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08 - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius · Logic Library

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This reflection also tends to the removal of the desire of empty fame. That
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it is no longer in thy power to have lived the whole of thy life,
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or at least thy life from thy youth upwards, like a philosopher.
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But both to many others and to thyself, it is plain that thou art
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far from philosophy. Thou hast fallen into disorder, then, so that it
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is no longer easy for thee to get the reputation of a philosopher, and
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thy plan of life also opposes it. If then thou hast truly seen where
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the matter lies, throw away the thought how thou shalt seem to others and
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be content? If thou shalt live the rest of thy life in such wise
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as thy nature wills, observe then what it wills, and let nothing else
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distract thee. But thou hast had experience of many wanderings, without having found
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happiness anywhere in syllogisms, nor in wealth, nor in reputation, nor in
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enjoyment, nor anywhere where is it then in doing what man's nature requires.
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How then shall a man do this? If he has principles from which come
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his effects and his acts what principles, those which relate to good and bad,
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the belief that there is nothing good for man which does not make him
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just, temperate, manly, free, and that there is nothing bad which
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does not do the contrary to what has been mentioned. On the occasion of
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every act, Ask thyself, how is this with respect to me? Shall
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I repent of it? A little time? And I am dead and all
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is gone? What more do I seek? If what I am doing now
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is the work of an intelligent, living being and a social being, and
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one who is under the same law with God. Alexander and Chaus and Pompeius,
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what are they in comparison with Diogenes and Heraclitis and Socrates? For they
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were acquainted with things and their causes, forms and their matter, and the
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ruling principles of these men were the same or conformable to their pursuits. But
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as to the others, how many things had they to care for? And
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to how many things were they slaves? Consider that men will do the same
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things. Nevertheless, even though thou shouldst burst, this is the chief thing,
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be not perturbed, For all things are according to the nature of the
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universal, And in a little time thou wilt be nobody and nowhere, like
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Hadrianus and Augustus in the next place, having fixed thy eyes steadily on thy
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business, look at it, and at the same time, remembering that it
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is thy duty to be a good man, and what man's nature demands,
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do that without turning aside, and speak as it seems to thee most just.
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Only let it be with a good disposition, and with modesty, and
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without hypocrisy. The nature of the universal has this work to do, to
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remove to that place the things which are in this, to change them,
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to take them away hence, and to carry them there. All things are
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change, yet we need not fear anything new. All things are familiar to
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us, but the distribution of them still remains the same. Every nature is
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contented with itself when it goes on its way well, and irrational nature goes
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on its way well when in its thoughts it assents to nothing false or uncertain,
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and when it directs its movements to social acts only, and when it
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confines its desires and aversions to the things which are in its power, and
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when it is satisfied with everything that is assigned to it by the common nature.
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For of this common nature, every particular nature is a part, as
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the nature of the leaf is a part of the nature of the plant,
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except that in the plant, the nature of the leaf is part of a
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nature which has not perception or reason, and is subject to be in heated.
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But the nature of man is part of a nature which is not subject
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to impediments, and is intelligent and just, since it gives to everything in
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equal portions and according to its worth times, substance, cause, form,
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activity, and incident. But examined not to discover that any one thing compared
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with any other single thing, is equal in all respects. But by taking
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all the parts together of one thing and comparing them with all the parts together
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of another, thou hast not leisure or ability to read. But thou hast
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leisure or ability to check arrogance. Thou hast leisure to be superior to pleasure
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and pain, Thou hast leisure, to be superior to love of fame,
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and not to be vexed at still and ungrateful people, nay even to care
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for them. Let no man any longer hear thee finding fault with the court
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life or with thy own repentance is a kind of self reproof for having neglected
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something useful. But that which is good must be something useful, and the
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perfect good man should look after it. But no such man would ever repent
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of having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure, then, is neither good nor
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useful this thing? What is it in itself, in its own constitution?
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What is its substance and material? And what its causal nature or form?
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And what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?
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When thou risest from sleep with reluctance, remember that it is according to
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thy constitution and according to human nature, to perform social acts. But sleeping
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is common also to irrational animals. But that which is according to each individual's
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nature is also more peculiarly its own, and more suitable to its nature,
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and indeed also more agreeable. Constantly, and if it be possible, on
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the occasion of every impression on the soul, apply to it the principles of
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physic, of ethic, of dialectic. Whatever a man thou meetest with,
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immediately say to thyself what opinions has this man about? Good and bad?
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For it with respect to pleasure and pain, and the causes of each,
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and with respect to famine and ignominy, death and life. He has such
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and such opinions, it will seem nothing wonderful or strange to me if he
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does such and such things, and I shall bear in mind that he is
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compelled to do so. Remember that, as it is a shame to be
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surprised if the fig tree produces figs, so it is to be surprised if
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the world produces such and such things of which it is productive. And for
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the physician and the helmsman, it is a shame to be surprised if a
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man has a fever, or if the wind if unfavorable. Remember that to
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change thy opinion and to find follow him who corrects thy error, is as
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consistent with freedom as it is to persist in thy error. For it is
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thy own the activity, which is exerted according to thy own movement and judgment,
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and indeed according to thy own understanding. Too. If a thing is
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in thy own power, why dost thou do it? But if it is
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in the power of another, whom dost thou blame? The atoms, chance
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or the gods both are foolish, thou must blame nobody. For if thou
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canst correct, what is the cause. But if thou canst not do this
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correct at least the thing itself. But if thou canst not do even this,
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of what use it to thee to find fault? For nothing should be
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done without a purpose. That which has died falls not out of the universe.
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If it stays here, it also changes here and is dissolved into its
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proper parts, which are elements of the universe and of thyself. And these
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two change, and they murmur, not everything exists for some end? A
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horse a mine. Why dost thou wonder? Even the sun will say I
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am for some purpose, and the rest of the gods will say the same.
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For what purpose? Then art thou to enjoy pleasure? See? If
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common sense allows this, Nature has had regard in everything, no less to
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the end than to the beginning and the continuance. Just like the man who
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throws up of all, what good is it then for the all to be
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thrown up or harmed for it to come down, or even to have fallen?
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And what good is it to the bubble while it holds together? Or
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what harm when it is burst? The same may be said of a light.
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Also turn it the body inside out, and see what kind of thing
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it is, and when it has grown old, what kind of thing it
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becomes, And when it is diseased short lived? Are both the praiser and
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the praised, and the rememberer and the remembered, And all this in a
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nook of this part of the world. And not even here do all agree,
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know not anyone with himself, And the whole earth too is a point
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attend to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an opinion or
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an act or a word. Thou sufferest this justly, for thou choosest rather
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to become good tomorrow than to be good today. Am I doing anything?
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I do it with reference to the good of mankind? Does anything happen to
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me? I receive it and refer it to the Gods and the source of
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all things from which all that happens is derived, such as bathing appears to
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THEE, oil, sweat, dirt, filthy water, all things disgusting.
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So is every part of life and everything. Lucilla saw Verus die, and
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then Lucilla died. Secunda saw Maximus die, and then Secunda died. Epitanus
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saw Diotimus die, and then Epipicanus died. Antoninus saw Faustina die, and
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then Antoninus died, Such as everything Kaylor saw Hadrianus die, and then Kaylor
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died. And those sharp witted men, either seers or men inflated with pride,
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where are they? For instance, the sharp witted men Charex and Demetrius
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the Platonist, and you Diamond, and anyone else like them, all ephemeral
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did long ago. Some indeed have not been remembered even for a short time,
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And others have become the heroes of fables, and again others have disappeared
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even from fables. Remember this, then, that this little compound thyself must
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either be dissolved, or thy poor breath must be extinguished, or be removed
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and placed elsewhere. It is satisfaction to a man to do the proper works
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of a man. Now it is a proper work of a man to be
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benevolent to his own kind, to despise the movements of the senses, to
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form a just judgment of plausible appearances, and to take a survey of the
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nature of the universe and of the things which happen in it. There are
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three relations between THEE and other things, the one to the body which surrounds
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THEE, the other to the divine cause from which all things come to all,
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and the third to those who live with thee. Pain is either an
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evil to the body, then let the body say what it thinks of it,
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or to the soul. But it is in the power of the soul
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to maintain its own serenity and tranquility, and not to think that pain is
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an evil. For every judgment and movement, and desire and aversion is within.
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And no evil, as sends so high, wipe out thy imaginations by
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often saying to thyself, now, it is in my power to let no
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badness be in this soul, nor desire, nor any perturbation at all.
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But looking at all things, I see what is their nature, and I
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use each according to its value. Remember this power which thou hast from nature.
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Speak both in the Senate and to every man, whoever he may be,
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appropriately, not with any affectation, Use plain discourse. Augustus court,
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wife, daughter, descendants, ancestors, sister Agrippa Kinsman intimates friends areus machines,
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physicians, and sacrificing priests. The whole court is dead. Then turn
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to the rest, not considering the death of a single man, but of
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a whole race, as of the Pompeii, and that which is inscribed on
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the tombs the last of his race. Then consider what trouble those before them
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have had that they might leave a successor, And then that of necessity someone
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must be the last. Again, here consider the death of a whole race.
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It is thy duty to order thy life well in every single act.
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And if every act does its duty as far as is possible, be content,
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and no one is able to hinder THEE, so that each act shall
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not do its duty. But something external will stand in the way. Nothing
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will stand in the way of thy acting justly and soberly and considerately. But
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perhaps some other active power will be hindered well. But by acquiescing in the
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hindrance, and by being content to transfer thy efforts to that which is allowed,
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another opportunity of action is immediately put before THEE in place of that which
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was hindered. And one will adapt itself to this ordering of which we are
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speaking. Receive wealth or prosperity without arrogance, and be ready to let it
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go. If thou didst ever see a hand cut off, or a foot
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or a head lying anywhere apart from the rest of the body, which does
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a man make himself as far as he can, who is not content with
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what happens, and separates himself from others, or does anything unsocial. Suppose
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that thou hast detached thyself from the natural unity, for thou wast made by
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nature apart. But now thou hast cut thyself off. Yet here there is
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this beautiful provision that it is in thy power again to unite thyself. God
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has allowed this to no other part, after it has been separated and cut
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asunder, to come together again. But consider the kindness by which he has
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distinguished man. For he has put in his power not to be separated at
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all from the Universal, And when he has been separated, he has allowed
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him to return and to be united, and to resume his place as a
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part. As the nature of the Universal has given to every rational being all
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the other powers that it has, so we have received from it this power.
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Also. For as the universal nature converts and fixes in its predestined place
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everything which stands in the way and opposes it, and makes such things a
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part of itself, so also the rational animal is able to make every hindrance
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its own material, and to use it for such purposes as it may have
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designed. Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life.
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Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which thou mayest expect
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to befall thee. But on every occasion, ask thyself, what is there
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in this which is intolerable and past bearing? For thou wilt be ashamed to
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confess In the next place, Remember that neither the future nor the past pains
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THEE, but only the present. But this is reduced to a very little
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if thou only circumscribest it and chidest thy mind, if it is unable to
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hold out against even this. Does Panthea or Pergamus now sit by the tomb
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of Verus? Does Charius or Diomitus sit by the tomb of Hadrianus? That
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would be ridiculous. Well, suppose they did sit there, would the dead
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be conscious of it? And if the dead were conscious, would they be
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pleased? And if they were pleased, would that make them immortal? Was
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it not in the order of destiny that these persons should first become old women
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and old men and then die? What then would those do after these were
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dead? All this is foul, smell and blood in a bag. If
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thou canst see sharp look and judge wisely, says the philosopher, in the
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constitution of the rational animal, I see no virtue which is opposed to justice.
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But I see a virtue which is opposed to love of pleasure, and
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that is temperance. If thou takest awaigh thy opinion about that which appears to
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give THEE pain, now thyself standest in perfect security. Who is this self?
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But I am not reason? Be it? So Let then the reason
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itself not trouble itself. But if any other part of these suffers, let
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it have its own opinion about itself. Hindrance to the perceptions of sense is
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an evil to the animal nature. Hindrance to the movements desires is equally an
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evil to the animal nature. And something else also is equally an impediment and
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evil to the constitution of plans. So then that which is a hindrance to
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the intelligence is an evil to the intelligent nature. Apply all these things to
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thyself. Does pain or sensuous pleasure affect thee? The senses will look to
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that as any obstacle opposed thee in thy efforts toward an object. If indeed,
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thou wast making this effort absolutely, unconditionally or without any reservation. Certainly,
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this obstacle isn't evil to thee considered as a rational animal. But if
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thou takest into consideration the usual course of things, thou hast not yet been
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injured or even impeded. The things, however, which are proper to the
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understanding, no other man is used to impede. For neither fire, nor
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iron, nor tyrant, nor purse touches it in any way. When it
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has been made a sphere, it continues a sphere. It is not fit
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that I should give myself pain, for I have never intentionally given pain even
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to another. Different things delight different people. But it is my delight to
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keep the ruling faculty sound, without turning either from any man or from any
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of the things which happen to men, but looking at and receiving all with
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welcome eyes, and using everything according to its nature. See that thou secure
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this present time to thyself. For those who rather pursue posthumous fame, do
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not consider that the men of aftertime will be exactly such as these whom they
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cannot bear now. And both are mortal, And what is it in any
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way to THEE. If these men of after time utter this or that sound,
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or have this or that opinion about THEE, take me and cast me
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where thou wilt, For there I shall keep my divine part tranquil, that
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is content, if it can feel and act comfortably to its proper constitution.
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Is this change of place sufficient reason why man, my soul should be unhappy
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and worse than it was depressed and expanded, shrinking affrighted? And what wilt
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thou find which is sufficient reason for this? Nothing can happen to any man
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which is not human accident, nor to an ox which is not according to
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the nature of an ox, nor to vine which is not according to the
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nature of a vine, nor to a stone which is not proper to a
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stone. If then there happens to each thing both what is usual and natural,
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why shouldst thou complain? For the common nature brings nothing which may not
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be borne by THEE. If thou art pained by any external thing, it
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is not this that disturbs THEE, but by thy own judgment about it.
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And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment now. But if
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anything in thy own disposition gives a pain, who hinders THEE from correcting thy
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opinion. And even if thou art pain because thou art not doing some particular
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thing which seems to THEE to be right, why dost thou not rather act
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than complain? But some insuperable obstacle is in the way. Do not be
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grieved, then, for the cause of its not being done depends not on
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THEE. But it is not worthwhile to live if this cannot be done.
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Take thy departure, then, from life contentedly, just as he dies,
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who is in full activity and well pleased to with the things which are obstacles.
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Remember that the ruling faculty is invincible when self collected, it is satisfied
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with itself if it does nothing which it does not choose to do, Even
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if it resists from mere obstinacy, what then will it be when it forms
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a judgment about anything, aided by reason and deliberately. Therefore, the mind,
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which is freedom from passions, is a citadel, for man has nothing
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more secure to which he can fly for refuge and for the future to be
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inexpungible. He, then, who has not seen this, is an ignorant
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man. But he who has seen it and does not fly to this refuge
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is unhappy. Say nothing more to thyself than what the first appearances report.
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Suppose that it has been reported to THEE that a certain person speaks ill of
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THEE. This has been reported, Or that thou hast been injured, this
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has not been reported. I see that my child is sick. I do
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see, but that he is in danger I do not see. Thus,
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then, always abide by the permanent appearances, and add nothing thyself from within.
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And when nothing happens to THEE, or rather adds something like a man
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who knows everything that happens in the world. A cucumber is bitter, throw
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it away. There are briars in the road, turn aside from them.
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This is enough. Do not add? And why were such things made in
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the world? For thou wilt be ridiculed by a man who is acquainted with
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nature, as thou wildst be ridiculed by a carpenter and a shoemaker. If
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thou didst fine fault, because thou seest in their workshops savings and cuttings from
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which they make, And yet they have places into which they can throw these
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shavings and cuttings. And the universal nature has no external space. But the
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wondrous part of her art is that, though she has circumscribed herself everything within
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her which appears to decay and to grow old and to be useless, she
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changes into herself and again makes new things from these very same, so that
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she requires neither substance from without, nor wants a place into which she may
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cast that which delays. She is content then with her own space, and
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her own matter, and her own heart. Neither in thy actions be sluggish,
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nor in thy conversation without method, nor wandering in thy thoughts, nor
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let there be in thy soul inward contention or external effusion, nor in life
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be so busy as to leave no pleasure. Suppose that men kill thee,
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cut thee in pieces, curse thee, What then can these things do to
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prevent thy mind from remaining pure wise sober? Just for instance, if a
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man should stand by a limpid, pure spring and curse it, the spring
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never sees is setting up potable water. And if he should cast clay into
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it or filth, it will speedily disperse them and wash them out, and
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will not be at all polluted. How then, shalt thou possess a perpetual
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fountain and not a mere wall. By forming thyself hourly to freedom, conjoin
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with contentment, simplicity, and modesty. He who does not know what the
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world is does not know where he is. And he who does not know
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for what purpose the world exists does not know who he is nor what the
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world is. But he who has failed in any of these things could not
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even say for what purpose he exists himself. What then, dost thou think
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of him who avoids or seeks the praise of those who applaud of men who
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know not either where they are or who they are? Dost thou wish to
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be praised by a man who curses himself thrice every hour? Wouldst thou wish
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to please a man who does not please himself? Does a man please himself
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who repents of nearly everything that he does? No longer let thy breathing only
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act in concert with the air which surrounds thee. But let thy intelligence also
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now be in harmony with the intelligence which embraces all things. For the intelligent
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power is no less diffused in all parts, and pervades all things from him
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who is willing to draw it to him, than the aerial power. For
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him who is able to respire it. Generally, wickedness does no harm at
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all to the universe, and particularly the wickedness of one man does no harm
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or another. It is only harmful to him who has it in his power
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to be released from it, as soon as he shall choose to my own
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free will. The free will of my neighbor is just as indifferent as his
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poor health and flesh. For though we are made especially for the sake of
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one another, still the ruling power of each of us has its own office,
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For otherwise my neighbour's wickedness would be my harm, which God has not
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willed, in order that my unhappiness might not depend on another. The sun
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appears to be poured down, and in all directions, indeed it is diffused,
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Yet it is not diffused, for this diffusion is extension. Accordingly,
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its rays are called extensions Greek, because they are extended Greek. But one
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may judge what kind of a thing array is if he looks at the night's
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light passing through an arrow opening into a darkened room. For it is extended
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in a right line, and, as it were, is divided when it
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meets with any solid body which stands in the way. And intercepts the air
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beyond. But there the light remains fixed and does not glide or fall.
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Such then ought to be the outpouring and affection of the understanding, and it
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should in no way be an effusion, but an extension. And it should
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make no violent or impetus collision with the obstacles which are in its way or
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yet fall down, but be fixed and enlightened. That which receives it.
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For a body will deprive itself of the illumination if it does not admit it.
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He who fears death either fears the loss of sensation or a different kind
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of sensation. But if thou shalt have no sensation, neither will thou feel
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any harm. If thou shalt acquire another kind of sensation, thou wilt be
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a kind of living being who will not cease. Men exist for the sake
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of one another. Teach them, then, or bear with them. In
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one way, an arrow moves in another way the mind. The mind,
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indeed, both when it exercises caution and when it is employed about iniquity,
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move straight onward, not the less, and to its object. Enter into
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every man's ruling faculty, and also let every other man enter into thine