Marcus Aurelius - MEDITATIONS

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

Let me share with you some of Marcus Aurelius meditations.......

 

with Love

nicole

 

MARCUS AURELIUS – MEDITATIONS

 

http://www.bartleby.com/2/3/2.html

 

 

« Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own

soul »

 

 

Marcus Aurelius was born in AD 121. His early education was overseen by

the Emperor Hadrian, and he was later adopted by the Emperor Antoninus

Pius in AD 138. After an initial education in rhetoric undertaken by Fronto,

Marcus later abandoned it in favor of philosophy. Marcus became Emperor

himself in AD 161, initially alongside Lucius Verus, becoming sole Emperor in

AD 169. Continual attacks meant that much of his reign was spent on

campaign, especially in central Europe. However, he did find time to establish

four Chairs of Philosophy in Athens, one for each of the principal

philosophical traditions (Platonic, Aristotelian, Stoic, and Epicurean). He died

in AD 180.

 

* * *

 

….LIVE with the gods. And he does live with the gods who constantly shows

to them that his own soul is satisfied with that which is assigned to him, and

that it does all that the daemon wishes, which Zeus hath given to every man

for his guardian and guide, a portion of himself. And this is every man's

understanding and reason…..

 

 

….ABOUT what am I now employing my own soul? On every occasion I must

ask myself this question, and inquire, what have I now in this part of me which

they call the ruling principle? and whose soul have I now? that of a child, or

of

a young man, or of a feeble woman, or of a tyrant, or of a domestic animal, or

of a wild beast?….

 

 

…ALL that is from the gods is full of providence. That which is from fortune is

not separated from nature or without an interweaving and involution with the

things which are ordered by Providence. From thence all things flow; and

there is besides necessity, and that which is for the advantage of the whole

universe, of which thou art a part. But that is good for every part of nature

which the nature of the whole brings, and what serves to maintain this nature.

Now the universe is preserved, as by the changes of the elements, so by the

changes of things compounded of the elements. Let these principles be

enough for thee; let them always be fixed opinions. But cast away the thirst

after books, that thou mayest not die murmuring, but cheerfully, truly, and from

thy heart thankful to the gods….

 

 

….REMEMBER how long thou hast been putting off these things, and how

often thou hast received an opportunity from the gods, and yet dost not use it.

Thou must now at last perceive of what universe thou art a part, and of what

administrator of the universe thy existence is an efflux, and that a limit of

time

is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from

thy mind, it will go and thou wilt go, and it will never return….

 

 

….BEGIN the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busybody, the

ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to

them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have

seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful and of the bad that it is ugly,

and

the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not [only] of the same

blood or seed, but that it participates in [the same] intelligence and [the

same]

portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can

fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him. For

we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows

of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to

nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away….

 

 

…..EVERY moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou

hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and

freedom, and justice; and to give thyself relief from all other thoughts. And

thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were

the

last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the

commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with the

portion which has been given to thee. Thou seest how few the things are, the

which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which flows in quiet, and

is

like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will require nothing

more from him who observes these things….

 

…SINCE it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment,

regulate every act and thought accordingly. But to go away from among men,

if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods will not involve

thee

in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no concern about human

affairs, what is it to me to live in a universe devoid of gods or devoid of

providence? But in truth they do exist, and they do care for human things, and

they have put all the means in man's power to enable him not to fall into real

evils. And as to the rest, if there was anything evil, they would have provided

for this also, that it should be altogether in a man's power not to fall into

it.

Now, that which does not make a man worse, how can it make a man's life

worse? But neither through ignorance, nor having the knowledge, but not the

power to guard against or correct these things, is it possible that the nature

of

the universe has overlooked them; nor is it possible that it has made so great

a mistake, either through want of power or want of skill, that good and evil

should happen indiscriminately to the good and the bad. But death certainly,

and life, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure, all these things equally

happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor

worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil….

 

….IN the mind of one who is chastened and purified thou wilt find no corrupt

matter, not impurity, nor any sore skinned over. Nor is his life incomplete

when fate overtakes him, as one may say of an actor who leaves the stage

before ending and finishing the play. Besides, there is in him nothing servile,

nor affected, nor too closely bound [to other things], nor yet detached [from

other things], nothing worthy of blame, nothing which seeks a hiding-place….

 

….EVERYTHING which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and

terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither worse then

nor

better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm this also of the things which

are called beautiful by the vulgar; for example, material things and works of

art. That which is really beautiful has no need of anything; not more than law,

not more than truth, not more than benevolence or modesty. Which of these

things is beautiful because it is praised, or spoiled by being blamed? Is such

a thing as an emerald made worse than it was, if it is not praised? or gold,

ivory, purple, a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a shrub?

 

 

 

****************

[Guest guest]

Dear Jagbir,

 

Could you please add Nicole's 'Marcus Aurelius - Meditations' at

Editor's Choice in HSS?

 

Thanks!

 

violet

 

 

 

 

,

" nicole_bougantouche " <nicole_bougantouche wrote:

>

> Dear all,

>

> Let me share with you some of Marcus Aurelius meditations.......

>

> with Love

> nicole

>

> MARCUS AURELIUS – MEDITATIONS

>

> http://www.bartleby.com/2/3/2.html

>

>

> « Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than

in his own

> soul »

>

>

> Marcus Aurelius was born in AD 121. His early education was

overseen by

> the Emperor Hadrian, and he was later adopted by the Emperor

Antoninus

> Pius in AD 138. After an initial education in rhetoric undertaken

by Fronto,

> Marcus later abandoned it in favor of philosophy. Marcus became

Emperor

> himself in AD 161, initially alongside Lucius Verus, becoming sole

Emperor in

> AD 169. Continual attacks meant that much of his reign was spent

on

> campaign, especially in central Europe. However, he did find time

to establish

> four Chairs of Philosophy in Athens, one for each of the principal

> philosophical traditions (Platonic, Aristotelian, Stoic, and

Epicurean). He died

> in AD 180.

>

> * * *

>

> ….LIVE with the gods. And he does live with the gods who

constantly shows

> to them that his own soul is satisfied with that which is assigned

to him, and

> that it does all that the daemon wishes, which Zeus hath given to

every man

> for his guardian and guide, a portion of himself. And this is

every man's

> understanding and reason…..

>

>

> ….ABOUT what am I now employing my own soul? On every occasion I

must

> ask myself this question, and inquire, what have I now in this

part of me which

> they call the ruling principle? and whose soul have I now? that of

a child, or of

> a young man, or of a feeble woman, or of a tyrant, or of a

domestic animal, or

> of a wild beast?….

>

>

> …ALL that is from the gods is full of providence. That which is

from fortune is

> not separated from nature or without an interweaving and

involution with the

> things which are ordered by Providence. From thence all things

flow; and

> there is besides necessity, and that which is for the advantage of

the whole

> universe, of which thou art a part. But that is good for every

part of nature

> which the nature of the whole brings, and what serves to maintain

this nature.

> Now the universe is preserved, as by the changes of the elements,

so by the

> changes of things compounded of the elements. Let these principles

be

> enough for thee; let them always be fixed opinions. But cast away

the thirst

> after books, that thou mayest not die murmuring, but cheerfully,

truly, and from

> thy heart thankful to the gods….

>

>

> ….REMEMBER how long thou hast been putting off these things, and

how

> often thou hast received an opportunity from the gods, and yet

dost not use it.

> Thou must now at last perceive of what universe thou art a part,

and of what

> administrator of the universe thy existence is an efflux, and that

a limit of time

> is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away

the clouds from

> thy mind, it will go and thou wilt go, and it will never return….

>

>

> ….BEGIN the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the

busybody, the

> ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these

things happen to

> them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I

who have

> seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful and of the bad

that it is ugly, and

> the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not

[only] of the same

> blood or seed, but that it participates in [the same] intelligence

and [the same]

> portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them,

for no one can

> fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor

hate him. For

> we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids,

like the rows

> of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is

contrary to

> nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to

turn away….

>

>

> …..EVERY moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what

thou

> hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of

affection, and

> freedom, and justice; and to give thyself relief from all other

thoughts. And

> thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life

as if it were the

> last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from

the

> commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and

discontent with the

> portion which has been given to thee. Thou seest how few the

things are, the

> which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which flows

in quiet, and is

> like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will

require nothing

> more from him who observes these things….

>

> …SINCE it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very

moment,

> regulate every act and thought accordingly. But to go away from

among men,

> if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods

will not involve thee

> in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no

concern about human

> affairs, what is it to me to live in a universe devoid of gods or

devoid of

> providence? But in truth they do exist, and they do care for human

things, and

> they have put all the means in man's power to enable him not to

fall into real

> evils. And as to the rest, if there was anything evil, they would

have provided

> for this also, that it should be altogether in a man's power not

to fall into it.

> Now, that which does not make a man worse, how can it make a man's

life

> worse? But neither through ignorance, nor having the knowledge,

but not the

> power to guard against or correct these things, is it possible

that the nature of

> the universe has overlooked them; nor is it possible that it has

made so great

> a mistake, either through want of power or want of skill, that

good and evil

> should happen indiscriminately to the good and the bad. But death

certainly,

> and life, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure, all these

things equally

> happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither

better nor

> worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil….

>

> ….IN the mind of one who is chastened and purified thou wilt find

no corrupt

> matter, not impurity, nor any sore skinned over. Nor is his life

incomplete

> when fate overtakes him, as one may say of an actor who leaves the

stage

> before ending and finishing the play. Besides, there is in him

nothing servile,

> nor affected, nor too closely bound [to other things], nor yet

detached [from

> other things], nothing worthy of blame, nothing which seeks a

hiding-place….

>

> ….EVERYTHING which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself,

and

> terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither

worse then nor

> better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm this also of the

things which

> are called beautiful by the vulgar; for example, material things

and works of

> art. That which is really beautiful has no need of anything; not

more than law,

> not more than truth, not more than benevolence or modesty. Which

of these

> things is beautiful because it is praised, or spoiled by being

blamed? Is such

> a thing as an emerald made worse than it was, if it is not

praised? or gold,

> ivory, purple, a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a shrub?

>

>

>

>

****************

>

[Guest guest]

That's done Violet - jagbir

 

, " Violet "

<violet.tubb wrote:

>

> Dear Jagbir,

>

> Could you please add Nicole's 'Marcus Aurelius - Meditations' at

> Editor's Choice in HSS?

>

> Thanks!

>

> violet

>