Meditations: An emperor’s guide to mastery.
By Marcus Aurelius
All I am is a little flesh and breath, plus mind.
Put away entertainments, set aside distractions, and look at yourself as you truly are: blood and bones, a network of nerves and veins. Your breath is only air, sucked in one moment and blown out the next. The mind, then, is the ruling part.
Nature and Fate are woven together by providence. All things flow from one Source. Everything that exists has its place in the cosmos-including you. That which serves the whole is good. The universe preserves its wholeness even though its elements are constantly in flux. Life is change. Let these principles be enough for you. Don't die bitterly, regretful of all the things you haven't yet learned, all the books you haven't yet read. Die serenely and content, with a heart full of gratitude.
Every moment, focus your attention to perform the task at hand with simplicity, efficiency, and dignity. Fill your mind with thoughts of love, freedom, and justice, leaving no room for negative and destructive thoughts. If you live every moment as if it were your your last—putting aside all carelessness, fear, anger, unreason, hypocrisy, selfishness, and dissatisfaction-you will find salvation. You need only hold onto these few principles and you can live in peace and contentment, watching things come and go in the stream of life. This is how the gods live.
No one can stop you from living according to your nature-from thinking, saying, and doing things that benefit all.
Your life may end at any time, so think and act accordingly. Death itself is nothing to fear. If there are gods, they will take care of you. If there are no gods, or if they have nothing to do with human affairs, what difference does it make? Live as best you can, regardless. But I believe that there are gods, they do care for us, and they would not send evil upon us. Death, life, pleasure, pain-these are universals. Life and pleasure come to bad people as well as good; pain and death come to the good as well as the bad. Therefore, none of these things can be good or bad in itself. They’re just things.
How quickly all things disappear. They pass from this world and all memory of them soon fades. Reason allows humanity to view the universe from the perspective of the gods. Consider all those things which attract by pleasure, repel by pain, or are famous the world over-how fleeting, fragile, and vaporous they are. Reason sees right through them. Look at death, too, through the eyes of reason: it's nothing more than a process of nature. Death is not only necessary, but beneficial to nature's ongoing work. Why fear it?
This present moment is all the life we ever have. The longest life and the shortest converge on this same point. No matter how many years stretch behind or in front of us, the present moment remains the same.
Remember the words of Monimus the Cynic: "Everything is opinion." This principle is not only true but beneficial—if you know how to use it. (Something only sucks because your opinion says so)
When human nature rebels against Mother Nature, humanity becomes a cancer on the earth. The nature of all things is nested within nature as a whole. When you reject what life gives you, you place yourself in opposition to nature including your own nature-and doing so harms yourself.
Your assignment as a human being is to follow reason and the laws of nature.
The physical world is an ever flowing stream, and the spiritual is an elusive vapor. Neither one can be grasped and held.
What can guide us? Only one thing: philosophy. Philosophy consists in keeping your inner spirit free, undisturbed, above pain and pleasure; acting with purpose in line with principle; embracing all that happens as coming from the same Source that gave you life; and accepting death as nothing more than a reconfiguration of the elements and particles that make up all things.
In other words, living according to nature.
When your eyes become attuned to nature and her works, everything is beautiful
Life is a voyage. You embark; you sail; and, when you reach the far shore, you get out of the boat. What is your destination? If the gods exist, you step into their divine realm.
If there are no gods, you enter a state without thought or feeling, freed from the bonds of pain and pleasure that held you on the ship.
Those who dwell on useful and uplifting thoughts—uncorrupted by pleasure, unharmed by pain, unprovoked by insult, standing up for justice, defending what is right, accepting their lot in life without complaint, and not prying into the minds of others-are the true ministers of the gods, for they're exercising the spark of divinity within themselves.
But if you find nothing better than the spark of divinity within you, which orders all thoughts, tames all desires, objectively examines all sensory impressions, reverences the gods, and cares for all people - if you find that everything else pales in comparison to this, then devote your life to it.
Remember that you only live in the present moment. Brief is the moment in which you live. Small is the plot of earth beneath your feet.
Do you seek fame, so that you will live on in people's memories after you're dead? Remember that their days are short, too-they barely have time to know themselves, much less learn about those who died long ago. And even if they were to live ten thousand years and keep your memory—what good is that to you? Life is for the living.
With each person you meet, remind yourself that you share a common humanity. You are members of the same family. They may not know this, but you do—so show them by the way you treat them.
When the day brings events that seem strange and unusual, remember: the universe is ruled by reason.
Nothing happens to anyone that nature has not equipped them to bear.
Live with the gods. How? By happily accepting your given role in life. And following the divine spark within. That divine spark is your reason and understanding.
If you focus on the task at hand, shed all distractions, and reason with steadfast determination, the divine spark within you will burst into flame. Nurture this inner light, keep it pure, and be ready to return it to its Source when your time is done. Enjoy the present moment. Expect nothing, fear nothing, speak truly, and act heroically. No one can stop you.
When your mind is in harmony with nature, you'll easily adapt to every possible situation. Reason doesn't require particular circumstances to work; it works with every circumstance. It turns obstacles into opportunities.
But it is within your power to find solace at any time, by retreating into yourself. When your thoughts are orderly and tranquil, there's no place quieter and more peaceful than your own soul. There, you are free.
Also, remember that the universe is like one great organism made up of many tiny cells, and each has a role to play—including you.
Nothing touches the soul; it can't be harmed by anything external. When you are upset, it is your own opinion that upsets you.
The universe is constantly in flux.
Your experience of life is determined by how you look at it.
Where does our common reason come from? What gives us this capacity for discernment, right action, and law? All things must come from somewhere. Our bodies are made of elements that come from the earth and are hydrated by the earth's waters.
Reason, too, must have a Source. This is a profound mystery.
What truly hurts you is what makes you a worse person. Don't say you've been harmed if your reason and character are untouched. And no one can muddy your reason and mar your character but yourself.
Your life has been a growth of nature.
Eventually you'll disappear back into it, returning to the Source from which you came. Whether sooner or later makes no difference. Live well, in accordance with reason, for as long as you have the chance.
When bodies die, they decompose into elements that eventually are transmuted into new living bodies. Perhaps souls, too, are diffused and absorbed back into the creative intelligence of the world. And from this Source, fresh souls emerge into the world. This is one hypothesis.
You are a part of the universe. Are you a rational being? Can you find meaning and create order in yourself? If order and intelligence exist in one part of the universe-you-they exist in the All. Love your philosophy and live it out. Be content in all circumstances, entrusting your soul to the gods. Don't be the tyrant or slave of anyone.
What, then, should we strive for in life? Right thoughts, beneficial actions, honest speech, and a cheerful disposition. These things are in harmony with, and flow from, the eternal Source of all.
Don't judge others based on outward circumstances and appearances.
Difficult circumstances can befall anyone. What is telling is how person responds to their circumstances. Their body may be maimed, dirtied, and disfigured, while the light of reason burns bright within.
Picture the universe as one great, living being, with one substance and one soul. Seen from this perspective, all parts are moving together as one, evolving together, co-creating what comes next. Reason does not separate us from the universe. Our ability to sense, perceive, and understand is itself a power of the universe. You are a part of the universe, perceiving itself. (As we journey on each day, embodying the divine consciousness mindfully in each moment, acting with love and reason - and through this action we contribute to ever developing soul of the universe, feeding love back to it as it flows forward through space and time.) -Aurelius (-St. Romain)
Pass through this life peacefully, in harmony with nature. End your journey contentedly, like an olive that falls from the tree when it is ripe, blessing Mother Nature and thanking the tree upon which it grew.
It is your good fortune to be able to bear this nobly.
First, nothing can happen to me that is contrary to the nature of the universe, for everything in the universe is a part of the whole. Second, that it is always in my power to think and act in harmony with nature - both my own nature, and the nature of the universe.
In every activity, ask whether your soul is engaged. Is reason at the helm or asleep? Are you following a guiding principle or groping blindly?
I am composed of matter and energy, which can't be destroyed-only transformed. The elements that form me didn't appear out of nothing - they were transmuted from other things. And when I die, they will transmute into new combinations. Every part of me will become part of something else, and so on, forever.
Fate can't give you a challenge that nature has not equipped you to bear. No matter what comes your way, you can find an example of someone who has gone through the same experience and stood strong, emerging with their spirit unharmed.
For events and circumstances don't touch the soul—not in the least. Only the soul shapes the soul, as it responds to the things it encounters.
When you come upon a stumbling block, use it as a stepping stone.
Imagine your ideal future and how you will feel when you've "arrived." It's in your power to feel that way today— to think the same thoughts and have the same attitude that you would if your surroundings were ideal.
Nothing short of death can prevent you from thinking, feeling, and acting as you choose. Choose to live according to your nature as a rational and social being, in harmony with the universe.
As you wait for the end to come, what should you do? Be grateful to the gods, do good to people, master yourself, and let go of everything that is outside your power. If you think and act in the right way, you'll sail through life and arrive at your destination in even-keeled contentment.
Reason is free from hatred, has no desire to harm anyone or anything, and will never direct you to do evil. Reason works to the benefit of all things.
The way to peace is to be content with yourself, honor the light of reason within, live in harmony with others, and be grateful to the gods for the universe and your role in it.
If you trip and fall, your hands and knees will feel pain. Let them complain if they wish. But you are not injured unless you choose to view your fall as a terrible, unfair, unfortunate event inflicted upon you. Your opinions and interpretations are up to you.
The light of reason, the divine spark within you, is self-sufficient. It needs nothing, wants nothing, and can be harmed by nothing outside itself. Only your own wrong opinions, mistaken ideas, and negative thoughts can hide its light.
Everything is content when it fulfills its nature. A person is content when their thoughts are in harmony with reason (clear, purposeful, truth-seeking, just); when their actions are beneficial for themselves and others; when they limit their desires and dislikes to what is within their sphere of power; and when they accept all that Fate gives them.
Learn to love everyone, including the ignorant and ungrateful. Be grateful, yourself. Stop complaining about the demands of court life. And so, you have three responsibilities: First, to use your reason to master your body and make right judgments; second, to gratefully accept all that happens in the universe; third, to treat all people with justice and generosity.
When you are disturbed, ask, is this pain unbearable and everlasting? Or is it manageable and temporary? Remember—you can't hurt in the past or future, only in the present moment. Limit your pain to that moment and it will be bearable.
The universe moves ever onward, from age to age. Does a universal intelligence guide its every step? Or did a first cause set the universe into motion, then withdraw to let things go as they may? Is there someone (or something) in charge, or is it all chance?
If there is a guiding intelligence, put yourself in harmony with it by following your reason, which is your connection to the universal intelligence.
I don't know whether the gods hear and answer our prayers, or not. Either way, why not pray for the strength to let go of your desires and fears? Wouldn't it be better to be content with what you already have and to fear nothing? Try praying this way-for an inner change, rather than an outer one-and see what happens.
Follow Epicurus' example: Don't desert philosophy under any circumstance, no matter what befalls you. And, if possible, surround yourself with thoughtful, encouraging friends.
Rationality is the quality of seeing past appearances to discern the true nature of things. We call a person rational who is evenhanded and unprejudiced. Equanimity means the calm acceptance of all that exists and all that happens. Magnanimity means greatness of spirit, unmoved by the lure of pleasure, the lust for fame, and the fear of death.
Every day, unexpected events, interpersonal conflicts, and bone-tiredness conspire to pull you away from your principles. But every time you respond by drawing on reason, its flame grows stronger within you.
Things come into being because the universe loves them and wants them to exist. As children of the universe, we have the power to love, too. Shouldn't we love everything the universe creates?
A man deposits some fluid in a womb, and nothing more; then hidden forces go to work within the woman, forming a child. A human being, sprung from such a substance!
The child suckles milk and eats her first foods - again, hidden forces go to work, transforming food and drink into bone and brains, strength and intelligence, movement and life. Astounding! Notice how even great things have small beginnings, and how unseen, imperceptible forces are the most powerful of all.
Here is what the rational soul does: It sees, analyzes, shapes, and directs the self. It bears fruit in rational thoughts, words, and actions. It makes goals and devises plans to achieve them. It brings order to chaos, fits pieces into patterns, and makes the incomplete whole. It surveys the entire universe, and sees backward and forward in time. It embraces all the stages of life, including death. It seeks truth and justice, and loves all people as brothers and sisters.
Let your soul be at peace-neither pursuing nor running from anything. The peaceful soul is a perfect circle. If it stretches toward some object, or contracts away from another, it becomes distorted. When illumined with reason, the soul is a shining orb. By its light, we can see clearly and truly.
Don't cling to possessions and other external things; cling only to the divine spark within you.
Look inside to check on your spark of divinity, on loan from the divine Source. Is it burning pure, bright, and strong?
How meager the portion of universal intelligence we access in our minds. In light of all this smallness, what should we consider important? Only living according to our nature and accepting all that Fate gives us.
Our task is this: to play our role to the best of our ability, then depart in contentment and gratitude, praying only that the playwright is pleased with our performance.