest. And is not this too said, that

“this or that loves [is wont] to be produced”?

22. Either thou livest here and hast already accustomed thyself to it, or

thou art going away, and this was thy own will; or thou art dying and

hast discharged thy duty. But besides these things there is nothing. Be

of good cheer, then.

23. Let this always be plain to thee, that this piece of land is like any

other; and that all things here are the same with things on the top of a

mountain, or on the sea-shore, or wherever thou choosest to be. For thou

wilt find just what Plato says, Dwelling within the walls of a city as in

a shepherd’s fold on a mountain. [The three last words are omitted in the

translation.]

24. What is my ruling faculty now to me? and of what nature am I now

making it? and for what purpose am I now using it? is it void of

understanding? is it loosed and rent asunder from social life? is it

melted into and mixed with the poor flesh so as to move together with it?

25. He who flies from his master is a runaway; but the law is master, and

he who breaks the law is a runaway. And he also who is grieved or angry

or afraid, is dissatisfied because something has been or is or shall be

of the things which are appointed by him who rules all things, and he is

Law and assigns to every man what is fit. He then who fears or is grieved

or is angry is a runaway.

26. A man deposits seed in a womb and goes away, and then another cause

takes it, and labors on it and makes a child. What a thing from such a

material! Again, the child passes food down through the throat, and then

another cause takes it and makes perception and motion, and in fine, life

and strength and other things; how many and how strange! Observe then the

things which are produced in such a hidden way, and see the power just as

we see the power which carries things downwards and upwards, not with the

eyes, but still no less plainly (VII. 75).

27. Constantly consider how all things such as they now are, in time past

also were; and consider that they will be the same again. And place

before thy eyes entire dramas and stages of the same form, whatever thou

hast learned from thy experience or from older history; for example, the

whole court of Hadrianus, and the whole court of Antoninus, and the whole

court of Philippus, Alexander, Croesus; for all those were such dramas as

we see now, only with different actors.

28. Imagine every man who is grieved at anything or discontented to be

like a pig which is sacrificed and kicks and screams.

Like this pig also is he who on his bed in silence laments the bonds in

which we are held. And consider that only to the rational animal is it

given to follow voluntarily what happens; but simply to follow is a

necessity imposed on all.

29. Severally on the occasion of everything that thou doest, pause and

ask thyself if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of

this.

30. When thou art offended at any man’s fault, forthwith turn to thyself

and reflect in what like manner thou dost err thyself; for example, in

thinking that money is a good thing, or pleasure, or a bit of reputation,

and the like. For by attending to this thou wilt quickly forget thy

anger, if this consideration also is added, that the man is compelled:

for what else could he do? or, if thou art able, take away from him the

compulsion.

31. When thou hast seen Satyron the Socratic, think of either Eutyches or

Hymen, and when thou hast seen Euphrates, think of Eutychion or Silvanus,

and when thou hast seen Alciphron think of Tropaeophorus, and when thou

hast seen Xenophon, think of Crito or Severus, and when thou hast looked

on thyself, think of any other Caesar, and in the case of every one do in

like manner. Then let this thought be in thy mind, Where then are those

men? Nowhere, or nobody knows where. For thus continuously thou wilt look

at human things as smoke and nothing at all; especially if thou

reflectest at the same time that what has once changed will never exist

again in the infinite duration of time. But thou, in what a brief space

of time is thy existence? And why art thou not content to pass through

this short time in an orderly way? What matter and opportunity [for thy

activity] art thou avoiding? For what else are all these things, except

exercises for the reason, when it has viewed carefully and by examination

into their nature the things which happen in life? Persevere then until

thou shalt have made these things thy own, as the stomach which is

strengthened makes all things its own, as the blazing fire makes flame

and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.

32. Let it not be in any man’s power to say truly of thee that thou art

not simple or that thou art not good; but let him be a liar whoever shall

think anything of this kind about thee; and this is altogether in thy

power. For who is he that shall hinder thee from being good and simple?

Do thou only determine to live no longer unless thou shalt be such. For

neither does reason allow [thee to live], if thou art not such.

33. What is that which as to this material [our life] can be done or said

in the way most conformable to reason? For whatever this may be, it is in

thy power to do it or to say it, and do not make excuses that thou art

hindered. Thou wilt not cease to lament till thy mind is in such a

condition that, what luxury is to those who enjoy pleasure, such shall be

to thee, in the matter which is subjected and presented to thee, the

doing of the things which are conformable to man’s constitution; for a

man ought to consider as an enjoyment everything which it is in his power

to do according to his own nature. And it is in his power everywhere.

Now, it is not given to a cylinder to move everywhere by its own motion,

nor yet to water nor to fire, nor to anything else which is governed by

nature or an irrational soul, for the things which check them and stand

in the way are many. But intelligence and reason are able to go through

everything that opposes them, and in such manner as they are formed by

nature and as they choose. Place before thy eyes this facility with which

the reason will be carried through all things, as fire upwards, as a

stone downwards, as a cylinder down an inclined surface, and seek for

nothing further. For all other obstacles either affect the body only,

which is a dead thing; or, except through opinion and the yielding of the

reason itself, they do not crush nor do any harm of any kind; for if they

did, he who felt it would immediately become bad. Now, in the case of all

things which have a certain constitution, whatever harm may happen to any

of them, that which is so affected becomes consequently worse; but in the

like case, a man becomes both better, if one may say so, and more worthy

of praise by making a right use of these accidents. And finally remember

that nothing harms him who is really a citizen, which does not harm the

state; nor yet does anything