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Chapter eight 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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The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius by Marcus
Aurelius Antoninus, translated by George Long,

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Chapter eight. This reflection also tends
to the removal of the desire of empty

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fame, that it is no longer
in thy power to have lived the whole

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of thy life, or at least
thy life from thy youth upwards, like

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a philosopher. But both to many
others and to thyself, it is plain

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that thou art far from philosophy.
Thou hast fallen into disorder, then,

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so that it is no longer easy
for thee to get the reputation of a

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philosopher, and thy plan of life
also opposes it. If then thou hast

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truly seen where the matter lies,
throw away the thought how thou shalt seem

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to others and be content? If
thou shalt live the rest of thy life

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in such wise as thy nature wills
observe then what it wills, and let

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nothing else distract thee. But thou
hast had experience of many wanderings without having

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found happiness anywhere, not in syllogisms, nor in wealth, nor in reputation,

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nor in enjoyment, nor anywhere where
is it then in doing what man's

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nature requires? How then shall a
man do this? If he has principles

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from which come his effects and his
acts. What principles those which relate to

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good and bad? The belief that
there is nothing good for man which does

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not make him just, temperate,
manly free, and that there is nothing

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bad which does not do the contrary
to what has been mentioned on the occasion

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of every act, Ask thyself,
how is this with respect to me?

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Shall I repent of it a little
time? And I am dead and all

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is gone? What more do I
seek? If what I am doing now

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is the work of an intelligent,
living being and a social being, and

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one who is under the same law
with God. Alexander and CAUs and Pompeius,

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what are they in comparison with Diogenes
and Heraclitus and Socrates? For they

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were acquainted with things and their causes, forms and their matter, and the

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ruling principles of these men were the
same or conformable to their pursuits. But

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as to the others, how many
things had they to care for, and

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to how many things were they slaves? Consider that men will do the same

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things. Nevertheless, even though thou
shouldst burst, this is the chief thing.

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Be not perturbed, For all things
are according to the nature of the

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Universal, And in a little time
thou wilt be nobody and nowhere, like

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Hadrianus and Augustus in the next place, having fixed thy eyes steadily on thy

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business, look at it, and
at the same time, remembering that it

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is thy duty to be a good
man, and what man's nature demands,

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do that without turning aside, and
speak as it seems to thee most just.

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Only let it be with a good
disposition, and with modesty, and

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without hypocrisy. The nature of the
Universal has this work to do, to

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remove to that place the things which
are in this, to change them,

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to take them away hence, and
to carry them there. All things are

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change, Yet we need not fear
anything new. All things are familiar to

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us, but the distribution of them
still remains the same. Every nature is

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contented with itself. When it goes
on its way well. And irrational nature

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goes on its way well when in
its thoughts it a sents to nothing false

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or uncertain, and when it directs
its movements to social acts only, and

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when it confines its desires and aversions
to the things which are in its power,

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and when it is satisfied with everything
that is assigned to it by the

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common nature. For of this common
nature, every particular nature is a part,

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as the nature of the leaf is
a part of the nature of the

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plant, except that in the plant, the nature of the leaf is part

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of a nature which has not perception
or reason, and is subject to be

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impeded. But the nature of man
is part of a nature which is not

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subject to impediments, and is intelligent
and just, since it gives to everything

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in equal portions and according to its
worth times, substance, cause, form,

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activity, and incident. Examined not
to discover that any one thing compared

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with any other single thing, is
equal in all respects. But by taking

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all the parts together of one thing
and comparing them with all the parts together

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of another, thou hast not leisure
or ability to read, But thou hast

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leisure or ability to check arrogance.
Thou hast leisure to be superior to pleasure

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and pain. Thou hast leisure to
be superior to love of fame, and

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not to be vexed at stupid and
ungrateful people, nay even to care for

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them. Let no man any longer
hear thee finding fault with the court life

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or with thy own repentance is a
kind of self reproof for having neglected something

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useful. But that which is good
must be something useful, and the perfect

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good man should look after it.
But no such man would ever repent of

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having refused any sensual pleasure. Pleasure, then, is neither good nor useful.

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This thing? What is it in
itself in its own constitution? What

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is its substance and material? And
what its causal nature or form? And

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what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?

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When thou risest from sleep with reluctance, remember that it is according to thy

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constitution and according to human nature to
perform social acts. But sleeping is common

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also to irrational animals. But that
which is according to each individual's nature is

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also more peculiarly its own, and
more suitable to its nature, And indeed

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also more agreeable. Constantly, and
if it be possible, on the occasion

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of every impression on the soul,
apply to it the principles of physic,

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of ethic, of dialectic. Whatever
a man thou meetest with, immediately say

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to thyself, what opinions has this
man about, good and bad? For

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it with respect to pleasure and pain, and the causes of each, and

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with respect to famine and ignominy,
death and life. He has such and

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such opinions. It will seem nothing
wonderful or strange to me if he does

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such and such things, and I
shall bear in mind that he is compelled

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to do so. Remember that,
as it is a shame to be surprised

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if the fig tree produces figs,
so it is to be surprised if the

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world produces such and such things of
which it is productive. And for the

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physician and the helmsman, it is
a shame to be surprised if a man

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has a fever, or if the
wind if unfavorable. Remember that to change

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thy opinion and to follow him who
corrects thy error, is as consistent with

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freedom as it is to persist in
thy error, For it is thy own

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the activity which is exerted according to
thy own movement and judgment, and indeed

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according to thy own understanding too.
If a thing is in thy own power,

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why dost thou do it? But
if it is in the power of

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another, whom dost thou blame?
The atoms chance or the gods both are

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foolish. Thou must blame nobody.
For if thou canst correct, what is

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the cause? But if thou canst
not do this, correct at least the

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thing itself. But if thou canst
not do even this, of what use

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it to thee to find fault?
For nothing should be done without a purpose.

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That which has died falls not out
of the universe. If it stays

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here, it also changes here and
is dissolved into its proper parts, which

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are elements of the universe and of
thyself. And these two change, and

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they murmur, Not everything exists for
some end? A horse a mine?

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Why dost thou wonder? Even the
Sun will say I am for some purpose,

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and the rest of the gods will
say the same. For what purpose?

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Then art thou to enjoy pleasure?
See? If common sense allows this,

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Nature has had regard in everything,
no less to the end than to

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the beginning and the continuance. Just
like the man who throws up the ball,

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What good is it, then,
for the ball to be thrown up

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or harmed, for it to come
down, or even to have fallen.

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And what good is it to the
bubble while it holds together, or what

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harm when it is burst? The
same may be said of a light.

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Also turn it the body inside out, and see what kind of thing it

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is, and when it has grown
old, what kind of thing it becomes,

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And when it is diseased short lived? Are both the praiser and the

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praised, and the rememberer and the
remembered, And all this in a nook

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of this part of the world.
And not even here do all agree,

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know not anyone with himself, And
the whole earth too is a point attend

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to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an opinion or an

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act or a word. Thou sufferest
this justly, for thou choosest rather to

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become good tomorrow than to be good
today. Am I doing anything? I

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do it with reference to the good
of mankind? Does anything happen to me?

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I receive it and refer it to
the Gods and the source of all

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things from which all that happens is
derived, such as bathing appears to thee

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oil, sweat, dirt, filthy
water, all things disgusting. So is

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every part of life and everything.
Lucilla saw Verus die, and then Lucilla

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died. Secunda saw Maximus die,
and then Secunda died. Epitecanus saw Diotimus

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die, and then Epiicanus died.
Antoninus saw Faustina die, and then Antoninus

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died, such as everything Kaylor saw
Hadrianus die, and then Kayler died.

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And those sharp witted men, either
seers or men inflated with pride, where

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are they? For instance, the
sharp witted men Charex and Demetrius the Platonist,

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and Eudamond, and anyone else like
them, all ephemeral, dead long

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ago. Some indeed have not been
remembered even for a short time, And

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others have become the heroes of fables, and again others have disappeared even from

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fables. Remember this, then,
that this little compound thyself must either be

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dissolved, or thy poor breath must
be extinguished, or be removed and placed

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elsewhere. It is satisfaction to a
man to do the proper works of a

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man. Now, it is a
proper work of a man to be benevolent

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to his own kind, to despise
the movements of the se, to form

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a just judgment of plausible appearances,
and to take a survey of the nature

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of the universe and of the things
which happen in it. There are three

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relations between THEE and other things,
the one to the body which surrounds THEE,

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the other to the divine cause from
which all things come to all,

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and the third to those who live
with THEE. Pain is either an evil

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to the body, then let the
body say what it thinks of it,

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or to the soul. But it
is in the power of the soul to

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maintain its own serenity and tranquility,
and not to think that pain is an

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evil. For every judgment and movement
and desire and aversion is within, and

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no evil ascends so high. Wipe
out thy imaginations by often saying to thyself,

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now, it is in my power
to let no badness be in this

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soul, nor desire, nor any
perturbation at all. But looking at all

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things, I see what is their
nature, and I use each according to

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its value. Remember this power which
thou hast from nature. Speak both in

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the Senate and to every man,
whoever he may be appropriately not with any

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affectation, use plain discourse. Augustus
court, wife, daughter, descendants,

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ancestors, sister, Agrippa, kinsman, intimates, friends areas, machinness,

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physicians, and sacrificing priests. The
whole court is dead. Then turn to

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the rest, not considering the death
of a single man, but of a

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whole race, as of the Pompeii, and that which is inscribed on the

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tombs, the last of his race. Then consider what trouble those before them

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have had that they might leave a
successor, And then that of necessity some

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one must be the last. Again, here consider the death of a whole

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race. It is thy duty to
order thy life well in every single act.

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And if every act does its duty
as far as is possible, be

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content, and no one is able
to hinder thee so that each act shall

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not do its duty. But something
external will stand in the way. Nothing

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will stand in the way of thy
acting justly and soberly and considerately. But

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perhaps some other active power will be
hindered well. But by acquiescing in the

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hindrance, and by being content to
transfer thy efforts to that which is allowed.

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Another opportunity of action is immediately put
before thee in place of that which

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was hindered, And one will adapt
itself to this ordering of which we are

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speaking, receive wealth or prosperity without
arrogance, and be ready to let it

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go. If thou didst ever see
a hand cut off, or a foot

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or a head lying anywhere apart from
the rest of the body, which does

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a man make himself as far as
he can, who is not content with

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what happens, and separates himself from
others, or does anything unsocial. Suppose

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that thou hast detached thyself from the
natural unity, for thou wast made by

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nature apart. But now thou hast
cut thyself off. Yet here there is

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this beautiful provision that it is in
thy power again to unite thyself. God

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has allowed this to no other part, after it has been separated and cut

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asunder, to come together again.
But consider the kindness by which he has

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distinguished man. For he has put
it in his power not to be separated

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at all from the universal. And
when he has been separated, he has

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allowed him to return and to be
united, and to resume his place as

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a part. As the nature of
the universal has given to every rational being

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all the other powers that it has, so we have received from it this

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power. Also, For as the
universal nature converts and fixes in its predestined

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place everything which stands in the way
and opposes it, and makes such things

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a part of itself, so also
the rational animal is able to make every

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hindrance its own material, and to
use it for such purposes as it may

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have designed. Do not disturb thyself
by thinking of the whole of thy life.

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Let not thy thoughts at once embrace
all the various troubles which thou mayst

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expect to befall thee. But on
every occasion ask thyself, what is there

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in this which is intolerable and past
bearing? For thou wilt be ashamed to

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confess. In the next place,
remember that neither the future nor the pa

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as pains thee, but only the
present. But this is reduced to a

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very little if thou only circumscribest it
and chidest thy mind if it is unable

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to hold out against even this.
Does Panthea or Pergamus now sit by the

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tomb of Verus? Does Chaarius or
Diomitus sit by the tomb of Hadrianus,

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that would be ridiculous. Well,
suppose they did sit there, would the

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dead be conscious of it? And
if the dead were conscious, would they

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be pleased? And if they were
pleased, would that make them immortal?

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Was it not in the order of
destiny that these persons should first become old

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women and old men and then die? What then would those do after these

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were dead? All this is foul, smell and blood in a man.

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If thou canst see sharp, look
and judge wisely, says the philosopher in

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the Constitution of the rational animal,
I see no virtue which is opposed to

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justice. But I see a virtue
which is opposed to love of pleasure,

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and that is temperance. If thou
takest a weigh thy opinion about that which

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appears to give thee pain, thou
thyself standest in perfect security. Who is

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this self the reason? But I
am not reason? Be it? So?

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Let then the reason itself not trouble
itself. But if any other part

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of these suffers, let it have
its own opinion about itself. Hindrance to

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the perceptions of sense is an evil
to the animal nature. Hindrance to the

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movements desires is equally an evil to
the animal nature, And something else also

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is equally an impediment and evil to
the constitution of plants. So then that

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which is a hindrance to the intelligence
is an evil to the intelligent nature.

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Apply all these things to thyself.
Doest pain or sensuous pleasure affect thee.

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The senses will look to that as
any obstacle opposed THEE in thy efforts toward

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an object. If indeed thou wast
making this effort absolutely, unconditionally, or

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without any reservation, certainly this obstacle
is an evil to THEE considered as a

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rational animal. But if thou takest
into consideration the usual course of things,

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thou hast not yet been injured or
even impeded. The things, however,

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which are proper to the understanding,
no other man is used to impede.

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For neither fire, nor iron,
nor tyrant, nor purse touches it in

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any way. When it has been
made a sphere, it continues a sphere.

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It is not fit that I should
give myself pain, for I have

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never intentionally given pain even to another. Different things delight different people. But

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it is my delight to keep the
ruling faculty sound, without turning either from

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any man or from any of the
things which happen to men, but looking

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at and receiving all with welcome eyes, and using everything according to its nature.

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See that thou secure this present time
to thyself. For those who rather

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pursue posthumous fame, do not consider
that the men of after time will be

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exactly such as these whom they cannot
bear now, and both are mortal.

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And what is it in any way
to THEE if these men of after time

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utter this or that sound, or
have this or that opinion about THEE?

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Take me and cast me where thou
wilt, For there I shall keep my

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divine part tranquil, that is content, if it can feel and act comfortably

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to its proper constitution. Is this
change of place sufficient reason why man my

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soul should be unhappy and worse than
it was, depressed and expanded, shrinking,

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affrighted. And what wilt thou find
which is sufficient reason for this?

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Nothing can happen to any man which
is not human accident, nor to an

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ox which is not according to the
nature of an ox, nor to vine

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which is not according to the nature
of a vine, nor to a stone

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which is not proper to a stone. If then there happens to each thing

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both what is usual and natural,
why shouldst thou complain? For the common

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nature brings nothing which may not be
borne by THEE. If thou art pain

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by any external thing, it is
not this that disturbs THEE, but by

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thy own judgment about it. And
it is in thy power to wipe out

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disjudgment. Now. But if anything
in thy own disposition gives THEE pain,

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who hinders THEE from correcting thy opinion? And even if thou art pain because

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thou art not doing some particular thing
which seems to THEE to be right,

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why dost thou not rather act than
complain. But some insuperable obstacle is in

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the way not be grieved, then, for the cause of its not being

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done depends not on THEE. But
it is not worthwhile to live if this

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cannot be done. Take thy departure
then from life contentedly, just as he

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dies, who is in full activity
and well pleased to with the things which

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are obstacles. Remember that the ruling
faculty is invincible. When self collected,

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it is satisfied with itself if it
does nothing which it does not choose to

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do. Even if it resists from
mere obstinacy, what then will it be

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when it forms a judgment about anything, aided by reason and deliberately. Therefore,

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the mind, which is freedom from
passions, is a citadel. For

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man has nothing more secure to which
he can fly for refuge and for the

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future to be inexpungible. He,
then, who has not seen this,

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is an ignorant man. But he
who has seen it and does not fly

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to this refuge is unhappy. Say
nothing more to thyself than what the first

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appearances report. Suppose that it has
been reported to THEE that a certain person

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speaks ill of THEE. This has
been reported, Or that thou hast been

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injured, this has not been reported. I see that my child is sick,

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I do see, but that he
is in danger I do not see.

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Thus, then, always abide by
the permanent appearances, and add nothing

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thyself from within. And when nothing
happens to THEE, or rather add something

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like a man who knows everything that
happens in the world. A cucumber is

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bitter, throw it away. There
are briars in the road, turn aside

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from them. This is enough.
Do not add? And why were such

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things made in the world. For
thou wilt be ridiculed by a man who

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is acquainted with nature, as thou
wouldst be ridiculed by a carpenter and a

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shoemaker if thou didst fine fault.
Because thou seest in their workshops savings and

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cuttings from which they make, and
yet they have places into which they can

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throw these shavings and cuttings. And
the universal nature has no external space.

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But the wondrous part of her art
is that, though she has circumscribed herself

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everything within her which appears to decay
and to grow old and to be useless,

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she changes into herself and again makes
new things from these very same so

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that she requires neither substance from without, nor wants a place into which she

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may cast that which delays. She
is content then with her own space and

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her own matter and her own art. Neither in thy actions be sluggish,

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nor in thy conversation without method,
nor wandering in thy thoughts, nor let

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there be in thy soul inward contention
or external effusion, nor in life be

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so busy as to leave no pleasure. Suppose that men kill thee, cut

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thee in pieces, curse thee,
What then, can these things do to

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prevent thy mind from remaining pure wise
sober? Just? For instance, if

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a man should stand by a limpid, pure spring and curse it, the

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spring never ceases setting up potable water. And if he should cast clay into

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it or filth, it will speedily
disperse them and wash them out, and

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will not be at all polluted.
How then shalt thou possess a perpetual fountain

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and not a mere wall? By
forming thyself hourly to freedom, conjoined with

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content, simplicity, and modesty.
He who does not know what the world

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is does not know where he is. And he who does not know for

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what purpose the world exists does not
know who he is nor what the world

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is. But he who has failed
in any of these things could not even

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say for what purpose he exists himself. What then dost thou think of him

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who avoids or seeks the praise of
those who applaud of men who know not

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either where they are or who they
are? Dost thou wish to be praised

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by a man who curses himself thrice
every hour? Wouldst thou wish to please

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a man who does not please himself? Does a man please himself who repents

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him nearly everything that he does.
No longer let thy breathing only act in

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concert with the air which surrounds thee. But let thy intelligence also now be

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in harmony with the intelligence which embraces
all things. For the intelligent power is

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no less diffused in all parts,
and pervades all things from him who is

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willing to draw it to him,
than the aerial power for him who is

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able to respire it. Generally,
wickedness does no harm at all to the

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universe, and particularly the wickedness of
one manned does no harm or another.

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00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:38.119
It is only harmful to him who
has it in his power to be released

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00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:45.880
from it, as soon as he
shall choose to my own free will,

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the free will of my neighbor is
just as indifferent as his poor health and

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flesh. For though we are made
especially for the sake of one another,

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still the ruling power of each of
us has its own office, For otherwise

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my neighbour's wickedness would be my harm, which God has not willed, in

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order that my unhappiness might not depend
on another. The sun appears to be

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poured down, and in all directions, indeed it is diffused, yet it

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00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:27.200
is not diffused, for this diffusion
is extension. Accordingly, its rays are

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called extensions Greek, because they are
extended Greek. But one may judge what

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kind of a thing a array is
if he looks at the night's light passing

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through a narrow opening into a darkened
roome. For it is extended in a

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00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:47.039
right line, and as it were, is divided when it meets with any

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00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:52.359
solid body which stands in the way
and intercepts the air beyond. But there

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00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:57.559
the light remains fixed and does not
glide or fall. Such then ought to

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00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:01.759
be the outpouring and affection of the
un understanding, and it should in no

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00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:07.119
way be an effusion, but an
extension. And it should make no violent

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00:34:07.319 --> 00:34:13.599
or impetuous collision with the obstacles which
are in its way, nor yet fall

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00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:17.639
down, but be fixed and enlightened
that which receives it. For a body

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00:34:17.719 --> 00:34:24.360
will deprive itself of the illumination if
it does not admit it. He who

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00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:30.280
fears death either fears the loss of
sensation or a different kind of sensation.

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00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:37.880
But if thou shalt have no sensation, neither will thou feel any harm.

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And if thou shalt acquire another kind
of sensation. Thou wilt be a kind

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of living being who will not cease. Men exist for the sake of one

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00:34:51.559 --> 00:34:59.760
another. Teach them, then,
or bear with them. In one way,

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00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:02.920
an arrow moves in another way.
The mind. The mind, indeed,

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00:35:04.199 --> 00:35:09.440
both when it exercises caution and when
it is employed about iniquity, moves

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straight onward, not the less into
its object. Enter into every man's ruling

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faculty, and also let every other
man enter into thine. End of Chapter

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eight. Recording by Father Zilee of
Detroit, Michigan, June two thousand and seven,