Book 8 continued Marcus Aurelius Meditations

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Episode Transcript

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Receive wealth or prosperity without arrogance,and be ready to let it go.
If thou didst ever see a handcut off, or a foot or a
head lying anywhere apart from the restof the body. Such does a man
make himself as as far as hecan, who is not content with what
happens, and separates himself from others, or does anything unsocial. Suppose that

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thou hast detached thyself from the naturalunity, for thou wast made by nature
apart. But now thou hast cutthyself off. Yet here there is this
beautiful provision, that it is inthy power again to unite thyself. God
has allowed this to no other part, after it has been separated and cut
asunder, to come together again.But consider the kindness by which he has

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distinguished man. For he has putit in his power not to be separated
at all from the Universal. Andwhen he has been separated, he has
allowed him to return and to beunited, and to resume his place as
a part. As the nature ofthe Universal has given to every rational being
all the other powers that it has, so we have received from it this

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power. Also, For as theuniversal nature converts and fixes in its predestined
place, everything which stands in theway and opposes it, and makes such
things a part of itself. Soalso the rational animal is able to make
every hindrance its own material, andto use it for such purposes as it
may have designed. Do not disturbthyself by thinking of the whole of thy

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life. Let not thy thoughts atonce embrace all the various troubles which thou
mayest expect to befall thee. Buton every occasion, ask thyself, what
is there in this which is intolerableand past bearing? For thou wilt be
ashamed to confess In the next place, Remember that neither the future nor the
past pains THEE, but only thepresent. But this is reduced to a

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very little if thou only circumscribest itand hidest thy mind, if it is
unable to hold out against even this. Does Panthers or Pergamas now sit by
the tomb of Verus? Does Chariusor Diatomus sit by the tomb of Hadrian?
That would be ridiculous. Well,suppose they did sit there, would
the dead be conscious of it?And if the dead were conscious, would
they be pleased? And if theywere pleased? Would that make them immortal?

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Was it not in the order ofdestiny that these persons too should first
become old women and old men,and then die? What then would those
do after these were dead? Allthis is foul smell and blood in a
bag. If thou canst see,sharp, look and judge wisely, says
the philosopher in the Constitution of therational animal, I see no virtue which

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is opposed to justice. But Isee a virtue which is opposed to love
of pleasure, and that is temperance. If thou takest away thy opinion about
that which appears to give thee pain, thou thyself standest in perfect security.
Who is this self the reason?But I am not reason? Be it?
So Let then the reason itself nottrouble itself. But if any other

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part of these suffers, let ithave its own opinion about itself. Hindrance
to the perceptions of sense is anevil to the animal nature. Hindrance to
the movement's desires is equally an evilto the animal nature. And something else
also is equally an impediment and anevil to the constitution of plants. So
then that which is a hindrance tothe intelligence is an evil to the intelligent

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nature. Apply all these things,then to thyself. Does pain or sensuous
pleasure affect thee? The senses willlook to that has any obstacle opposed THEE
in thy efforts towards an object.If indeed thou wast making this effort absolutely,
unconditionally or without any reservation, certainlythis obstacle is an evil to THEE

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considered as a rational animal. Butif thou takest into consideration the usual course
of things, thou hast not yetbeen injured, nor even impeded. The
things, however, which are properto the understanding, no other man is
used to impede. For neither fire, nor iron, nor tyrant, nor
abuse touches it in any way.When it has been made a sphere,

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it continues a sphere. And itis not fit that I should give myself
pain, for I have never intentionallygiven pain even to another. Different things
delight different people. But it ismy delight to keep the ruling faculties sound,
without turning away either from any manor from any of the things which
happen to men, but looking atand receiving all with welcome eyes, and

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using everything according to its value.See that thou secure this present time to
thyself. For those who rather pursueposthumous fame, do consider that the men
of after time will be exactly suchas these whom they cannot bear now,
and both are mortal. And whatis it in any way to THEE If
these men of after time utter thisor that sound, or have this or
that opinion about THEE? Take meand cast me where thou wilt, For

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there I shall keep my divine parttranquil, that is content, if it
can feel and act conformed normably toits proper constitution. Is this change of
place sufficient reason why my soul shouldbe unhappy and worse than it was depressed,
expanded to shrinking affrighted? And whatwilt thou find which is sufficient reason

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for this? Nothing can happen toany man which is not a human accident,
nor to an ox which is notaccording to the nature of an ox,
nor to a vine which is notaccording to the nature of a vine,
nor to a stone which is notproper to a stone. If then
there happens to each thing both whatis usual and natural, Why shouldst thou
complain? For the common nature bringsnothing which may not be borne by THEE.

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If thou art pained by any externalthing, it is not this thing
that disturbs THEE, but thy ownjudgment about it. And it is in
thy power to wipe out this judgmentnow. But if anything in thy own
disposition gives THEE pain, who hindersTHEE from correcting thy opinion? And even
if thou art pain because thou artnot doing some particular thing which seem to

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THEE to be right, why dostthou not rather act then complain? But
some insuperable obstacle is in the way. Do not be grieved then, for
the cause of its not being donedepends not on THEE. But it is
not worthwhile to live if this cannotbe done. Take thy departure then from
life contentedly, just as he dies, who is in full activity, and
well pleased too with the things whichare obstacles. Remember that the ruling faculty

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is invincible. When self collected,it is satisfied with itself if it does
nothing which it does not choose todo, even if it resists from mere
obstinacy, What then will it bewhen it forms a judgment about anything,
aided by reason and deliberately. Therefore, the mind, which is free from
passions, is a citadel. Forman has nothing more secure to which he

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can fly for refuge, and forthe future be inexpugnable. He then,
who has not seen this, isan ignorant man. But he who has
seen it and does not fly tothis refuge is unhappy. Say nothing more
to thyself than what the first appearancesreport. Suppose that it has been reported
to THEE that a certain person speaksill of THEE. This has been reported,

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But that thou hast been injured,that has not been reported. I
see that my child is sick.I do see, but that he is
in danger I do not see.Thus, then always abide by the first
appearances, and add nothing thyself fromwithin, And then nothing happens to THEE.
Or rather add something like a manwho knows and everything that happens in

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the world. Cucumber is bitter,Throw it away. There are briers in
the road, turn aside from them. This is enough. Do not add,
and why we're such things made inthe world. For thou wilt be
ridiculed by a man who is acquaintedwith nature, as thou wouldst be ridiculed
by a carpenter and shoemaker, ifthou didst find fault, because thou seest

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in their workshop shavings and cuttings fromthe things which they make. And yet
they have places into which they canthrow these shavings and cuttings. And the
universal nature has no external space.But the wondrous part of her art is
that though she has circumscribed herself everythingwithin her which appears to decay and to

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grow old and to be useless,she changes into herself and again makes other
new things from these very same sothat she requires neither substance from him without
nor wants a place into which shemay cast that which decays. She is
content then with her own space,and her own matter, and her own
art. Neither in thy actions besluggish, nor in thy conversation without method,

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nor wandering in thy thoughts, norlet there be in thy soul inward
contention, nor external effusion, norin life be so busy as to have
no leisure. Suppose that men killthee, cut thee in pieces, curse
thee, What then can these thingsdo to prevent thy mind from remaining pure
wise sober? Just for instance,if a man should stand by a limpid

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pure spring, and curse it.The spring never ceases sending up water,
and if he should cast clay intoit or filth, it will speedily disperse
them and wash them out, andwill not be at all polluted. How
then shalt thou possess a perpetual fountainand not a mere well? By forming
thyself hourly to freedom conjoined with contentment, simplicity, and modesty. He who

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does not know what the world isdoes not know where he is. And
he who does not know for whatpurpose the world exists does not know who
he is nor what the world is. But he who has failed in any
one of these things could not evensay for what purpose he exists himself.
What then dost thou think of himwho avoids or seeks the praise of those

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who applaud of men who know noteither where they are or who they are?
Dost thou wish to be praised bya man who curses himself thrice every
hour? Wouldst thou wish to pleasea man who does not please himself?
Does a man please himself who repentsof nearly everything that he does? No
longer Let thy breathing only act inconcert with the air which surrounds thee.

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But let thy intelligence also now bein harmony with the intelligence which embraces all
things. For the intelligent power isno less diffused in all parts, and
pervades all things for him who iswilling to draw it to him, than
the aerial power for him who isable to respire it. Generally, wickedness
does no harm at all to theuniverse, and particularly the wickedness of one

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man does no harm to another.It is only harmful to him who has
it in his power to be releasedfrom it, as soon as he shall
choose. To my own free will, the free will of my neighbor is
just as indifferent as his poor breathand flesh. For though we are made
especially for the sake of one another, still the ruling power of each of
us has its own office, Forotherwise my neighbour's wickedness would be my harm,

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which God has not willed, inorder that my unhappiness may not depend
on another. The sun appears tobe poured down, and in all directions,
indeed it is diffused. Yet itis not a few used. For
this diffusion is extension. Accordingly,its rays are called extensions actines, because
they are extended apotoic tiniste. Butone may judge what kind of a thing

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array is if he looks at thesun's light passing through a narrow opening into
a darkened room. For it isextended in a right line, and,
as it were, is divided whenit meets with any solid body which stands
in the way and intercepts the airbeyond. But there the light remains fixed
and does not glide or fall off. Such then ought to be the outpouring

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and diffusion of the understanding, Andit should in no way be an effusion,
but an extension. And it shouldmake no violent or impetuous collision with
the obstacles which are in its way, nor yet fall down, but be
fixed and enlighten that which receives it. For a body will deprive itself of
the illumination if it does not admitit. He who fears death either fears

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the loss of sensation or a differentkind of sensation. But if thou shalt
have no sensation, neither wilt thoufeel any harm. And if thou shalt
acquire another kind of sensation, thouwilt be a different kind of living being,
and thou wilt not cease to live. Men exist for the sake of
one another. Teach them, then, or bear with them. In one

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way, an arrow moves in anotherway. The mind. The mind,
indeed, both when it exercises cautionand when it is employed about inquiry,
moves straight onward, not the lessand to its object. Enter into every
man's ruling faculty, and also letevery other man enter into thine.