Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (Emperor of Rome) [62]
Is it empty of thought?
Isolated and torn loose from those around it?
Melted into flesh and blended with it, so that it shares its urges?
25. When a slave runs away from his master, we call him a fugitive slave. But the law of nature is a master too, and to break it is to become a fugitive.
To feel grief, anger or fear is to try to escape from something decreed by the ruler of all things, now or in the past or in the future. And that ruler is law, which governs what happens to each of us. To feel grief or anger or fear is to become a fugitive—a fugitive from justice.
26. He deposits his sperm and leaves. And then a force not his takes it and goes to work, and creates a child.
This . . . from that?
Or:
He pours food down his throat. And then a force not his takes it and creates sensations, desires, daily life, physical strength and so much else besides.
To look at these things going on silently and see the force that drives them. As we see the force that pushes things and pulls them. Not with our eyes, but just as clearly.
27. To bear in mind constantly that all of this has happened before. And will happen again—the same plot from beginning to end, the identical staging. Produce them in your mind, as you know them from experience or from history: the court of Hadrian, of Antoninus. The courts of Philip, Alexander, Croesus. All just the same. Only the people different.
28. People who feel hurt and resentment: picture them as the pig at the sacrifice, kicking and squealing all the way.
Like the man alone in his bed, silently weeping over the chains that bind us.
That everything has to submit. But only rational beings can do so voluntarily.
29. Stop whatever you’re doing for a moment and ask yourself: Am I afraid of death because I won’t be able to do this anymore?
30. When faced with people’s bad behavior, turn around and ask when you have acted like that. When you saw money as a good, or pleasure, or social position. Your anger will subside as soon as you recognize that they acted under compulsion (what else could they do?).
Or remove the compulsion, if you can.
31. When you look at Satyron, see Socraticus, or Eutyches, or Hymen.
When you look at Euphrates, see Eutychion or Silvanus.
With Alciphron, see Tropaeophorus.
When you look at Xenophon, see Crito or Severus.
When you look at yourself, see any of the emperors.
And the same with everyone else. Then let it hit you: Where are they now?
Nowhere . . . or wherever.
That way you’ll see human life for what it is. Smoke. Nothing. Especially when you recall that once things alter they cease to exist through all the endless years to come.
Then why such turmoil? To live your brief life rightly, isn’t that enough?
The raw material you’re missing, the opportunities . . . ! What is any of this but training—training for your logos, in life observed accurately, scientifically.
So keep at it, until it’s fully digested. As a strong stomach digests whatever it eats. As a blazing fire takes whatever you throw on it, and makes it light and flame.
32. That no one can say truthfully that you are not a straightforward or honest person. That anyone who thinks that believes a falsehood. The responsibility is all yours; no one can stop you from being honest or straightforward. Simply resolve not to go on living if you aren’t. It would be contrary to the logos.
33. Given the material we’re made of, what’s the sanest thing that we can do or say? Whatever it may be, you can do or say it. Don’t pretend that anything’s stopping you.
You’ll never stop complaining until you feel the same pleasure that the hedonist gets from self-indulgence—only from doing what’s proper to human beings as far as circumstances—inherent or fortuitous—allow. “Enjoyment” means doing as much of what your nature requires as you can. And you can do that anywhere. A privilege not granted to a cylinder—to determine its own action. Or to water, or fire, or any of the other things governed by nature alone, or by an irrational soul. Too many things obstruct