Meditations || by Marcus Aurelius || Sections 04 || Quotes Pin

The meditations of Marcus Aurelius by Marcus Aurelius antoninus translated by George long chapter 4 that which rules within when it is according to Nature is so affected with respect to the events which happen that it always easily adapts itself to that which is possible and is presented to it for it requires no definite material but it moves towards its purpose under certain conditions however and it makes a material for itself out of that which opposes it as fire lays hold of what falls into it but which a small light would have been extinguished but when the fire is strong it soon appropriates to itself the matter which is heaped on it and consumes it and Rises Higher by means of this very material let no act be done without a purpose nor otherwise than according to the perfect principles of art men seek Retreats from for themselves houses in the country sea Shores and the mountains and thou too art want to desire such things very much but this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men for it is in thy power whenever Thou shalt choose to retire into thyself for nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquility and I affirm that Tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the Mind constantly then give to thyself this Retreat and renew thyself and let thy principles be brief and fundamental which as soon as Thou shalt recur to them will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which thou returnest for with what art thou discontented with the Badness of men recall to thy mind this conclusion that rational animals exist for one another and that to endure is a part of justice and that men do wrong involuntarily and consider how many already after Mutual enmity suspicion hatred and fighting have been stretched dead reduce to ashes and be quiet at last but perhaps Thou Art dissatisfied with that which is assigned to thee out of the universe recall to thy recollection this alternative either there is Providence or Adams fortuitous concurrence of things or remember the arguments by which it has been proved that the world is a kind of political community and be quiet at last but perhaps Corporal things will F will still fasten upon thee consider then further that the mind mind mingles not with the breath whether moving gently or violently when it has once drawn itself apart and discovered its own power and think also of all that thou Hast heard and ascented to about pain and pleasure and be quiet at last but perhaps the desire of the thing called Fame will torment thee see how soon everything is forgotten and look at the chaos of infinite time on each side of the present and The Emptiness of Applause and the changeableness and want of judgment in those who pretend to give praise and the narrowness of the space within which it is circumscribed and be quiet at last for the whole earth is a point and how small a Nook in it is this thy dwelling place and how few are there in it and what kind of people are they who will appraise thee this then remains remember to retire into this little ter territory of thy own and above all do not distract or strain thyself but be free at look and things as a man as a human being as a citizen as a mortal but among the things reest to thy hand to which Thou shalt return let there be these which are two one is that things do not touch the soul for they are external and remain immovable but our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within the other is that all these things which thou seest change immediately and will no longer be and constantly bear in mind how many of these changes thou Hast already witnessed the universe is transformation life is opinion if our intellectual part is common the reason also in respect of which we are rational beings is is common if this is so common also is the reason which commands us what to do and what not to do if this is so there is a common law also if this is so we are fellow citizens if this is so we are members of some political Community if this is so the world is in a manner a state for of what other common political Community will anyone say that the whole human race are members and from then from this common political Community comes also our very intellectual faculty and reasoning faculty and our capacity for law or whence do they come for as my Earthly part is a portion given to me from certain Earth and that which is watery from another element and that which is hot and fiery from some peculiar source for nothing comes out of that which is nothing as nothing also returns to non-existence so also the intellectual part comes from some Source death is such as generation is a mystery of nature a composition out of the same elements and a decomposition into the same and altogether not a thing of which any man should be ashamed for it is not contrary to the nature of a reasonable animal and not contrary to the reason of our constitution it is natural that these things should be done by such person it is a matter of necessity and if a man will not have it so he will not allow the Fig Tree to have juice but by all means bear this in mind that within a very short time both thou and he will be dead and soon not even your names will be left behind take away thy opinion and then there is taken away the complaint I have been harmed take away the complaint I have been harmed and the harm is taken away that which does not make a man worse than he was also does not make his life worse nor does it harm him either from without or from within the nature of that which is universally useful has been compelled to do this consider that everything which happens happens justly and if thou observes carefully thou wil find it to be so I do not say only with respect to the continuity of the series of things but with respect to what is just and as if it were done by one who assigns to each thing its value observe then that thou Hast begun and whatever thou doest do it in conjunction with this the being good and in the sense in which a man is properly understood to be good keep to this and every action do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does the wrong or such as he wishes thee to have but look at them as they are in truth a man should always have these two rules in Readiness the one to do only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty may suggest for the use of men the other to change thy opinion if there is anyone at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from any opinion but this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain persuasion as of what is just or of common advantage and the like not because it appears Pleasant or brings reputation hast thou reason I have why then Dost not thou use it for if this does its own work what else Dost thou wish thou Hast existed as a part Thou shalt disappear in that which produced thee but rather Thou shalt be received back into its seminal principle by transmutation many grains of Frankincense on the same altar one Falls before another Falls after but it makes no difference within 10 days thou Wilt seem a God to those to whom Thou Art now a beast and an ape if thou Wilt return to thy principles and to worship of reason do not act as if thou wer going to live 10,000 years death hangs over thee while thou livest while it is in thy power be good how much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks but only to what he does himself that it may be just and pure or as agathon says look not round at the depraved morals of others but run straight along the line without deviating from it he who has a vehement desire for posthumous Fame does not consider that that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very soon then again also they who have succeeded them until the whole remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through men who foolishly admire and perish suppose that those who will remember are even Immortal and that the remembrance will be immortal what then is this to thee and I say not what is it to the dead but what is it to the living what is praise except indeed so far as it has a certain utility for thou now reject rejected unseasonably the gift of nature clinging to something else everything which is in it any way beautiful is beautiful in itself and terminates in itself not having praise as a 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 liar a little knife a flower a shrub if Souls continue to exist how does the air contain them from eternity but how does the earth contain the bodies of those who have been buried from time so remote for as here the mutation of these bodies after a certain continuance whatever it may be and their dissolution make room for other dead bodies so the Souls which are removed into the air after subsisting for some time are transmuted and diffuse and assume a fiery Nature by being received into the seminal intelligence of the universe and in this way make room for the fresh shs which come to dwell there and this is the answer which a man might give on the hypothesis of souls continuing to exist but we must not only think of the number of bodies which are thus buried but also of the number of animals which are daily eaten by us and the other animals for what a number is consumed and thus in a manner buried in the bodies of those who feed on them and nevertheless this Earth receives them by reason of the changes of these bodies into blood and the Transformations into the aerial or the fiery element what is the investigation into the truth of the matter the division into that which is material and that which is the cause of form the formal do not be whed about but in every movement have respect to Justice and on the occasion of every impression maintain the faculty of comprehension or understanding everything harmonizes with me which is harmonious to thee Oh Universe nothing for me is too early nor too late which is in due time for thee everything is fruit to me which th Seasons bring oh nature from thee are all things in thee are all things to thee all things return the poet says Dear city of sea crops and Wilt not thou say dear city of Zeus occupy thyself with few things says the philosopher if thou wouldst be tranquil but consider if it would not be better to say do what is necessary and whatever the reason of the animal which is naturally social requires and as it requires for this brings not only the Tranquility which comes from doing well but also that which comes from doing few things for the greatest part of what we say and do being unnecessary if if a man takes this away he will have more Leisure and less uneasiness accordingly on every occasion a man should ask himself is this one of the unnecessary things now A man should take away not only unnecessary acts but also unnecessary thoughts for thus Superfluous acts will not follow after try how the life of a Good Man suits Thee the life of him who is satisfied with his portion out of the whole and satisfied with his own just acts and benevolent disposition hast thou seen those things look also at these do not disturb thyself make thyself all Simplicity does anyone do wrong it is to himself that he does wrong has anything happened to thee well out of the Universe from the beginning everything which happens has been apportioned and spun out to thee in a word thy life is short short thou must turn to profit the present by the aid of reason and Justice be sober in thy relaxation either it is a well-arranged universe or a chaos huddled together but still universe but can a certain order subsist in thee and disorder in all and this to when all things are so separated and diffused and sympathetic a black character a womanish character character a stubborn character beastial childish animal stupid counterfeit Securus fraudulent tyrannical if he is a stranger to the universe who does not know what is in it no less is he a stranger who does not know what is going on in it he is a runaway who flies from social reason he is blind who shuts the eyes of the understanding he is poor who who has need of another and has not from himself all things which are useful for life he is an abscess on the universe who withdraws and separates himself from the reason of our common nature through being displeased with the things which happen for the same nature produces this and has produced thee too he is a piece rent aunder from the state who tears his own soul from that of reasonable animals which is one the one is a philosopher without a tunic and the other without a book here is another half naked bread I have not he says and I abide by reason and I do not get the means of living out of my learning and I abide by my reason love the art poor as it may be which thou Hast learned and be content with it and pass through the rest of life like one who has entrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has making him himself neither the Tyrant nor the slave of any man consider for example the times of Vasan thou Wilt see all these things people marrying bringing up children sick dying Waring feasting trafficking cultivating the ground flattering obstinately arrogant suspecting plotting wishing for some to die grumbling about the present loving heaping up treasure Desiring consulship kingly power well then that life of these people no longer exists at all again removed to the time of trun again all is the same their life too is gone in like manner view also the other epics of time and of whole Nations and see how many after great efforts soon fell and were resolved into the elements but chiefly thou should think of Those whom thou Hast thyself known distracting themselves about Idol things neglecting to do what was in accordance with their proper Constitution and to hold firmly to this and to be content with it and here in it is necessary to remember that the attention given to everything has its proper value and proportion for thus thou Wilt not be dissatisfied if thou appest thyself to smaller matters no further than is fit The Words which are formerly familiar are now Antiquated so also the names of those who were famed of old are now in manner Antiquated camilus queso vasus leonatus and a little after also skipio and K then Augustus then also hadrianus and antoninus for all things soon pass away and become a mere tale and complete Oblivion soon buries them and I say this of those who have shown a in a wondrous way for the rest as soon as they have breathed out their breath they are gone and no man speaks of them and to conclude the matter what is even an eternal remembrance a mere nothing what then is that about which we ought to employ our serious pains this one thing thoughts just and acts social and Words which never lie and a disposition which gladly accepts all that happens as necessary as usual as flowing from a principle and a source of the same kind willingly give thyself up to clo one of the Fates allowing her to spin thy thread into whatever things she pleases everything is only for a day both that which remembers and that which is remembered observe constantly that all things take place by change and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are and to make new things like them for everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be but Thou Art thinking only of seeds which are cast into the Earth or into a womb but this is a very vulgar notion thou Wilt soon die and thou art not yet simple not free from perturbations not without suspicion of being hurt by external things nor kindly disposed toward all nor dust thou yet Place wisdom only in acting justly examine men's ruling principles even those of the wise what kind of things they avoid and what kind they pursue what is evil to thee does not subsist in the ruling principle of another nor yet in any turning IM mutation of thy Corporal covering where is it then it is in that part of thee in which subsists the power of forming opinions about evils let this power then not form such opinions and all is well and if that which is nearest to it the poor body is cut burnt filled with matter and rotten this nevertheless let the part which forms opinions about these things be quiet that is let it judge that nothing is either bad or good which can happen equally to the bad man and the good for that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to Nature and to him who lives according to Nature is neither according to Nature nor contrary to Nature constantly regard the universe as one living being having one substance and one soul and observe how all things have reference to one perception the perception of this one living being and how all things act with one movement and how all things are the Cooperative causes of all things which exist observe too The Continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse as epicus used to say it is no evil for things to undergo change and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change time is like a river made up of the events which happen and a violent stream for as soon as a thing has been seen it is carried away and another comes in its place and this will be carried away too everything which happens is as familiar and well known as The Rose in Spring and the fruit and Summer for such is disease and death and calumny and treachery and whatever else Delights fools or vexes them in the series of things those which follow are always aptly fitted to those which have gone before for this series is not like a mere enumeration of disjointed things which only has a necessary sequence but it is a rational connection and as all existing things are arranged together harmoniously so the things which come into existence exhibit no mere succession but a certain wonderful relationship always remember the saying of heraclitus that the death of Earth is to become water and the death of water is to become air and the death of air is to become fire and reversely and think too of him who forgets whether the way leads and that men quarrel with that with which they are most constantly communion the reason which governs the universe and the things which they daily meet with seems to them strange and consider that we ought not to act and speak as if we were asleep for even in sleep we seem to act and speak and that we ought not like children who learn from their parents simply to act and speak as we have been taught if any God told thee that thou shalt die tomorrow or certainly on the day Day After Tomorrow thou wouldst not care much whether it was on the third day or on the tomorrow unless thou was in the highest degree mean-spirited for how small is the difference so think it is no great thing to die after as many years as thou C's name rather than tomorrow think continually how many Physicians are dead after often Contracting their eyebrows over the sick and how many astrologers after predicting with great pretensions the deaths of others and how many philosophers after endless discourses on death or immortality how many Heroes after killing thousands and how many tyrants who have used their power over men's lives with terrible insolence as if they were Immortal and how many cities are entirely dead so to speak helus and Pompei and herculanum and others innumerable add to the Reckoning all whom thou Hast known one after another one man after burying another has been laid out dead and another buries him and all this in a short time to conclude always observe how ephemeral and worthless human things are and what was yesterday a little mucus tomorrow will be a mummy or ashes pass then through this little space of time conformably to Nature and end thy journey in content just as an olive falls off when it is ripe bless nature who produced it and thanking the tree on which it grew be like the promter against which the waves continually break but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it unhappy am I because this has happened to me not so but happy am I though this has happened to me because I continue free from Pain neither crushed by the present nor fearing the future for such a thing as this might have happened to every man but every man would not have continued free from pain on such an occasion why then is that rather a misfortune than this a good fortune and Dost thou in all cases call that a man's Misfortune which is not a deviation from man's nature and does a thing seem to thee to be a deviation from man's nature when it is not contrary to the will of man's nature well thou knowest the will of nature will then this which has happened prevent thee from being just magnanimous temperate prudent secure against inconsiderate opinions and falsehoods will prevent thee from having modesty freedom and everything else by the presence of which man's nature obtains all that is its own remember too in every occasion which leads thee to vexation to apply this principle not that this is a misfortune but that to Bear it nobly is good fortune it is a vulgar but still a useful help towards contempt of death to pass and review those who have tenaciously stuck to life what more then have they gained than those who have died early certainly they lie in their tombs somewhere at last cadan fa Fabius julianus lepidus or anyone else like them who have carried out many to be buried and then were carried out themselves altogether the interval is small between birth and death and consider with how much trouble and in company with what sort of people and in what a feeble body this interval is laboriously passed do not then consider life a thing of any value for look to the immensity of time behind thee and to the time which is before thee another boundless space in this Infinity then what is the difference between him who lives three days and him who lives three generations always run the short way and the short way is the natural accordingly say and do everything in Conformity with the soundest reason for such a purpose frees a man from trouble and warfare and all artifice and ostentatious display end of chapter 4.