Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 283some time cease to live, but if thou shalt fear never to have begun to live according to nature, — then thou wilt be a man worthy of the universe which has produced thee, and thou wilt cease to be a stranger in thy native land, and to wonder at things which happen daily as if they were something unexpected, and to be dependent on this or that. 2.
God sees the minds [ruling principles] of all men bared of the material vesture and rind and impurities. For with his intellectual part alone he touches the intelligence only which has flowed and been derived from himself into these bodies. And if thou also usest thyself to do this, thou wilt rid thyself of thy much trouble.
For he who regards not the poor flesh which envelops him, surely will not trouble himself by looking after raiment and dwelling and fame and such like externals and show. 3. The things are three of which thou art composed : a little body, a little breath [life], intelligence. Of these the first two are thine, so far as it is thy duty to take care of them ; but the third alone is properly thine.
Therefore if thou shalt separate from thyself, that is, from thy understanding, whatever others do or say, and whatever thou hast done or said thyself, and whatever future things trouble thee because they may happen, and whatever in the body which envelops p. 284thee or in the breath [life], which is by nature associated with the body, is attached to thee independent of thy will, and whatever the external circumfluent vortex whirls round, so that the intellectual power exempt from the things of fate can live pure and free by itself, doing what is just and accepting what happens and saying the truth : if thou wilt separate, I say, from this ruling faculty the things which are attached to it by the impressions of sense, and the things of time to come and of time that is past, and wilt make thyself like Empedocles' sphere, " All round and in its joyous rest reposing;" • and if thou shalt strive to live only what is really thy life, that is, the present, — then thou wilt be able to pass that portion of life which remains for thee up to the time of thy death free from perturbations, nobly, and obedient to thy own daemon [to the god that is within thee] (ii.
13, 17 ; iii. 5, 6 ; xi. 12). 4. I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. If then a god or a wise teacher should present himself to a man and bid him to think of nothing and to design 1 The verse of Empedocles is corrupt in Antoninus. It has been restored by Peyron from a Turin manuscript, thus : — p. 285nothing which he would not express as soon as he conceived it, he could not endure it even for a single day.1 So much more respect have we to what our neighbors shall think of us than to what we shall think of ourselves. 5.
How can it be that the gods, after having arranged all things well and benevolently for mankind, have overlooked this alone, that some men, and very good men, and men who, as we may say, have had most communion with the divinity, and through pious acts and religious observances have been most intimate with the divinity, when they have once died should never exist again, but should be completely extinguished ?
But if this is so, be assured that if it ought to have been otherwise, the gods would have done it. For if it were just, it would also be possible ; and if it were according to nature, nature would have had it so.
But because it is not so, if in fact it is not so, be thou convinced that it ought not to have been so: for thou seest even of thyself that in this inquiry thou art disputing with the Deity ; and we should not thus dispute with the gods, unless they were most excellent and most just ; but if this is so, they would not have allowed anything in the ordering of the universe to be neglected unjustly and irrationally. 6. Practise thyself even in the things which thov '111.4.
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS. 283 some time cease to live, but if you shall fear never to have begun to live according to nature, — then you will be a man worthy of the universe which has produced you, and you will cease to be a stranger in your native land, and to wonder at things which happen daily as if they were something unexpected, and to be dependent on this or that. 2. God sees the minds [ruling principles] of all men bared of the material vesture and rind and impurities. For with his intellectual part alone he touches the intelligence only which has flowed and been derived from himself into these bodies. And if you also usest yourself to do this, you will rid yourself of your much trouble. For he who regards not the poor flesh which envelops him, surely will not trouble himself by looking after raiment and dwelling and fame and such like externals and show. 3. The things are three of which you are composed : a little body, a little breath [life], intelligence. Of these the first two are your, so far as it is your duty to take care of them ; but the third alone is properly your. Therefore if you shall separate from yourself, that is, from your understanding, whatever others do or say, and whatever you have done or said yourself, and whatever future things trouble you because they may happen, and whatever in the body which envelops 284 MEDITATIONS. you or in the breath [life], which is by nature associated with the body, is attached to you independent of your will, and whatever the external circumfluent vortex whirls round, so that the intellectual power exempt from the things of fate can live pure and free by itself, doing what is just and accepting what happens and saying the truth : if you will separate, I say, from this ruling faculty the things which are attached to it by the impressions of sense, and the things of time to come and of time that is past, and will make yourself like Empedocles' sphere, " All round and in its joyous rest reposing;" • and if you shall strive to live only what is really your life, that is, the present, — then you will be able to pass that portion of life which remains for you up to the time of your death free from perturbations, nobly, and obedient to your own daemon [to the god that is within you] (ii. 13, 17 ; iii. 5, 6 ; xi. 12). 4. I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. If then a god or a wise teacher should present himself to a man and bid him to think of nothing and to design 1 The verse of Empedocles is corrupt in Antoninus. It has been restored by Peyron from a Turin manuscript, thus : — MABCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS. 285 nothing which he would not express as soon as he conceived it, he could not endure it even for a single day.1 So much more respect have we to what our neighbors shall think of us than to what we shall think of ourselves. 5. How can it be that the gods, after having arranged all things well and benevolently for mankind, have overlooked this alone, that some men, and very good men, and men who, as we may say, have had most communion with the divinity, and through pious acts and religious observances have been most intimate with the divinity, when they have once died should never exist again, but should be completely extinguished ? But if this is so, be assured that if it ought to have been otherwise, the gods would have done it. For if it were just, it would also be possible ; and if it were according to nature, nature would have had it so. But because it is not so, if in fact it is not so, be you convinced that it ought not to have been so: for you seest even of yourself that in this inquiry you are disputing with the Deity ; and we should not thus dispute with the gods, unless they were most excellent and most just ; but if this is so, they would not have allowed anything in the ordering of the universe to be neglected unjustly and irrationally. 6. Practise yourself even in the things which thov '111.4.
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