Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 227injustice, and this is plainly impiety. Now with respect to the things towards which the universal nature is equally affected, — for it would not have made both, unless it was equally affected towards both, — towards these they who wish to follow nature should be of the same mind with it, and equally affected.
With respect to pain, then, and pleasure, or death and life, or honor and dishonor, which the universal nature employs equally, whoever is not equally affected is manifestly acting impiously.
And I say that the universal nature employs them equally, instead of saying that they happen alike to those who are produced in continuous series and to those who come after them by virtue of a certain original movement of Providence, according to which it moved from a certain beginning to this ordering of things, having conceived certain principles of the things which were to be, and having determined powers productive of beings and of changes and of such like successions (vii.
75). 2. It would be a man's happiest lot to depart from mankind without having had any taste of lying and hypocrisy and luxury and pride. However, to breathe out one's life when a man has had enough of these things is the next best voyage, as the saying is. Hast thou determined to abide with vice, and has not experience yet induced thee to fly from this pestilence ? For the destrucp. 228tion of the understanding is a pestilence, much more indeed than any such corruption and change of this atmosphere which surrounds us. For this corruption is a pestilence of animals so far as they are animals ; but the other is a pestilence of men so far as they are men. 3. Do not despise death, but be well content with it, since this too is one of those things which nature wills.
For such as it is to be young and to grow old, and to increase and to reach maturity, and to have teeth and beard and gray hairs, and to beget and to be pregnant and to bring forth, and all the other natural operations which the seasons of thy life bring, such also is dissolution.
This, then, is consistent with the character of a reflecting man, — to be neither careless nor impatient nor contemptuous with respect to death, but to wait for it as one of the operations of nature.
As thou now waitest for the time when the child shall come out of thy wife's womb, so be ready for the time when thy soul shall fall out of this envelope.1 But if thou requirest also a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach thy heart, thou wilt be made best reconciled to death by observing the objects from which thou art going to be removed, and the morals of those with whom thy soul will no longer be mingled.
For it is no way right to be offended with men, but it is thy duty to care for them and 1 Note 1 of the Philosophy, p. 84.
p. 229to bear with them gently; and yet to remember that thy departure will not be from men who have the same principles as thyself. For this is the only thing, if there be any, which could draw us the contrary way and attach us to life, — to be permitted to live with those who have the same principles as ourselves.
But now thou seest how great is the trouble arising from the discordance of those who live together, so that thou mayst say, Come quick, O death, lest perchance I, too, should forget myself. 4. He who does wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad. 5. He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing ; not only he who does a certain thing. 6.
Thy present opinion founded on understanding, and thy present conduct directed to social good, and thy present disposition of contentment with everything which happens f — that is enough. 7. Wipe out imagination : check desire : extinguish appetite : keep the ruling faculty in its own power. 8.
Among the animals which have not reason one life is distributed ; but among reasonable animals one intelligent soul is distributed: just as there is one earth of all things which are of an earthy nature, and we see by one light, and breathe
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS. 227 injustice, and this is plainly impiety. Now with respect to the things towards which the universal nature is equally affected, — for it would not have made both, unless it was equally affected towards both, — towards these they who wish to follow nature should be of the same mind with it, and equally affected. With respect to pain, then, and pleasure, or death and life, or honor and dishonor, which the universal nature employs equally, whoever is not equally affected is manifestly acting impiously. And I say that the universal nature employs them equally, instead of saying that they happen alike to those who are produced in continuous series and to those who come after them by virtue of a certain original movement of Providence, according to which it moved from a certain beginning to this ordering of things, having conceived certain principles of the things which were to be, and having determined powers productive of beings and of changes and of such like successions (vii. 75). 2. It would be a man's happiest lot to depart from mankind without having had any taste of lying and hypocrisy and luxury and pride. However, to breathe out one's life when a man has had enough of these things is the next best voyage, as the saying is. Hast you determined to abide with vice, and has not experience yet induced you to fly from this pestilence ? For the destruc- 228 MEDITATIONS. tion of the understanding is a pestilence, much more indeed than any such corruption and change of this atmosphere which surrounds us. For this corruption is a pestilence of animals so far as they are animals ; but the other is a pestilence of men so far as they are men. 3. Do not despise death, but be well content with it, since this too is one of those things which nature wills. For such as it is to be young and to grow old, and to increase and to reach maturity, and to have teeth and beard and gray hairs, and to beget and to be pregnant and to bring forth, and all the other natural operations which the seasons of your life bring, such also is dissolution. This, then, is consistent with the character of a reflecting man, — to be neither careless nor impatient nor contemptuous with respect to death, but to wait for it as one of the operations of nature. As you now waitest for the time when the child shall come out of your wife's womb, so be ready for the time when your soul shall fall out of this envelope.1 But if you requirest also a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach your heart, you will be made best reconciled to death by observing the objects from which you are going to be removed, and the morals of those with whom your soul will no longer be mingled. For it is no way right to be offended with men, but it is your duty to care for them and 1 Note 1 of the Philosophy, p. 84.
MABCUS AUBELIUS ANTONINUS. 229 to bear with them gently; and yet to remember that your departure will not be from men who have the same principles as yourself. For this is the only thing, if there be any, which could draw us the contrary way and attach us to life, — to be permitted to live with those who have the same principles as ourselves. But now you seest how great is the trouble arising from the discordance of those who live together, so that you mayst say, Come quick, O death, lest perchance I, too, should forget myself. 4. He who does wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad. 5. He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing ; not only he who does a certain thing. 6. Your present opinion founded on understanding, and your present conduct directed to social good, and your present disposition of contentment with everything which happens f — that is enough. 7. Wipe out imagination : check desire : extinguish appetite : keep the ruling faculty in its own power. 8. Among the animals which have not reason one life is distributed ; but among reasonable animals one intelligent soul is distributed: just as there is one earth of all things which are of an earthy nature, and we see by one light, and breathe
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