Meditations — Marcus Aurelius

MAECUS AUEELIUS ANTONINUS. 129 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. 4.

If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of which we are rational beings, 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.1 For of what other common political community will any one say that the whole human race are members ?

And from thence, 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. 5.

Death is such as generation is, a mystery of nature ; composition out of the same elements, and a decomposition into the same ; and altogether 1 Compare Cicero De Legitras, i. 7.

p. 130not 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. 6. It is natural that these things should be done by such persons, 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. The nature of that which is [universally] useful has been compelled to do this. 10. Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou observest carefully, thou wilt 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 as thou hast begun ; and whatever thou doest, do it in conjunction with this, the

MABCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.

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being good, and in the sense in which a man is properly understood to be good. Keep to this in every action. 11. Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong, or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in truth. 12. 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 any one 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. 13. Hast thou reason ? I have. — Why then dost not thou use it? For if this does its own work, what else dost thou wish ? 14. 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. 15. Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before, another falls after; but it makes no difference. 16. Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now a beast and an ape, if h^[