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

from the opinion which is within. The other is that all these things

which thou seest, change immediately and will no longer be; and

constantly bear in mind how many of these changes thou hast already

witnessed. The universe is transformation: life is opinion.

4. If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of

which we are rational beings, is common: if this is so, common also is

the reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do; if this is

so, there is a common law also; if this is so, we are fellow-citizens; if

this is so, we are members of some political community; if this is so,

the world is in a manner a state. For of what other common political

community will any one say that the whole human race are members? And

from thence, from this common political community comes also our very

intellectual faculty and reasoning faculty and our capacity for law; or

whence do they come? For as my earthly part is a portion given to me from

certain earth, and that which is watery from another element, and that

which is hot and fiery from some peculiar source (for nothing comes out

of that which is nothing, as nothing also returns to non-existence), so

also the intellectual part comes from some source.

5. Death is such as generation is, a mystery of nature; composition out

of the same elements, and a decomposition into the same; and altogether

not a thing of which any man should be ashamed, for it is not contrary to

[the nature of] a reasonable animal, and not contrary to the reason of

our constitution.

6. It is natural that these things should be done by such persons, it is

a matter of necessity; and if a man will not have it so, he will not

allow the fig-tree to have juice. But by all means bear this in mind,

that within a very short time both thou and he will be dead; and soon not

even your names will be left behind.

7. Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint, “I

have been harmed.” Take away the complaint, “I have been harmed,” and the

harm is taken away.

8. That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make

his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.

9. The nature of that which is [universally] useful has been compelled to

do this.

10. Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou

observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. I do not say only with

respect to the continuity of the series of things, but with respect to

what is just, and as if it were done by one who assigns to each thing its

value. Observe then as thou hast begun; and whatever thou dost, do it in

conjunction with this, the being good, and in the sense in which a man is

properly understood to be good. Keep to this in every action.

11. Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong,

or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in truth.

12. A man should always have these two rules in readiness; the one to do

only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty may

suggest for the use of men; the other, to change thy opinion, if there is

any one at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from any opinion. But

this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain persuasion, as of

what is just or of common advantage, and the like, not because it appears

pleasant or brings reputation.

13. Hast thou reason? I have.—Why then dost not thou use it? For if this

does its own work, what else dost thou wish?

14. Thou hast existed as a part. Thou shalt disappear in that which

produced thee; but rather thou shalt be received back into its seminal

principle by transmutation.

15. Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before,

another falls after; but it makes no difference.

16. Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now a

beast and an ape, if thou wilt return to thy principles and the worship

of reason.

17. Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death

hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

18. How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbor

says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be

just and pure; or, as Agathon says, look not round at the depraved morals

of others, but run straight along the line without deviating from it.

19. He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider

that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very soon;

then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole remembrance

shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through men who

foolishly admire and perish. But suppose that those who will remember are

even immortal, and that the remembrance will be immortal, what then is

this to thee? And I say not what is it to the dead, but what is it to the

living. What is praise, except indeed so far as it has a certain utility?

For thou now rejectest unseasonably the gift of nature, clinging to

something else….

20. Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and

terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither worse

then nor better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm this also of

the things which are called beautiful by the vulgar, for example,

material things and works of art. That which is really beautiful has no

need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more than

benevolence or modesty. Which of these things is beautiful because it is

praised, or spoiled by being blamed? Is such a thing as an emerald made

worse than it was, if it is not praised? or gold, ivory, purple, a lyre,

a little knife, a flower, a shrub?

21. If souls continue to exist, how does the air contain them from

eternity?—But how does the earth contain the bodies of those who have

been buried from time so remote? For as here the mutation of these bodies

after a certain continuance, whatever it may be, and their dissolution

make room for other dead bodies, so the souls which are removed into the

air after subsisting for some time are transmuted and diffused, and

assume a fiery nature by being received into the seminal intelligence of

the universe, and in this way make room for the fresh souls which come to

dwell there. And this is the answer which a man might give on the

hypothesis of souls continuing to exist. But we must not only think of

the number of bodies which are thus buried, but also of the number of

animals which are daily eaten by us and the other animals. For what a

number is consumed, and thus in a manner buried in the bodies of those

who feed on them! And nevertheless this earth receives them by reason of

the changes [of these bodies] into blood, and the transformations into

the aerial or the fiery element.

What is the investigation into the truth in this matter? The division

into that which is material and that which is the cause of form [the

formal].

22. Do not be whirled about, but in every movement have respect to

justice, and on the occasion of every impression maintain the faculty of

comprehension [or understanding].

23. Everything harmonizes with me, which is harmonious to thee, O

Universe. Nothing for me is too early or too late, which is in due time

for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O Nature:

from thee are all things, in thee are all things, to thee all things

return. The poet says, Dear city of Cecrops; and wilt not thou say, Dear

city of Zeus?

24. Occupy thyself with few things, says the philosopher, if thou wouldst

be tranquil.—But consider if it would not be better to say, Do what is

necessary, and whatever the reason of the animal which is naturally

social requires, and as it requires. For this brings not only the

tranquillity which comes from doing well, but also that which comes from

doing few things. For the greatest part of what we say and do being

unnecessary, if a man takes this away, he will have more leisure and less

uneasiness. Accordingly, on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is

this one of the unnecessary things? Now a man should take away not only

unnecessary acts, but also unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous

acts will not follow after.

25. Try how the life of the good man suits thee, the life of him who is

satisfied with his portion out of the whole, and satisfied with his own

just acts and benevolent disposition.

26. Hast thou seen those things? Look also at these. Do not disturb

thyself. Make thyself all simplicity. Does any one do wrong? It is to

himself that he does the wrong. Has anything happened to thee? Well: out

of the universe from the beginning everything which happens has been

apportioned and spun out to thee. In a word, thy life is short. Thou must

turn to profit the present by the aid of reason and justice. Be sober in

thy relaxation.

27. Either it is a well-arranged universe [Footnote: 4] or a chaos

huddled together, but still a universe. But can a certain order subsist

in thee, and disorder in the All? And this too when all things are so

separated and diffused and sympathetic.

28. A black character, a womanish character, a stubborn character,

bestial, childish, animal, stupid, counterfeit, scurrilous, fraudulent,

tyrannical.

29. If he is a stranger to the universe who does not know what is in it,

no less is he a stranger who does not know what is going on in it. He is

a runaway, who flies from social reason; he is blind, who shuts the eyes

of the understanding; he is poor, who has need of another, and has not

from himself all things which are useful for life. He is an abscess on

the universe who withdraws and separates himself from the reason of our

common nature through being displeased with the things which happen, for

the same nature produces this, and has produced thee too: he is a piece

rent asunder from the state, who tears his own soul from that of

reasonable animals, which is one.

30. The one is a philosopher without a tunic, and the other without a

book: here is another half naked: Bread I have not, he says, and I abide

by reason—and I do not get the means of living out of my learning, and I

abide [by my reason].

31. Love the art, poor as it may be, which thou hast learned, and be

content with it; and pass through the rest of life like one who has

intrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has, making thyself

neither the tyrant nor the slave of any man.

32. Consider for example, the times of Vespasian. Thou wilt see all these

things, people marrying, bringing up children, sick, dying, warring,