Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 150for they say, It [necessity, destiny] brought this to such a person. — This then was brought and this was prescribed to him. Let us then receive these things, as well as those which Aesculapius prescribes. Many as a matter of course even among his prescriptions are disagreeable, but we accept them in the hope of health.
Let the perfecting and accomplishment of the things which the common nature judges to be good, be judged by thee to be of the same kind as thy health. And so accept everything which happens, even if it seem disagreeable, because it leads to this, to the health of the universe and to the prosperity and felicity of Zeus [the universe]. For he would not have brought on any man what he has brought, if it were not useful for the whole.
Neither does the nature of anything, whatever it may be, cause anything which is not suitable to that which is directed by it.
For two reasons then it is right to be content with that which happens to thee ; the one, because it was done for thee and prescribed for thee, and in a manner had reference to thee, originally from the most ancient causes spun with thy destiny; and the other, because even that which comes severally to every man is to the power which administers the universe a cause of felicity and perfection, nay even of its very continuance. For the integrity of the whole is mutilated, if thou cuttest off anything whatever from the conp. 151junction and the continuity either of the parts or of the causes. And thou dost cut off, as far as it is in thy power, when thou art dissatisfied, and in a manner triest to put anything out of the way. 9.
Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles, but when thou hast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water.
For thus thou wilt not fail to f obey reason, and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which thy nature requires ; but thou wouldst have something else which is not according to nature. — It may be objected, Why, what is more agreeable than this [which I am doing] ? — But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us ?
And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge ? 10. Things are in such a kind of envelopment p. 152that they have seemed to philosophers, not a few nor those common philosophers, altogether unintelligible ; nay even to the Stoics themselves they seem difficult to understand. , And all our assent is changeable ; for where is the man who never changes ?
Carry thy thoughts then to the objects themselves, and consider how short-lived they are and worthless, and that they may be in the possession of a filthy wretch or a whore or a robber. Then turn to the morals of those who live with thee, and it is hardly possible to endure even the most agreeable of them, to say nothing of a man being hardly able to endure himself.
In such darkness then and dirt, and in so constant a flux both of substance and of time, and of motion and of things moved, what there is worth being highly prized, or even an object of serious pursuit, I cannot imagine.
But on the contrary it is a man's duty to comfort himself, and to wait for the natural dissolution, and not to be vexed at the delay, but to rest in these principles only : the one, that nothing will happen to me which is not conformable to the nature of the universe ; and the other, that it is in my power never to act contrary to my god and daemon : for there is no man who will compel me to this. 11. 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
150 MEDITATIONS. for they say, It [necessity, destiny] brought this to such a person. — This then was brought and this was prescribed to him. Let us then receive these things, as well as those which Aesculapius prescribes. Many as a matter of course even among his prescriptions are disagreeable, but we accept them in the hope of health. Let the perfecting and accomplishment of the things which the common nature judges to be good, be judged by you to be of the same kind as your health. And so accept everything which happens, even if it seem disagreeable, because it leads to this, to the health of the universe and to the prosperity and felicity of Zeus [the universe]. For he would not have brought on any man what he has brought, if it were not useful for the whole. Neither does the nature of anything, whatever it may be, cause anything which is not suitable to that which is directed by it. For two reasons then it is right to be content with that which happens to you ; the one, because it was done for you and prescribed for you, and in a manner had reference to you, originally from the most ancient causes spun with your destiny; and the other, because even that which comes severally to every man is to the power which administers the universe a cause of felicity and perfection, nay even of its very continuance. For the integrity of the whole is mutilated, if you cuttest off anything whatever from the con- MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 151 junction and the continuity either of the parts or of the causes. And you do cut off, as far as it is in your power, when you are dissatisfied, and in a manner triest to put anything out of the way. 9. Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if you do not succeed in doing everything according to right principles, but when you have failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what you do is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which you returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus you will not fail to f obey reason, and you will repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which your nature requires ; but you would have something else which is not according to nature. — It may be objected, Why, what is more agreeable than this [which I am doing] ? — But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us ? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when you think of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge ? 10. Things are in such a kind of envelopment 152 MEDITATIONS. that they have seemed to philosophers, not a few nor those common philosophers, altogether unintelligible ; nay even to the Stoics themselves they seem difficult to understand. , And all our assent is changeable ; for where is the man who never changes ? Carry your thoughts then to the objects themselves, and consider how short-lived they are and worthless, and that they may be in the possession of a filthy wretch or a whore or a robber. Then turn to the morals of those who live with you, and it is hardly possible to endure even the most agreeable of them, to say nothing of a man being hardly able to endure himself. In such darkness then and dirt, and in so constant a flux both of substance and of time, and of motion and of things moved, what there is worth being highly prized, or even an object of serious pursuit, I cannot imagine. But on the contrary it is a man's duty to comfort himself, and to wait for the natural dissolution, and not to be vexed at the delay, but to rest in these principles only : the one, that nothing will happen to me which is not conformable to the nature of the universe ; and the other, that it is in my power never to act contrary to my god and daemon : for there is no man who will compel me to this. 11. 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
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