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Chapter nine of Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. This is a LibriVox recording. All

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LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,

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please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by Father Zilei of Detroit, Michigan,

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June two thousand seven. The Meditations
of Marcus Aurelius by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus,

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translated by George Long. Chapter nine. He who acts unjustly acts impiously.

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For since the universal nature has made
rational animals for the sake of one another,

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to help one another according to their
deserts, but in no way to

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injure one another, he who transgresses
her will is clearly give guilty of impiety

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towards the highest divinity. And he
too, who lies, is guilty of

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impiety to the same divinity. For
the universal nature is the nature of things

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that are, and things that are
have a relation to all things that come

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into existence. And further, this
universal nature is named truth, and is

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the prime cause of all things that
are true. He, then, who

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lies intentionally, is guilty of impiety
inasmuch as he acts unjustly by deceiving.

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And he who also lies unintentionally inasmuch
as he is at variance with the universal

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nature, and inasmuch as he disturbs
the order by fighting against the nature of

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the world, For he fights against
it who is moved of himself to that

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which is contrary to truth, For
he had received powers from nature through the

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neglect of which he is not able
now to distinguish falsehood from truth. And

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indeed, he who pursues pleasure as
good and avoids pain as evil, is

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guilty of impiety, for of necessity. Such a man must often find fault

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with the universal nature, alleging that
it assigns things to the bad and the

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good contrary to their deserts, because
frequently the bad are in the enjoyment of

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pleasure and possess the things which procure
pleasure. But the good have pain for

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their share, and the things which
cause pain. And further, he who

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is afraid of pain will sometimes also
be afraid of some things which will happen

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in the world. And even this
is impiety. And he who pursues pleasure

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will not abstain from injustice. And
this is plainly impiety. Now with respect

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to the things towards which the universal
nature is equally affected, for it would

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not have made both unless it was
equally affected towards both. Towards these,

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they who wish to follow nature should
be of the same mind with it,

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and equally affected with respect to pain, then and pleasure or death, and

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life or honor, and dishonor,
which the universal nature employs equally. Whoever

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is not equally affected is manifestly acting
impiously. And I say that the universal

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Nature employs them equally, instead of
saying that they are. They happen alike

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to those who are produced in continuous
series, and to those who come after

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them, by virtue of a certain
original movement of providence, according to which

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it moved from a certain being to
this ordering of things, having conceived certain

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principles of the things which were to
be, and having determined powers productive of

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beings and of changes, and of
such like successions. It would be a

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man's happiest lot to depart from mankind
without having had any taste of lying and

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hypocrisy and luxury and pride. However, to breathe out one's life when a

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man has had enough of these things
is the next best voyage, as the

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saying is hast thou determined to abide
with vice, and has not experience yet

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induced thee to fly from this pestilence. For the destruction of the understanding is

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a pestilence much more indeed than any
such corruption and change of this atmosphere which

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surrounds us. For this corruption is
a pestilence of animals, so far as

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they are animals, But the other
is a pestilence of men, so far

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as they are men. Do not
despise death, but be well content with

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it, since this too is one
of those things which nature wills for,

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such as it is to be young, and to grow old, and to

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increase, and to reach maturity,
and to have teeth and beard and gray

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hairs, and to beget and be
pregnant, and to bring forth, and

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all the other natural operations which the
seasons of thy life bring. Such also

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is dissolution. This, then,
is consistent with the character of a reflecting

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man, to be neither careless,
nor impatient, nor contemptuous with respect to

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death, but to wait for it
as one of the operations of nature.

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As thou now waitest for the time
when the child shall come out of thy

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wife's womb, so be ready for
the time when thy soul shall fall out

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of this envelope. But if thou
requirest also a vulgar kind of comfort which

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shall reach thy heart, thou wilt
be made best reconcile to death by observing

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the objects from which thou art going
to be removed, and the morals of

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those with whom thy soul will no
longer be mingled. For it is no

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way right to be offended with men, but it is thy duty to care

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for them and to bear with them
gently, and yet to remember that thy

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departure will be not from men who
have the same principles as thyself. For

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this is the only thing, if
there be any which could draw us the

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contrary way and attach us to life, to be permitted to live with those

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who have the same principles as ourselves. But now thou seest how great is

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the trouble arising from the discordance of
those who live together? So that thou

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mayst say, come quick, o
death, lest perchance I too should forget

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myself. He who does wrong does
wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly

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acts unjustly to himself, because he
makes himself bad. He often acts unjustly.

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Who does not do a certain thing. Not only he who does a

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certain thing, Thy present opinion founded
on understanding, and thy present conduct directed

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to social good, and thy present
disposition of contentment with everything which happens.

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That is enough wipe out imagination,
check desire, extinguish appetite, keep the

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ruling faculty in its own power.
Among the animals which have not reason,

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one life is to distributed, But
among reasonable animals, one intelligent soul is

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distributed. Just as there is one
earth of all things which are of an

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earthly nature, and we see by
one light and breathe one air, all

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of us that have the faculty of
vision, and all that have life,

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all things which participate in anything which
is common to them, all move towards

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that which is of the same kind
with themselves. Everything which is earthly turns

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toward the earth. Everything which is
liquid flows together, and everything which is

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of an aerial kind does the same, so that they require something to keep

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them asunder. And the application of
force. Fire indeed moves upwards on account

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of the elemental fire. But it
is so ready to be kindled together with

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all the fire which is here,
that even every substance which is somewhat dry

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is easily ignited, because there is
less mingled with it of that which is

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a hindrance to ignition. Accordingly than
everything also which participates in the common intelligent

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nature, moves in like manner towards
that which is of the same kind with

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itself, or moves even more,
for so much as it is superior in

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comparison with all other things in the
same degree, also it is more ready

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to mingle with and to be refused
with that which is akin to it.

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Accordingly, among animals devoid of reason, we find swarms of bees, and

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herds of cattle, and the nurture
of young birds, and in a manner

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loves. For even in animals there
are souls, and that power which brings

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them together is seen to exert itself
in the superior degree, and in such

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a way as never has been observed
in plants, or in stones, or

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in trees. But in rational animals
there are political communities, and friendships,

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and families, and meetings of people, and in wars, treaties and armistices.

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But in the things which are still
superior, even though they are separated

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from one another, unity in a
manner exists, as in the stars.

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Thus the ascent to the higher degree
is able to produce a sympathy even in

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things which are separated. See then
what now takes place? For only intelligent

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animals have now forgotten this mutual desire
and inclination, and in them alone the

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property of flowing together is not seen. But still, though men strive to

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avoid this union, they are caught
and held by it, for their nature

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is too strong for them. And
thou wilt see what I say, if

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thou only observest, sooner than will
one find anything earthy which comes in contact

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with no earthy thing. Then a
man altogether separated from other men. Both

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man and God and the universe produce
fruit at the proper seasons each produces it.

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But if usage has especially fixed these
terms to the vine, and like

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things, this is nothing. Reason
produces fruit both for all and for itself,

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and there are produced from it other
things of the same kind as reason

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itself. If thou art able correct
by teaching those who do wrong. But

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if thou canst not remember that indulgence
is given to thee for this purpose,

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and the gods too are indulgent to
such persons, and for some purposes they

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even help them to get health,
wealth, reputation. So kind they are,

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and it is in thy power also, Or say, who hinders thee

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labor? Not as one who is
wretched, nor yet as one who would

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be pitied or admired. But direct
thy will to one thing, only to

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put thyself in motion, and to
check thyself, as the social reason requires.

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To day, I have got out
of all trouble, or rather I

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have cast out all trouble, for
it was not outside but within, And

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in my opinions, all things are
the same, familiar, inexperience and ephemeral

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in time, and worthless in the
matter. Everything now is just as it

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was in the time of those whom
we have buried. Things stand outside of

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us themselves by themselves, neither knowing
aught of themselves, nor expressing any judgment.

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What is it, then, which
does judge about them? The ruling

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faculty, not in passivity, but
in activity, lie the evil and the

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good of the rational social animal,
just as his virtue and his vice lie

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not in passivity but in activity.
For the stone which has been thrown up,

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it is no evil to come down, nor indeed any good to have

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been carried up. Penetrate inwards into
men's leading principles, And thou wilt see

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what judges thou art afraid of,
and what kind of judges they are of

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themselves. All things are changing,
and thou thyself art in continuous mutation,

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and in a manner in continuous destruction, and the whole universe too. It

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is thy duty to leave another man's
wrongful act there where it is termination of

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activity, cessation from movement and opinion. And in a sense, their death

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is no evil. Turn thy thoughts
now to the consideration of thy life,

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thy life as a child, as
a youth, thy manhood, thy old

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age. For in these also every
change was a death. Is anything to

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fear? Turn thy thoughts now to
thy life under thy grandfather, then to

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thy life under the thy mother,
then to thy life under thy father.

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As thou findest many other differences and
changes in terminations, ask thyself, is

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this anything to fear? In like
manner? Then neither are the termination and

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cessation and change of thy whole life
a thing to be afraid of. Hasten

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to examine thy own ruling faculty,
and that of the universe, and that

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of thy neighbor, Thy own that
thou mayst make it just, and that

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of the universe that thou mayst remember
of what thou art apart and that of

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thy neighbor, that thou mayst know
whether he has acted ignorantly or with knowledge,

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and that thou mayest also consider that
his ruling faculty is akin to thine,

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as thou art thyself a opponent part
of a social system. So let

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every act of thine be a component
part of social life. Whatever act of

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thine then has no reference, either
immediately or remotely, to a social end.

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This tears asunder thy life and does
not allow it to be one,

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and is of the nature of a
mutiny. Just as when in a popular

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assembly a man acting by himself stands
apart from the general agreement, quarrels of

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little children and their sports, and
poor spirits caring about dead bodies. Such

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is everything, and so what is
exhibited in the representation of the mansions of

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the dead strikes our eyes more clearly. Examine into the quality of the form

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of an object, and detach it
altogether from its material part, and then

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contemplate it. Then determine the time
the longest which a thing of this peculiar

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form is naturally made to endure.
Thou hast endured infinite troubles through not being

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contented with thy ruling faculty when it
does the things which it is constituted by

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nature to do. But enough of
this, when another blames THEE or hates

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THEE, or when men say about
THEE anything injurious, approach their poor souls.

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Penetrate within, and see what kind
of men they are. Thou wilt

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discover that there is no reason to
take any trouble. That these men may

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have this or that opinion about THEE. However, thou must be well disposed

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towards them, for by nature they
are friends, and the gods too aid

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them in all ways, by dreams, by signs, toward the attainment of

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those things on which they set a
value. The periodic movements of the universe

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are the same, up and down
from age to age. And either the

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universal intelligence puts itself in motion for
every separate effect, and if this is

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so, be thou content with that
which is the result of its activity,

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or it puts itself in motion once, and everything else comes by way of

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sequence in a manner. Or indivisible
elements are the origin of all things.

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In a word, if there is
a God, all is well, and

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if chance rules do not thou also
be governed by it. Soon will the

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earth come all? Then the earth
too will change, and the things also

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which result from change will continue to
change forever, and these again forever.

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For if a man reflects on the
changes and transformations which follow one another,

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like wave after wave, and their
rapidity, he will despise everything which is

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perishable. The universal cause is like
a winter torrent. It carries everything along

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with it. But how worthless are
all these poor people who are engaged in

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matters political, and as they suppose, are playing the philosopher, all are

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drivelers. Well, then, man, do what nature now requires. Set

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thyself in motion if it is in
thy power, and do not look about

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thee to see if anyone will observe
it, nor yet expect Plato's republic.

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But be intent if the smallest thing
goes on, well, and consider such

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an event to be no small matter. For who can change men's opinions?

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And without a change of opinions,
what else is there than the slavery of

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men who groan while they pretend to
obey. Come now and tell me of

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Alexander and Philippus, and Demetrius and
Philarum. They themselves shall judge whether they

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discovered what the common nature required and
trained themselves accordingly. But if they acted

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like tragedy heroes, no one has
condemned me to imitate them. Simple and

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modest is the work of philosophy.
Draw me not aside to insolence and pride.

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Look down from above on the countless
herds of men and their countless solemnities,

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and the infinity varied voyagings into storms
and calms. And the difference is

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among those who are born, who
live together and die. And consider too

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the life lived by others in olden
time, and the life of those who

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will live after THEE, and the
life now lived among barbarous nations. And

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how many know not even thy name, and how many will soon forget it,

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And how they who perhaps now are
praising THEE will very soon blame THEE.

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And that neither a posthumous name is
of any value, nor reputation,

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nor anything else. Let there be
freedom from perturbations with respect to the things

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which come from the external cause,
and let there be justice in the things

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done by virtue of the internal cause. That is, let there be movement

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and action terminating in this in social
acts. For this is according to thy

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nature, thou canst remove out of
the way many useless things, among those

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which disturb thee, for they lie
entirely in thy opinion. And thou wilt

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then gain for thyself ample space by
comprehending the whole universe in thy mind,

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and by contemplating the eternity of time
and observing the rapid change of every several

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thing. How short is the time
from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable

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time before birth, as well as
the equally boundless time after dissolution. All

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that thou seest will quickly perish,
and those who have been spectators of its

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dissolution will very soon perish too.
And he who dies at the extremest old

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age will be brought into the same
condition with him who died prematurely. What

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are these men's leading principles? And
about what kind of things are they busy?

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And for what kind of reasons do
they love and honor? Imagine that

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thou seest their poor souls laid bare
when they think that they do harm by

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their blame or good by their praise. What an idea loss is nothing else

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than change. But the universal nature
delights in change and in obedience to her.

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All things are now done well,
and from eternity have been done in

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like form, and will be done
to such time without end. What then

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dost thou say that all things have
been and all things always will be bad,

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and that no power has ever been
found in so many gods to rectify

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these things. But the world has
been condemned to be bound in ceasing evil,

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the rottenness of the matter which is
the foundation of everything, water,

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dust, bones, filth, or
again marble, rocks, the callosities of

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the earth, and gold and silver, and sediments and garments, only bits

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of hair and purple dye, blood
and everything else is of the same kind.

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And that which is of the nature
of breath is also another thing of

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the same kind. Changing from this
to that, Enough of this wretched life

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and murmurings and apish tricks. Why
art thou disturbed? What is there new

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in this? What unsettles thee?
Is it the form of the thing?

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Look at it? Or is it
the matter? Look at it? But

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besides these the is nothing Toward the
gods then now become at last more simple

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and better. It is the same
whether we examine these things for a hundred

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years or three, If any man
has done wrong. The harm is his

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own. But perhaps he has not
done wrong. Either. All things proceed

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from one intelligent source and come together
as in one body, and the part

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ought not to find fault with what
is done for the benefit of the whole.

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Or there are only atoms and nothing
else than mixture and dispersion. Why

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then, art thou disturbed, say
to the ruling faculty, Art thou dead,

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Art thou corrupted? Art thou playing
the hypocrite? Art thou become a

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beast? Dost thou herd and feed
with the rest. Either the gods have

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no power, or they have power. If then they have no power,

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why dost thou pray to them?
But if they have power, why dost

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thou not pray for them to give
thee the faculty of not fearing any of

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the things which thou fearest, or
of not desiring any of the things which

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thou desirest, or not being pained
at anything, rather than pray that any

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of these things should not happen or
happen. For certainly, if they can

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cooperate with men, they can cooperate
for these purposes. But perhaps thou wilt

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say the gods have placed them in
thy power. Well, then, is

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it not better to use what is
in thy power like a free man than

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to desire in a slavish and abject
way what is not in thy power?

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And who has told thee that the
gods do not aid us even in the

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things which are in our power?
Begin then to pray for such things,

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And thou wilt see one man praise? Thus, how shall I be able

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to lie with that woman? Do
thou praise? Thus? How shall I

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not desire to lie with her?
Another? Praise? Thus? How shall

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I be released from this? Another
praise? How shall I not desire to

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be released another? Thus? How
shall I not lose my little son?

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Thou? Thus? How shall I
not be afraid to lose him? In

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turn? Turn thy prayers this way
and see what comes? Hepicurus says,

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in my sickness, my conversation was
not about my bodily sufferings, nor says

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he, did I talk on such
subjects to those who visited me. But

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I continued to discourse on the nature
of things as before, keeping to this

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main point. How the mind will, participating in such movements as go on

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in the poor flesh shall be free
from perturbations and maintain its proper good.

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Nor did I, he says,
give the physicians an opportunity of putting on

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solemn looks as if they were doing
something great. But my life went on

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well and happily. Do then the
same that he did, both in sickness,

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if thou art sick, and in
any other circumstances. For never to

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desert philosophy in any events that may
befall us, nor to hold trifling talk,

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either with an ignorant man or with
one unacquainted with nature, is a

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principle of all schools of philosophy.
But to be intent only on that which

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thou art now doing, and on
the instrument by which thou dost it.

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When thou art offended with any man's
shameless conduct, immediately ask thyself, is

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it possible, then, that shameless
men should not be in the world?

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It is not possible. Do then, require what is impossible? For this

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man also is one of those shameless
men who must, of necessity be in

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the world. Let the same considerations
be present to thy mind in the case

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of the nave and the faithless man, and of every man who does wrong

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in any way. For at the
same time that thou dost remind thyself,

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that it is impossible that such kind
of men should not exist. Thou wilt

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become more kindly disposed toward every one
individually. It is useful to perceive this

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too immediately when the occasion arises,
that virtue Nature has given to man to

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oppose to every wrongful act. For
she has given to man as an antidote

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against the stupid man mildness, and
against another kind of man some other power.

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And in all cases it is possible
for THEE to correct thy teaching the

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man who is gone astray, For
every man who errs misses his object and

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has gone astray. Besides, wherein
hast thou been injured? For thou wilt

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find that no one among those against
whom thou art irritated, has done anything

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by which thy mind could be made
worse. But that which is evil to

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00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:33,599
THEE and harmful has its foundation only
in the mind. And what harm is

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done, or what is there strange
if the man who has not been instructed

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does the acts of an uninstructed man. Consider whether thou shouldest not rather blame

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thyself, because thou didst not expect
such a man to err in such a

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way. But thou hast means given
thee by thy reason to suppose that it

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was likely that he would commit this
error, And yet thou hast forgotten,

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and art amazed that he has erred. But most of all, when thou

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blamest him as a father or ungrateful, turn thyself, for the fault is

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manifestly thy own. Whether thou didst
trust that a man who had such a

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disposition would keep his promise, or
when conferring thy kindness, thou didst not

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confer it absolutely, nor yet in
such a way as to have received from

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thy very act all a profit.
For what more dost thou want when thou

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00:31:30,319 --> 00:31:34,880
hast done a man of service?
Art thou not content that thou hast done

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something comfortable to thy nature? And
dost thou seek to be paid for it,

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just as if the eye demanded a
recompense for seeing, or the feet

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for walking. For as these members
are formed for a particular purpose, and

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00:31:51,039 --> 00:31:56,400
by working according to their several constitutions, obtain what is their own, so

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also as man is formed by nature
acts of benevolence. When he has done

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00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:07,160
anything benevolent or in any other way
conducive to the common interest, he has

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00:32:07,279 --> 00:32:19,880
acted conformably to his constitution, and
he gets what is his own. End

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of Chapter nine, recorded by Father
Zilee, Detroit, June two thousand and seven.