WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:09.800 Chapter nine of Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. This is a LibriVox recording. All 2 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:16.039 LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, 3 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:23.879 please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Father Zilei of Detroit, Michigan, 4 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:32.920 June two thousand seven. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, 5 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:44.840 translated by George Long. Chapter nine. He who acts unjustly acts impiously. 6 00:00:46.119 --> 00:00:51.159 For since the universal nature has made rational animals for the sake of one another, 7 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:55.240 to help one another according to their deserts, but in no way to 8 00:00:55.320 --> 00:01:00.359 injure one another, he who transgresses her will is clearly give guilty of impiety 9 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:07.359 towards the highest divinity. And he too, who lies, is guilty of 10 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:11.959 impiety to the same divinity. For the universal nature is the nature of things 11 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:18.680 that are, and things that are have a relation to all things that come 12 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:25.879 into existence. And further, this universal nature is named truth, and is 13 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:30.799 the prime cause of all things that are true. He, then, who 14 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:38.319 lies intentionally, is guilty of impiety inasmuch as he acts unjustly by deceiving. 15 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:46.760 And he who also lies unintentionally inasmuch as he is at variance with the universal 16 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:52.079 nature, and inasmuch as he disturbs the order by fighting against the nature of 17 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:56.599 the world, For he fights against it who is moved of himself to that 18 00:01:56.680 --> 00:02:00.519 which is contrary to truth, For he had received powers from nature through the 19 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:06.959 neglect of which he is not able now to distinguish falsehood from truth. And 20 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:12.280 indeed, he who pursues pleasure as good and avoids pain as evil, is 21 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:16.879 guilty of impiety, for of necessity. Such a man must often find fault 22 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:22.719 with the universal nature, alleging that it assigns things to the bad and the 23 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:28.039 good contrary to their deserts, because frequently the bad are in the enjoyment of 24 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:32.240 pleasure and possess the things which procure pleasure. But the good have pain for 25 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:38.000 their share, and the things which cause pain. And further, he who 26 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:42.599 is afraid of pain will sometimes also be afraid of some things which will happen 27 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:47.719 in the world. And even this is impiety. And he who pursues pleasure 28 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:54.319 will not abstain from injustice. And this is plainly impiety. Now with respect 29 00:02:54.360 --> 00:03:00.560 to the things towards which the universal nature is equally affected, for it would 30 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:06.240 not have made both unless it was equally affected towards both. Towards these, 31 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.719 they who wish to follow nature should be of the same mind with it, 32 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:15.159 and equally affected with respect to pain, then and pleasure or death, and 33 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:22.719 life or honor, and dishonor, which the universal nature employs equally. Whoever 34 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:29.759 is not equally affected is manifestly acting impiously. And I say that the universal 35 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:35.919 Nature employs them equally, instead of saying that they are. They happen alike 36 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:40.439 to those who are produced in continuous series, and to those who come after 37 00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:46.800 them, by virtue of a certain original movement of providence, according to which 38 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:52.520 it moved from a certain being to this ordering of things, having conceived certain 39 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:57.960 principles of the things which were to be, and having determined powers productive of 40 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:05.680 beings and of changes, and of such like successions. It would be a 41 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:12.080 man's happiest lot to depart from mankind without having had any taste of lying and 42 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:16.759 hypocrisy and luxury and pride. However, to breathe out one's life when a 43 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:21.120 man has had enough of these things is the next best voyage, as the 44 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:29.279 saying is hast thou determined to abide with vice, and has not experience yet 45 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:34.000 induced thee to fly from this pestilence. For the destruction of the understanding is 46 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:40.879 a pestilence much more indeed than any such corruption and change of this atmosphere which 47 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:46.319 surrounds us. For this corruption is a pestilence of animals, so far as 48 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.800 they are animals, But the other is a pestilence of men, so far 49 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:59.399 as they are men. Do not despise death, but be well content with 50 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:03.800 it, since this too is one of those things which nature wills for, 51 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:08.759 such as it is to be young, and to grow old, and to 52 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:13.560 increase, and to reach maturity, and to have teeth and beard and gray 53 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:17.600 hairs, and to beget and be pregnant, and to bring forth, and 54 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:24.360 all the other natural operations which the seasons of thy life bring. Such also 55 00:05:24.680 --> 00:05:30.120 is dissolution. This, then, is consistent with the character of a reflecting 56 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:34.879 man, to be neither careless, nor impatient, nor contemptuous with respect to 57 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:40.160 death, but to wait for it as one of the operations of nature. 58 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:45.439 As thou now waitest for the time when the child shall come out of thy 59 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:49.240 wife's womb, so be ready for the time when thy soul shall fall out 60 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:56.040 of this envelope. But if thou requirest also a vulgar kind of comfort which 61 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:01.120 shall reach thy heart, thou wilt be made best reconcile to death by observing 62 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:05.800 the objects from which thou art going to be removed, and the morals of 63 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:11.759 those with whom thy soul will no longer be mingled. For it is no 64 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:15.399 way right to be offended with men, but it is thy duty to care 65 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:19.759 for them and to bear with them gently, and yet to remember that thy 66 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:26.480 departure will be not from men who have the same principles as thyself. For 67 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:30.759 this is the only thing, if there be any which could draw us the 68 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:35.839 contrary way and attach us to life, to be permitted to live with those 69 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:43.199 who have the same principles as ourselves. But now thou seest how great is 70 00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:47.439 the trouble arising from the discordance of those who live together? So that thou 71 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:54.480 mayst say, come quick, o death, lest perchance I too should forget 72 00:06:54.480 --> 00:07:03.839 myself. He who does wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly 73 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:15.199 acts unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad. He often acts unjustly. 74 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.959 Who does not do a certain thing. Not only he who does a 75 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:30.439 certain thing, Thy present opinion founded on understanding, and thy present conduct directed 76 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:35.240 to social good, and thy present disposition of contentment with everything which happens. 77 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:48.519 That is enough wipe out imagination, check desire, extinguish appetite, keep the 78 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:58.600 ruling faculty in its own power. Among the animals which have not reason, 79 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:03.680 one life is to distributed, But among reasonable animals, one intelligent soul is 80 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:09.480 distributed. Just as there is one earth of all things which are of an 81 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:15.160 earthly nature, and we see by one light and breathe one air, all 82 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:24.560 of us that have the faculty of vision, and all that have life, 83 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:30.720 all things which participate in anything which is common to them, all move towards 84 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:35.639 that which is of the same kind with themselves. Everything which is earthly turns 85 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:41.200 toward the earth. Everything which is liquid flows together, and everything which is 86 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:46.399 of an aerial kind does the same, so that they require something to keep 87 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:54.240 them asunder. And the application of force. Fire indeed moves upwards on account 88 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:58.799 of the elemental fire. But it is so ready to be kindled together with 89 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:03.200 all the fire which is here, that even every substance which is somewhat dry 90 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:09.279 is easily ignited, because there is less mingled with it of that which is 91 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:16.519 a hindrance to ignition. Accordingly than everything also which participates in the common intelligent 92 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:20.440 nature, moves in like manner towards that which is of the same kind with 93 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:26.159 itself, or moves even more, for so much as it is superior in 94 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:31.320 comparison with all other things in the same degree, also it is more ready 95 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:35.120 to mingle with and to be refused with that which is akin to it. 96 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.639 Accordingly, among animals devoid of reason, we find swarms of bees, and 97 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:46.559 herds of cattle, and the nurture of young birds, and in a manner 98 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:52.039 loves. For even in animals there are souls, and that power which brings 99 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.919 them together is seen to exert itself in the superior degree, and in such 100 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:01.000 a way as never has been observed in plants, or in stones, or 101 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:07.039 in trees. But in rational animals there are political communities, and friendships, 102 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:11.480 and families, and meetings of people, and in wars, treaties and armistices. 103 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:16.720 But in the things which are still superior, even though they are separated 104 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:22.240 from one another, unity in a manner exists, as in the stars. 105 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:28.679 Thus the ascent to the higher degree is able to produce a sympathy even in 106 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.799 things which are separated. See then what now takes place? For only intelligent 107 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:39.519 animals have now forgotten this mutual desire and inclination, and in them alone the 108 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:46.279 property of flowing together is not seen. But still, though men strive to 109 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:50.799 avoid this union, they are caught and held by it, for their nature 110 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:54.000 is too strong for them. And thou wilt see what I say, if 111 00:10:54.039 --> 00:11:01.200 thou only observest, sooner than will one find anything earthy which comes in contact 112 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:11.840 with no earthy thing. Then a man altogether separated from other men. Both 113 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:18.600 man and God and the universe produce fruit at the proper seasons each produces it. 114 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:24.240 But if usage has especially fixed these terms to the vine, and like 115 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:30.159 things, this is nothing. Reason produces fruit both for all and for itself, 116 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:35.519 and there are produced from it other things of the same kind as reason 117 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:45.000 itself. If thou art able correct by teaching those who do wrong. But 118 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:50.000 if thou canst not remember that indulgence is given to thee for this purpose, 119 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:54.960 and the gods too are indulgent to such persons, and for some purposes they 120 00:11:56.039 --> 00:12:00.840 even help them to get health, wealth, reputation. So kind they are, 121 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:09.480 and it is in thy power also, Or say, who hinders thee 122 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:15.639 labor? Not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would 123 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:20.879 be pitied or admired. But direct thy will to one thing, only to 124 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:30.039 put thyself in motion, and to check thyself, as the social reason requires. 125 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:33.679 To day, I have got out of all trouble, or rather I 126 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:37.320 have cast out all trouble, for it was not outside but within, And 127 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:48.519 in my opinions, all things are the same, familiar, inexperience and ephemeral 128 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:54.480 in time, and worthless in the matter. Everything now is just as it 129 00:12:54.679 --> 00:13:01.919 was in the time of those whom we have buried. Things stand outside of 130 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:09.320 us themselves by themselves, neither knowing aught of themselves, nor expressing any judgment. 131 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.799 What is it, then, which does judge about them? The ruling 132 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:24.600 faculty, not in passivity, but in activity, lie the evil and the 133 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:30.960 good of the rational social animal, just as his virtue and his vice lie 134 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:39.799 not in passivity but in activity. For the stone which has been thrown up, 135 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:45.600 it is no evil to come down, nor indeed any good to have 136 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:54.360 been carried up. Penetrate inwards into men's leading principles, And thou wilt see 137 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:58.759 what judges thou art afraid of, and what kind of judges they are of 138 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:09.080 themselves. All things are changing, and thou thyself art in continuous mutation, 139 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:18.919 and in a manner in continuous destruction, and the whole universe too. It 140 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:28.879 is thy duty to leave another man's wrongful act there where it is termination of 141 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:35.879 activity, cessation from movement and opinion. And in a sense, their death 142 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:39.840 is no evil. Turn thy thoughts now to the consideration of thy life, 143 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:46.000 thy life as a child, as a youth, thy manhood, thy old 144 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:52.679 age. For in these also every change was a death. Is anything to 145 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:58.039 fear? Turn thy thoughts now to thy life under thy grandfather, then to 146 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:01.919 thy life under the thy mother, then to thy life under thy father. 147 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:09.159 As thou findest many other differences and changes in terminations, ask thyself, is 148 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:16.200 this anything to fear? In like manner? Then neither are the termination and 149 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:24.320 cessation and change of thy whole life a thing to be afraid of. Hasten 150 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:28.960 to examine thy own ruling faculty, and that of the universe, and that 151 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:35.840 of thy neighbor, Thy own that thou mayst make it just, and that 152 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:41.240 of the universe that thou mayst remember of what thou art apart and that of 153 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:46.519 thy neighbor, that thou mayst know whether he has acted ignorantly or with knowledge, 154 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:56.120 and that thou mayest also consider that his ruling faculty is akin to thine, 155 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:03.240 as thou art thyself a opponent part of a social system. So let 156 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.720 every act of thine be a component part of social life. Whatever act of 157 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:14.200 thine then has no reference, either immediately or remotely, to a social end. 158 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.200 This tears asunder thy life and does not allow it to be one, 159 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:23.440 and is of the nature of a mutiny. Just as when in a popular 160 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:33.519 assembly a man acting by himself stands apart from the general agreement, quarrels of 161 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:38.799 little children and their sports, and poor spirits caring about dead bodies. Such 162 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:45.639 is everything, and so what is exhibited in the representation of the mansions of 163 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:56.240 the dead strikes our eyes more clearly. Examine into the quality of the form 164 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:00.879 of an object, and detach it altogether from its material part, and then 165 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:07.240 contemplate it. Then determine the time the longest which a thing of this peculiar 166 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:18.799 form is naturally made to endure. Thou hast endured infinite troubles through not being 167 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:26.240 contented with thy ruling faculty when it does the things which it is constituted by 168 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:34.799 nature to do. But enough of this, when another blames THEE or hates 169 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:41.359 THEE, or when men say about THEE anything injurious, approach their poor souls. 170 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:48.680 Penetrate within, and see what kind of men they are. Thou wilt 171 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:52.359 discover that there is no reason to take any trouble. That these men may 172 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:57.799 have this or that opinion about THEE. However, thou must be well disposed 173 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:06.079 towards them, for by nature they are friends, and the gods too aid 174 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:10.759 them in all ways, by dreams, by signs, toward the attainment of 175 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:21.319 those things on which they set a value. The periodic movements of the universe 176 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:26.440 are the same, up and down from age to age. And either the 177 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:32.279 universal intelligence puts itself in motion for every separate effect, and if this is 178 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:36.359 so, be thou content with that which is the result of its activity, 179 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:41.759 or it puts itself in motion once, and everything else comes by way of 180 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:47.359 sequence in a manner. Or indivisible elements are the origin of all things. 181 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:51.799 In a word, if there is a God, all is well, and 182 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:59.519 if chance rules do not thou also be governed by it. Soon will the 183 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:03.799 earth come all? Then the earth too will change, and the things also 184 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:10.240 which result from change will continue to change forever, and these again forever. 185 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:15.559 For if a man reflects on the changes and transformations which follow one another, 186 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:19.759 like wave after wave, and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is 187 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:32.240 perishable. The universal cause is like a winter torrent. It carries everything along 188 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:37.799 with it. But how worthless are all these poor people who are engaged in 189 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:41.920 matters political, and as they suppose, are playing the philosopher, all are 190 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:48.480 drivelers. Well, then, man, do what nature now requires. Set 191 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:53.519 thyself in motion if it is in thy power, and do not look about 192 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:57.839 thee to see if anyone will observe it, nor yet expect Plato's republic. 193 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:03.960 But be intent if the smallest thing goes on, well, and consider such 194 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.559 an event to be no small matter. For who can change men's opinions? 195 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:12.559 And without a change of opinions, what else is there than the slavery of 196 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:18.039 men who groan while they pretend to obey. Come now and tell me of 197 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:25.640 Alexander and Philippus, and Demetrius and Philarum. They themselves shall judge whether they 198 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:32.279 discovered what the common nature required and trained themselves accordingly. But if they acted 199 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:37.279 like tragedy heroes, no one has condemned me to imitate them. Simple and 200 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:48.359 modest is the work of philosophy. Draw me not aside to insolence and pride. 201 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:52.599 Look down from above on the countless herds of men and their countless solemnities, 202 00:20:53.240 --> 00:21:00.160 and the infinity varied voyagings into storms and calms. And the difference is 203 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:03.880 among those who are born, who live together and die. And consider too 204 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:08.359 the life lived by others in olden time, and the life of those who 205 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:14.720 will live after THEE, and the life now lived among barbarous nations. And 206 00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:19.319 how many know not even thy name, and how many will soon forget it, 207 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:25.519 And how they who perhaps now are praising THEE will very soon blame THEE. 208 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:30.880 And that neither a posthumous name is of any value, nor reputation, 209 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:41.200 nor anything else. Let there be freedom from perturbations with respect to the things 210 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:47.519 which come from the external cause, and let there be justice in the things 211 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:52.160 done by virtue of the internal cause. That is, let there be movement 212 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.599 and action terminating in this in social acts. For this is according to thy 213 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:08.319 nature, thou canst remove out of the way many useless things, among those 214 00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:14.359 which disturb thee, for they lie entirely in thy opinion. And thou wilt 215 00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:18.440 then gain for thyself ample space by comprehending the whole universe in thy mind, 216 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:26.160 and by contemplating the eternity of time and observing the rapid change of every several 217 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:32.359 thing. How short is the time from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable 218 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:41.880 time before birth, as well as the equally boundless time after dissolution. All 219 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:47.319 that thou seest will quickly perish, and those who have been spectators of its 220 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:53.519 dissolution will very soon perish too. And he who dies at the extremest old 221 00:22:53.599 --> 00:23:03.640 age will be brought into the same condition with him who died prematurely. What 222 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:08.319 are these men's leading principles? And about what kind of things are they busy? 223 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:14.720 And for what kind of reasons do they love and honor? Imagine that 224 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:19.039 thou seest their poor souls laid bare when they think that they do harm by 225 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:29.359 their blame or good by their praise. What an idea loss is nothing else 226 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:34.200 than change. But the universal nature delights in change and in obedience to her. 227 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:40.079 All things are now done well, and from eternity have been done in 228 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:45.519 like form, and will be done to such time without end. What then 229 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:49.559 dost thou say that all things have been and all things always will be bad, 230 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:55.480 and that no power has ever been found in so many gods to rectify 231 00:23:55.559 --> 00:24:04.279 these things. But the world has been condemned to be bound in ceasing evil, 232 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:10.200 the rottenness of the matter which is the foundation of everything, water, 233 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:17.000 dust, bones, filth, or again marble, rocks, the callosities of 234 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:22.039 the earth, and gold and silver, and sediments and garments, only bits 235 00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:27.720 of hair and purple dye, blood and everything else is of the same kind. 236 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:33.079 And that which is of the nature of breath is also another thing of 237 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:41.680 the same kind. Changing from this to that, Enough of this wretched life 238 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:48.680 and murmurings and apish tricks. Why art thou disturbed? What is there new 239 00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:52.839 in this? What unsettles thee? Is it the form of the thing? 240 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:57.359 Look at it? Or is it the matter? Look at it? But 241 00:24:57.480 --> 00:25:04.720 besides these the is nothing Toward the gods then now become at last more simple 242 00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:10.759 and better. It is the same whether we examine these things for a hundred 243 00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:18.440 years or three, If any man has done wrong. The harm is his 244 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:27.799 own. But perhaps he has not done wrong. Either. All things proceed 245 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:33.039 from one intelligent source and come together as in one body, and the part 246 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:37.200 ought not to find fault with what is done for the benefit of the whole. 247 00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:44.480 Or there are only atoms and nothing else than mixture and dispersion. Why 248 00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:48.480 then, art thou disturbed, say to the ruling faculty, Art thou dead, 249 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:53.079 Art thou corrupted? Art thou playing the hypocrite? Art thou become a 250 00:25:53.119 --> 00:26:03.640 beast? Dost thou herd and feed with the rest. Either the gods have 251 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.839 no power, or they have power. If then they have no power, 252 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:12.279 why dost thou pray to them? But if they have power, why dost 253 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:17.480 thou not pray for them to give thee the faculty of not fearing any of 254 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:22.000 the things which thou fearest, or of not desiring any of the things which 255 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:26.400 thou desirest, or not being pained at anything, rather than pray that any 256 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:32.279 of these things should not happen or happen. For certainly, if they can 257 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:37.440 cooperate with men, they can cooperate for these purposes. But perhaps thou wilt 258 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:42.240 say the gods have placed them in thy power. Well, then, is 259 00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:47.039 it not better to use what is in thy power like a free man than 260 00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:51.079 to desire in a slavish and abject way what is not in thy power? 261 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:55.839 And who has told thee that the gods do not aid us even in the 262 00:26:55.880 --> 00:27:00.720 things which are in our power? Begin then to pray for such things, 263 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:04.839 And thou wilt see one man praise? Thus, how shall I be able 264 00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:10.440 to lie with that woman? Do thou praise? Thus? How shall I 265 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:15.000 not desire to lie with her? Another? Praise? Thus? How shall 266 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:18.920 I be released from this? Another praise? How shall I not desire to 267 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:25.720 be released another? Thus? How shall I not lose my little son? 268 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:30.759 Thou? Thus? How shall I not be afraid to lose him? In 269 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:41.640 turn? Turn thy prayers this way and see what comes? Hepicurus says, 270 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:47.559 in my sickness, my conversation was not about my bodily sufferings, nor says 271 00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:52.240 he, did I talk on such subjects to those who visited me. But 272 00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:56.799 I continued to discourse on the nature of things as before, keeping to this 273 00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:02.880 main point. How the mind will, participating in such movements as go on 274 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:07.680 in the poor flesh shall be free from perturbations and maintain its proper good. 275 00:28:10.200 --> 00:28:12.880 Nor did I, he says, give the physicians an opportunity of putting on 276 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:18.799 solemn looks as if they were doing something great. But my life went on 277 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:22.440 well and happily. Do then the same that he did, both in sickness, 278 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:26.880 if thou art sick, and in any other circumstances. For never to 279 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:33.839 desert philosophy in any events that may befall us, nor to hold trifling talk, 280 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:37.519 either with an ignorant man or with one unacquainted with nature, is a 281 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:44.599 principle of all schools of philosophy. But to be intent only on that which 282 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:48.559 thou art now doing, and on the instrument by which thou dost it. 283 00:28:55.559 --> 00:29:02.559 When thou art offended with any man's shameless conduct, immediately ask thyself, is 284 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:04.799 it possible, then, that shameless men should not be in the world? 285 00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:14.519 It is not possible. Do then, require what is impossible? For this 286 00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:19.079 man also is one of those shameless men who must, of necessity be in 287 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:25.240 the world. Let the same considerations be present to thy mind in the case 288 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:29.279 of the nave and the faithless man, and of every man who does wrong 289 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:33.960 in any way. For at the same time that thou dost remind thyself, 290 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:37.200 that it is impossible that such kind of men should not exist. Thou wilt 291 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:44.440 become more kindly disposed toward every one individually. It is useful to perceive this 292 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:49.160 too immediately when the occasion arises, that virtue Nature has given to man to 293 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:56.119 oppose to every wrongful act. For she has given to man as an antidote 294 00:29:56.160 --> 00:30:02.119 against the stupid man mildness, and against another kind of man some other power. 295 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:07.440 And in all cases it is possible for THEE to correct thy teaching the 296 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:11.559 man who is gone astray, For every man who errs misses his object and 297 00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:17.680 has gone astray. Besides, wherein hast thou been injured? For thou wilt 298 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:23.000 find that no one among those against whom thou art irritated, has done anything 299 00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:27.480 by which thy mind could be made worse. But that which is evil to 300 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:33.599 THEE and harmful has its foundation only in the mind. And what harm is 301 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:37.279 done, or what is there strange if the man who has not been instructed 302 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:44.480 does the acts of an uninstructed man. Consider whether thou shouldest not rather blame 303 00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:48.880 thyself, because thou didst not expect such a man to err in such a 304 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:53.119 way. But thou hast means given thee by thy reason to suppose that it 305 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:57.640 was likely that he would commit this error, And yet thou hast forgotten, 306 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:02.680 and art amazed that he has erred. But most of all, when thou 307 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:07.559 blamest him as a father or ungrateful, turn thyself, for the fault is 308 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:14.039 manifestly thy own. Whether thou didst trust that a man who had such a 309 00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:18.720 disposition would keep his promise, or when conferring thy kindness, thou didst not 310 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:23.400 confer it absolutely, nor yet in such a way as to have received from 311 00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:30.240 thy very act all a profit. For what more dost thou want when thou 312 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:34.880 hast done a man of service? Art thou not content that thou hast done 313 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:40.480 something comfortable to thy nature? And dost thou seek to be paid for it, 314 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:45.359 just as if the eye demanded a recompense for seeing, or the feet 315 00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:49.960 for walking. For as these members are formed for a particular purpose, and 316 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:56.400 by working according to their several constitutions, obtain what is their own, so 317 00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:01.640 also as man is formed by nature acts of benevolence. When he has done 318 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:07.160 anything benevolent or in any other way conducive to the common interest, he has 319 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:19.880 acted conformably to his constitution, and he gets what is his own. End 320 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:27.960 of Chapter nine, recorded by Father Zilee, Detroit, June two thousand and seven.