The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, translated by George Long.
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Wilt thou, then, my soul, never be good and simple and
one and naked, more manifest than the body which surrounds thee. Wilt thou
never enjoy an affection and contented disposition? Wilt thou never be full and without
a want of any kind, longing for nothing more, nor desiring anything,
either animate or inanimate, for the enjoyment of pleasures, nor yet desiring time
wherein thou shalt have longer enjoyment, or place, or pleasant climate, or
society of men with whom thou mayst live in harmony. But wilt thou be
said, satisfied with thy present condition and pleased with all that is about THEE?
And wilt thou convince thyself that thou hast everything, and that it comes
from the Gods, that everything is well for THEE and will be well whatever
shall please them, and whatever they shall give for the conservation of perfect living
being, the good and just and beautiful, which generates and holds together all
things, and contains and embraces all things which are dissolved for the production of
other like things. Wilt thou never be such that thou shalt so dwell in
community with gods and men as neither to find fault with them at all,
nor to be condemned by them. Two, Observe what thy nature requires,
so far as thou art governed by nature. Only then do it and accept
it. If thy nature, so far as thou art a living being,
shall not be made worse by it. And next thou must observe what thy
nature requires so far as thou art a living being, And all this thou
mayest allow thyself. If thy nature, so far as thou art a rational
animal, shall not be made worse by it, but the rational animal is
consequently also a political animal. Use these rules, then, and trouble thyself
about nothing else. Three. Everything which happens either happens in such wise as
thou art formed by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed
by nature to bear it. If then it happens to thee in such a
way as thou art formed by nature to bear it, do not complain,
but bear it, as thou art formed by nature to bear it. But
if it happens in such wives as thou art not formed by nature to bear
it, do not complain, for it will perish after it has consumed THEE.
Remember, however, that thou art formed by nature to bear everything with
respect to which it depends on thy own opinion to make it endurable and tolerable,
by thinking that it's either thy interest or thy duty to do this.
Four. If a man is mistaken instructive, kindly and show him as error.
But if thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even
thyself. Five. Whatever may happen to THEE, it was prepared for THEE
from all eternity, and the implication of causes was from eternity spinning the thread
of thy being and of that which is incident to it. Six. Whether
the universe is a concourse of atoms or nature is a system, let this
first be established that I am part of the whole which is governed by nature.
Next, I am in a manner intimately related to the parts which are
of the same kind with myself. For remembering this, inasmuch as I am
a part, I shall be discontented with none of the things which are assigned
to me out of the whole, For nothing is injurious to the part,
if it is for the advantage of the whole, For the whole contains nothing
which is not for its advantage. All natures indeed have this common principle.
But the nature of the universe has this principle besides, that it cannot be
compelled, even by any external cause, to generate anything harmful to itself.
By remembering, then that I am part of such a whole, I shall
be content with everything that happens. And inasmuch as I am in a manner
intimately related to the parts which are of the same kind with myself, I
shall do nothing onsocial. But I shall rather direct myself to the things which
are of the same kind with myself, And I shall turn all my efforts
to the common interest and divert them from the contrary. Now, if these
things are done so, life must flow on happily, just as thou mayst
observed that the life of a citizen is happy who continues a course of action
which is advantageous to his fellow citizens, and is content with whatever the state
may assign to him. Seven, the parts of the whole, everything I
mean, which is naturally comprehended in the universe, must of necessity perish.
But let this be understood in this sense, that they must undergo change.
But if this is naturally both an evil and a necessity for the parts,
the whole would not continue to exist in a good condition, the parts being
subject to change and constituted so as to perish in various ways. For whether
did Nature herself designed to do evil to the things which are parts of herself,
and to make them subject to evil and of necessity fall into evil,
or have such results happen without her knowing it. Both these suppositions indeed are
incredible. But if a man should ever drop the term nature as an efficient
power, and should speak of these things as natural, even then it would
be ridiculous to affirm at the same time that the parts of the whole are
in their nature subject to change, and at the same time to be surprised
or vexed, as if something were happening contrary to nature, particularly as the
dissolution of things into those things of which each thing is composed. For there
is either a dispersion of the elements out of which everything has been compounded,
or a change from the solid to the earthy, and from the airy to
the aerial, so that these parts are taken back into the universal reason,
whether this, at certain periods is consumed by fire or renewed by eternal changes.
And do not imagine that the solid and the aird part belong to THEE
from time of generation. For all this received its accression only yesterday and the
day before, as one may say, from the food and the air which
is inspired this, then, which have received the accression, changes not that
which thy mother brought forth. But suppose that this which thy mother brought forward
implicates THEE very much with the other part, which has the peculiar quality of
change. This is nothing, in fact in the way of objection to what
is said eight. When thou hast assumed those names good, modest, true,
rational, a man of equanimity and magnanimous, take care thou not change
these names, and if thou should lose them, quickly return to them.
And remember that the term rational was intended to signify a discriminating attention to every
several thing and freedom from negligence, And that equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of
the things which are assigned to thee by the common nature, And that magnanimity
is the elevation of the intelligent part above the pleasurable or painful sensations of the
flesh, and above that poor thing called fame and death and all such things.
If then thou maintainest thyself in the possession of these names, without desiring
to be called by these names by others, thou wilt be another person,
and wilt enter onto another life. For to continue to be such as thou
hast hithertoto been, and to be torn in pieces and defiled in such a
life is the character of a very stupid man, and one over fond of
his life. And like those half devoured fighters with wild beasts, who,
though covered with wounds and gore, are still entreat to be kept the following
day, though they will be exposed in the same state to the same claws
and bites. Therefore, fix thyself in the possession of these few names,
And if thou art able to abide in them, abide as if thou hast
removed to certain islands of the happy. But if thou shalt perceive that thou
fallst out of them, and dost not maintain thy hold, go courageously into
some nook where thou shalt maintain them, or even depart at once from life,
not in passion, but with simplicity and freedom and modesty, after doing
this one laudable thing, at least in thy life, to have gone out
of it. Thus, in order, however, to the remembrance of these
names, it will greatly help thee if thou rememberest the gods, and that
they wish not to be flattered, but wish all reasonable beings to be made
like themselves. And if thou rememberest that which does the work of a fig
tree is a fig tree, and that which does the work of a dog
is a dog, And that which does the work of a bee is a
bee. And that which does the work of man is a man. Nine
Mimi wore astonishment, torpor slavery will daily wipe out those holy principles of thine.
How many things, without studying nature dost thou imagine, and how many
dost thou neglect. But it is thy duty so to look on and so
to do everything that at the same time, the power of dealing with circumstances
is perfect, and the contempt of the faculty is exercised, and the confidence
which comes from the knowledge of each several thing is maintained without showing it by
yet not concealed. For when wilt thou enjoy simplicity, when gravity, and
when the knowledge of every several things, both what is in substance and what
place it has in the universe, and how long it is formed to exist,
and of what things it is compounded, and to whom it can belong,
and who are able both to give it and take it away. Ten
A spider is proud when it has caught a fly, and another when he
has caught a poor hair, and another when he has taken the little fish
in the net, and another when he has taken wild boares, and another
when he has taken bears, and another when he has taken Sarmatians are not
these robbers, if thou examinest their opinions. Eleven, acquire the contemplative way
of seeing how all things change into one another, and constantly attend to it,
and exercise thyself about this part of philosophy. For nothing has so much
adapted produced magnanimity. Such a man has put off the body and he sees
that he must, no one knows how soon, go away from among men
and leave everything here. He gives himself up entirely to just doing in all
his actions, and in everything else that happens. He resigns himself to the
universal nature. But as to what any man shall say, or thinking 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 twelve. What need is there of suspicious fear? Since it is 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. Thirteen. 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. Thou
hast not forgotten. I suppose that those who assume arrogant errors, and 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 demon, and happiness. Fourteen to her
who gives and takes back all to nature, the man who is instructed in
modest says, give what thou wilt, take back what thou wilt. And
he says this not proudly, but obediently, and well pleased with her.
Fifteen 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 an estate. 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 like this. Sixteen. No longer talk at all about the kind
of man that a good man ought to be, but be such Seventeen.
Constantly contemplate the whole of time and the whole of substance. And consider that
all individual things, as the substance, are as a grain of a fig
and as to time, the turning of a gimblet. Eighteen 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. Nineteen. 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 considering what a
condition they will be. Twenty 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. Twenty one The earth loves a shower,
and the solemn ath their loves, and the universe loves to make whatever it
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. Twenty two. Either thou livest here and hast
already accustomed thyself to it, or thou art going away and this was on
thy own will, or thou art dying and hast discharged thy duty. But
besides these things there is nothing be of good cheer. Then twenty three,
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 top of
a mountain, or on the seashore, 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. Twenty four 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? Twenty five 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. Twenty six. A man deposits seat 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 the throat, and then another cause takes it
and makes it 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. Twenty seven. Constantly consider how all things,
such as they now are, and 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 Croysis, for
all those were dramas such as we see now, only with different actors.
Twenty eight. 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 its 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 Twenty nine. Severally on the occasion of everything that thou dost pause
and ask thyself if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of this
thirty when thou art defended at any man's fault, forwith turn to thyself and
reflect in what like manner thou dost air thyself, For example, in thinking
that money is a good thing, or pleasure, or a bit of reputation
than 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 Thirty one. When thou hast seen Satron the Socratic, think of you
Taichis or Hymen. And when thou hast seen Euphrates, think of Utikion or
Sylvanus. And when thou hast seen Alciphron, think of Troepophorus. And when
thou hast seen Xenophon, think of Credo of Severus. And when thou hast
looked on thyself, think of any other Caesar. And in the case of
everyone, 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 an 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. Thirty two. 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? Thou only determined to live no longer unless thou shalt be such,
For neither does reason allow THEE to live if thou art not such? Thirty
three What is that which ads to this material? Our life? Can be
done or said in a way most conformable to reason. For whatever this may
be, it is in thy power to do it or 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 things which are conformable to man's constitution.
For a man ought to consider as an enjoyment everything which 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 water, nor to fire, nor to anything else
which is governed by nature of 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 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 effective 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 harm the state which does not
harm law. And of these things which are called misfortunes, not one harms
law. What then does not harm law does not harm either state or citizen.
Thirty four to him who is penetrated by true principles, even the briefest
precept is sufficient, and any common precept to remind him that he should be
free from grief and fair. For example, leaves, some of the wind
scatters on the ground, So is the race of men. Leaves also are
thy children and leaves. Two are they who cry out as if they were
worthy of credit and bestowed their praise, or on the contrary, curse or
secretly blame and sneer. And leaves, and like manner are those who shall
receive and transmit a man's famed aftertimes. For all such things as these quote
are produced in the season of spring end quote, as the poet says,
But the wind cast them down. Then the forest produces other leaves in their
places. But a brief existence is common to all things. And yet thou
avoidest and pursuest all things as if they would be eternal. A little time,
and thou shalt close thy eyes, And him who has attended thee to
thy grave another soon will lament thirty five. The healthy eye ought to see
all visible things, and not to say I wish for green things, For
this is the condition of a diseased die. And a healthy hearing and smelling
ought to be ready to perceive all that can be heard and smelled. And
a healthy stomach ought to be with respect to all food, just as the
meal with respect to all things which it is formed to grind. And accordingly,
the healthy understanding ought to be prepared for everything which happens. But that
which says, let my dear children live, and let all men praise.
Whatever I may do is an eye which seeks for green things, or teeth
which seek for soft things. Thirty six. There is no man so fortunate
that there shall not be by him when he is dying. Some who were
pleased with what is going to happen, suppose that he was a good and
wise man. Will there not be at last someone to say to himself,
let us at last breathe freely being relieved from this schoolmaster. It is true
that he was harsh to none of us, but I perceive that he tacitly
condemns us. This is what is said of a good man. But in
our own case, how many other things are there for which there are many
who whish to get rid of us. Thou wilt consider this, then,
when thou art dying, and thou wilt depart more contentedly by reflecting. Thus,
I am going away from such a life in which even my associates,
in behalf of whom I have striven so much, prayed and cared themselves,
wished me to depart, hoping per chance to get some little advantage by it.
Why then, should a man cling to a longer stay here? Do
not, however, for this reason, go away less kindly disposed to them,
but preserving thy own character and friendly and benevolent and mild. And on
the other hand, not as if thou wast torn away, But as a
man who dies a quiet death, the poor soul is easily separated from the
body. Such also ought thy departure from men to be. For Nature united
thee to them and associated thee. But does she now dissolve the union?
Well, I am separated as from kinsmen, not however, dragged resisting,
but without compulsion, For this too is one of the things according to nature.
Thirty seven. Accustom thyself, as much as possible, on the occasion
of anything being done by any person, to inquire with thyself, for what
object is this man doing this? But begin with thyself and examine thyself first.
Thirty eight Remember that this which pulls the strings is the thing which is
hidden within This is the power of persuasion. This is life. This,
if one may say so, is man in contemplating thyself. Never include the
vessel which surrounds thee, and these instruments were attached about it, For they
are like to enact, differing only in this that they grow to the body.
For indeed, there is no more use in these parts without the cause
which moves and checks them, than in the weaver's shuttle, and the writer's
pen and the driver's whip. End of Section ten.