# Chapter 10 - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

An episode of [The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1597045207), 24 Nov 2021, 28 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/47628472/chapter_10_the_meditations_of_marcus_aurelius.mp3

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## Transcript

[0:00] Wilt thou, then my soul, never be good and simple and one and
[0:04] naked, more manifest than the body which surrounds THEE. Wilt thou never enjoy
[0:09] affection and contented disposition. Wilt thou never be full and without a want of
[0:14] any kind, longing for nothing more, nor desiring anything either animate or inanimate,
[0:19] for the enjoyment of pleasures, nor yet desiring time wherein thou shalt have
[0:24] longer enjoyment, or place, or pleasant climate, or society of men with
[0:28] whom thou mayest live in harmony. But wilt thou be satisfied with thy present
[0:32] condition and pleased with all that is about THEE? And wilt thou convince thyself
[0:37] that thou hast everything, and that it comes from the Gods, that everything
[0:41] is well for THEE, and will be well whatever shall please them and whatever
[0:45] they shall give for the conservation of perfect living being, the good and just
[0:50] and beautiful, which generates and holds together all things, and contains and embraces
[0:54] all things which are dissolved for the production of other like things. Wilt thou
[0:59] never be such that thou shalt so dwell in community with gods and men,
[1:03] as neither to find fault with them at all, nor to be condemned by
[1:06] them. Two, observe what thy nature requires, so far as thou art
[1:14] governed by nature. Only, then do it and accept it. If thy
[1:18] nature, so far as thou art a living being, shall not be made
[1:21] worse by it. And next thou must observe what thy nature requires, so
[1:26] far as thou art a living being, And all this thou mayest allow thyself.
[1:30] If thy nature, so far as thou art a rational animal, shall
[1:34] not be made worse by it, but the rational animal is consequently also a
[1:38] political animal. Use these rules, then, and trouble thyself about nothing else.
[1:48] Three. Everything which happens either happens in such wise as thou art formed
[1:53] by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed by nature to
[1:57] bear it. If then it happens to thee in such a way as thou
[2:01] art formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it
[2:05] as thou art formed by nature to bear it. But if it happens in
[2:08] such wise as thou art not formed by nature to bear it, do not
[2:12] complain, for it will perish after it has consumed thee. Remember, however,
[2:17] that thou art formed by nature to bear everything with respect to which it
[2:21] depends on thy own opinion to make it endurable and tolerable, by thinking that
[2:24] it is either thy interest or thy duty to do this. For if a
[2:30] man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error. But if
[2:36] thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even thyself. Five.
[2:45] Whatever may happen to THEE, it was prepared for THEE from all eternity,
[2:50] and the implication of causes was from eternity spinning the thread of thy being
[2:53] and of that which is incident to it. Six. Whether the universe is
[3:00] a concourse of atoms or nature is a system, let this first be established
[3:06] that I am part of the whole which is governed by nature. Next,
[3:08] I am in a manner intimately related to the parts which are of the same
[3:12] kind with myself. For remembering this, inasmuch as I am a part,
[3:17] I shall be discontented with none of the things which are assigned to me out
[3:21] of the whole. For nothing is injurious to the part if it is for
[3:24] the advantage of the whole. For the whole contains nothing which is not for
[3:29] its advantage, and all natures indeed have this common principle. But the nature
[3:34] of the universe has this principle besides, that it cannot be compelled, even
[3:38] by any external cause, to generate anything harmful to itself. By remembering,
[3:44] then that I am part of such a whole, I shall be content with
[3:46] everything that happens. And inasmuch as I am in a manner intimately related to
[3:51] the parts which are of the same kind with myself, I shall do nothing
[3:54] unsocial. But I shall rather direct myself to the things which are of the
[3:59] same kind with myself, And I shall turn all my efforts to the common
[4:02] interest and divert them from the contrary. Now, if these things are done
[4:08] so, life must flow on happily, just as thou mayst observe that the
[4:12] life of a citizen is happy who continues a course of action which is advantageous
[4:15] to his fellow citizens, and is content with whatever the state may assign to
[4:19] him. Seven the parts of the whole, everything I mean, which is
[4:29] naturally comprehended in the universe, must of necessity perish. But let this be
[4:34] understood in this sense that they must undergo change. But if this is naturally
[4:41] both an evil and a necessity, for the parts the whole would not continue
[4:45] to exist in a good condition, the parts being subject to change and constituted
[4:48] so as to perish in various ways. For whether did Nature herself designed to
[4:54] do evil to the things which are parts of herself, and to make them
[4:57] subject to evil, and of necessity fall into evil, or have such results
[5:01] happened without her knowing it. Both these suppositions indeed are incredible. But if
[5:08] a man should ever drop the term nature as an efficient power, and should
[5:12] speak of these things as natural, even then it would be ridiculous to affirm
[5:15] at the same time that the parts of the whole are in their nature subject
[5:19] to change, and at the same time to be surprised or vexed, as
[5:23] if something were happening contrary to nature, particularly as the dissolution of things into
[5:28] those things of which each thing is composed. For there is either a dispersion
[5:32] of the elements out of which everything has been compounded, or a change from
[5:36] the solid to the earthy, and from the airy to the aerial, so
[5:40] that these parts are taken back into the universal. Reason, whether this at
[5:44] certain periods is consumed by fire or renewed by eternal changes. And do not
[5:49] imagine that the solid and the airy part belong to THEE from time of generation.
[5:55] For all this received it's accretion only yesterday and the day before, as
[5:59] one may say, from the food and the air which is inspired. This,
[6:02] then, which have received the oppression, changes not that which thy mother
[6:06] brought forth. But suppose that this which thy mother brought forth implicates THEE very
[6:12] much with the other part, which has the peculiar quality of change. This
[6:15] is nothing, in fact in the way of objection to what is said.
[6:21] Eight. When thou hast assumed those names good, modest, true rational,
[6:28] a man of equanimity and magnanimous, take care thou dost not change these names,
[6:32] and if thou should lose them, quickly returned to them. And remember
[6:36] that the term rational was intended to signify a discriminating attention to every several thing
[6:42] and freedom from negligence. And that equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the things
[6:46] which are assigned to THEE by the common nature, and that magnanimity is the
[6:51] elevation of the intelligent part above the pleasurable or painful sensations of the flesh,
[6:57] and above that poor thing called fame. And death, and all such things.
[7:01] If then thou maintainest thyself in the possession of these names, without desiring
[7:06] to be called by these names by others, thou wilt be another person,
[7:11] and wilt enter onto another life for to continue to be such as thou hast
[7:15] hitherto been, and to be torn in pieces and defile in such a life
[7:19] as the character of a very stupid man and one overfond of his life,
[7:25] And like those half devoured fighters with wild beasts, who, though covered with
[7:29] wounds and gore, is still entreat to be kept to the following day,
[7:31] though they will be exposed in the same state to the same clause and bites.
[7:36] Therefore, fix thyself in the possession of these few names, and if
[7:41] thou art able to abide in them, abide as if thou hast removed to
[7:45] certain islands of the happy. But if thou shalt perceive that thou fall'st out
[7:50] of them, and dost not maintain thy hold, go courageously into some nook
[7:55] where thou shalt maintain them, or even depart at once from life, not
[7:59] in passion, but with simplicity and freedom and modesty. After doing this,
[8:03] one laudable thing, at least in thy life, to have gone out of
[8:07] it. Thus, in order, however, to the remembrance of these names,
[8:11] it will greatly help thee if thou rememberest the gods, and if they
[8:16] wish not to be flattered, but whish all reasonable beings to be made like
[8:18] themselves. And if thou rememberest that which does the work of a fig tree
[8:24] is a fig tree, and that which does the work of a dog is
[8:26] a dog. And that which does the work of a bee is a bee.
[8:31] And that which does the work of man is a man. Nine Mimi
[8:39] wore astonishment, torpor slavery will daily wipe out those holy principles of thine.
[8:46] How many things, without studying nature dost thou imagine, and how many dost
[8:50] thou neglect. But it is thy duty so to look on, and so
[8:54] to do everything. At the same time, the power of dealing with circumstances
[8:58] is perfect, and the contemplative faculty is exercised, and the confidence which comes
[9:03] from the knowledge of each several thing is maintained without showing it by yet not
[9:09] concealed. For when wilt thou enjoy simplicity, when gravity, and when the
[9:16] knowledge of every several thing, both what is in substance and what place it
[9:20] has in the universe, and how long it is formed to exist, and
[9:22] of what things it has compounded, and to whom it can belong, and
[9:26] who were able both to give it and take it away. Ten A spider
[9:35] is proud when it has caught a fly, and another when he has caught
[9:39] a poor hair, and another when he has taken the little fish in the
[9:43] neat, and another when he has taken wild boars, and another when he
[9:48] has taken bears, and another when he has taken Sarmatians are not these robbers,
[9:54] if thou examinest their opinions. Eleven, acquire the contemplative way of seeing
[10:01] how all things change into one another, and constantly attend to it, and
[10:07] exercise thyself about this part of philosophy. For nothing is so much adapted produce
[10:11] magnanimity. Such a man has put off the body, and he sees that
[10:16] he must, no one knows how soon, go away from among men and
[10:20] leave everything here. He gives himself up entirely to just doing in all his
[10:26] actions and in everything else that happens. He resigns himself to the universal nature.
[10:31] But as to what any man shall say, or think it about him,
[10:35] or do against him, he never even thinks of it. Being himself
[10:37] contented with these two things, with acting justly in what he now does,
[10:43] and being satisfied with what is now assigned to him, and he lays aside
[10:48] all distracting and busy pursuits, and desires nothing else than to accomplish the straight
[10:52] course through the law, and by accomplishing the straight course, to follow God.
[11:00] Twelve What need is there of suspicious fear? Since it is thy power
[11:05] to inquire what ought to be done? And if thou seest clear, go
[11:09] by this way content without turning back. But if thou dost not see clear,
[11:15] stop and take the best advisors. But if any other things oppose thee
[11:20] go on according to thy powers, with due consideration, keeping to that which
[11:24] appears to be just, For it is best to reach this object. And
[11:28] if thou dost fail, let thy failure be in attempting this. He who
[11:31] follows reason in all things is both tranquil and active at the same time,
[11:37] and also cheerful and collected. Thirteen. Inquire of thyself, as soon as
[11:46] thou wakest from sleep, whether it will make any difference to thee. If
[11:50] another does what is just and right, it will make no difference. Thou
[11:56] hast not forgotten. I suppose that those who assume arrogant errors and bestow their
[12:00] praiser blame on others are such as they are at bed and at board,
[12:03] And thou hast not forgotten what they do, and what they avoid, and
[12:07] what they pursue, and how they steal, and how they rob, not
[12:11] with hands and feet, but with their most valuable part, by means of
[12:15] which there is produced when a man chooses fidelity, modesty, truth, law,
[12:18] a good demon, and happiness. Fourteen to her who gives and takes
[12:26] back all to nature, the man who is instructed and modest says, give
[12:31] what thy wilt, take back what thou wilt. And he says this not
[12:35] proudly, but obediently, and well pleased with her. Fifteen short is the
[12:43] little which remains to thee of life. Live as on a mountain, For
[12:48] it makes no difference whether a man lives there or here, if he lives
[12:52] everywhere in the world as an estate. Let men see, Let them know
[12:56] a real man who lives according to nature. If they cannot endure him,
[13:01] let them kill him, for that is better than to live like this.
[13:07] Sixteen. No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good
[13:13] man ought to be, but be such Seventeen. Constantly contemplate the whole of
[13:20] time and the whole of substance, And consider that all individual things, as
[13:24] to substance, are as a grain of a fig and as to time,
[13:28] the turning of a gimlet. Eighteen. Look at everything that exists, and
[13:35] observe that it is already in dissolution and in change, and as it were,
[13:41] puture faction or dispersion, or that everything is so constituted by nature as
[13:45] to die. Nineteen. Consider what men are when they are eating, sleeping,
[13:52] generating, easing themselves and so forth. Then what kind of men they
[13:56] are when they are imperious and arrogant or angry in scolding from their elevated place.
[14:01] Put a short time ago to how many they were slaves and for what
[14:05] things, And after a little time, considering what a condition they will be.
[14:11] Twenty That is for the good of each thing, which the universal nature
[14:16] brings to each, and it is for it's good at the time when nature
[14:20] brings in twenty One. The earth loves a shower, and the solemn eh
[14:30] their loves, and the universe loves to make whatever it is about to be.
[14:35] I say then to the universe that I love as thou lovest. And
[14:39] is not this too said, that this or that loves is wont to be
[14:43] produced. Twenty two. Either thou livest here and hast already accustomed thyself to
[14:52] it, or thou art going away and this was on thy own will,
[14:56] or thou art dying and has discharged thy duty. But besides these things there
[15:01] is nothing be of good cheer. Then twenty three let this always be plain
[15:11] to thee that this piece of land is like any other, and that all
[15:13] things here are the same with things on top of a mountain, or on
[15:16] the seashore, or wherever thou choosest to be. For thou wilt find just
[15:22] what Plato says, dwelling within the walls of a city, as in a
[15:24] shepherd's fold on a mountain. Twenty four. What is my ruling faculty now
[15:33] to me? And of what nature am I now making it? And for
[15:37] what purpose am I now using it? Is it void of understanding? Is
[15:41] it loosed and rent asunder from social life? Is it melted into and mixed
[15:46] with the poor flesh, so as to move together with it. Twenty five.
[15:52] He who flies from his master is a runaway. But the law is
[15:56] master, and he who breaks the law is a runaway. And he also
[16:00] who has grieved or angry or afraid, is dissatisfied because something has been,
[16:06] or is or shall be, of the things which are appointed by Him who
[16:08] rules all things. And he is law and assigns to every man what is
[16:12] fit. He then, who fears, or is grieved or is angry,
[16:17] is a runaway. Twenty six. A man deposits set in a womb and
[16:25] goes away, and then another cause takes it and labors on it and makes
[16:30] a child. What a thing from such a material? Again, the child
[16:36] passes food down the throat, and then another cause takes it and makes it
[16:38] perception and motion, and in fine life, and strength and other things.
[16:42] How many and how strange observe then the things which are produced in such a
[16:48] hidden way, And see the power, just as we see the power which
[16:52] carries things downwards and upwards, not with the eyes, but still no less
[16:56] plainly. Twenty seven. Constantly consider how all things such as they now are,
[17:04] and time past also were and considered that they will be the same again,
[17:10] and placed before thy eyes entire dramas and stages of the same form,
[17:12] whatever thou hast learned from thy experience or from older history. For example,
[17:18] the whole court of Adrianus, and the whole court of Antoninus, and the
[17:22] whole court of Philippus Alexander Croesus, for all those were dramas such as we
[17:26] see now, only with different actors. Twenty eight. Imagine every man who
[17:33] has grieved at anything are discontented to be like a pig, which is sacrificed
[17:37] in kicks and screams. Like this pig. Also is he who, on
[17:42] his bed, in silence, laments the bonds in which we are held,
[17:45] and considered that only to the rational animal is it given to follow voluntarily what
[17:49] happens, but simply to follow as a necessity imposed on all. Twenty nine.
[17:57] Severally on the occasion of everything, that thou dost pause and ask thyself
[18:03] if death is a dreadful thing, because it deprives thee of this Thirty When
[18:10] thou art offended at any man's fault, forthwith turned to thyself and reflect in
[18:14] what like manner thou dost error thyself, for example, in thinking that money
[18:18] is a good thing, or pleasure, or a bit of reputation than the
[18:21] like. For by attending to this thou will quickly forget thy anger. If
[18:25] this consideration also is added that the man is compelled, for what else could
[18:29] he do? Or if thou art able, take away from him the compulsion
[18:37] Thirty one. When thou hast seen Satron the Socratic, think of you Tykes
[18:41] or Hyman. And when thou hast seen Euphrates, think of Eutichion or Sylvanus.
[18:48] And when thou hast seen au Ciphran, think of Choeypophyrus. And when
[18:52] thou hast seen Xenophon, think of Credo of Severus. And when thou hast
[18:56] looked on thyself, think of any other Caesar. And in the case of
[19:02] everyone doing like manner, then let this thought be in thy mind. Where
[19:08] then are those men nowhere or nobody knows where? For thus continuously thou wilt
[19:17] look at human things as smoke and nothing at all, especially if thou reflectest
[19:21] at the same time that what is once changed will never exist again in the
[19:25] infinite duration of time. But thou, in what a brief space of time
[19:30] is thy existence. And why art thou not content to pass through this short
[19:36] time in an orderly way? What matter an opportunity for thy activity? Art
[19:40] thou avoiding? For what else are all these things except exercises? For the
[19:45] reason, when it has viewed carefully and by examination into their nature, The
[19:48] things which happen in life persevere then until thou shalt have made these things thy
[19:56] own, as the stomach, which is strengthened, makes all things its own,
[20:00] as the blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown
[20:03] into it. Thirty two. Let it not be in any man's power to
[20:15] say truly of THEE that thou art not simple, or that thou art not
[20:18] good? But let him be a liar whoever shall think anything of this kind
[20:22] about THEE? And this is altogether in thy power, For who is he
[20:27] that shall hinder THEE from being good and simple? Do thou only determine to
[20:32] live no longer unless thou shalt be such? For neither does reason allow THEE
[20:37] to live if thou art not such? Thirty three What is that which ads
[20:47] to this material? Our life? Can be done or said in a way
[20:49] most conformable to reason? For whatever this may be, it is in thy
[20:53] power to do it or say it, And do not make excuses that thou
[20:57] art hindered. Thou wilt not cease to lament till thy mind is in such
[21:02] a condition that what luxury is to those who enjoy pleasure, such shall be
[21:07] to THEE. In the matter which is subjected and presented to THEE the doing
[21:11] of things which are conformable to man's constitution. For a man ought to consider
[21:15] as an enjoyment everything which is in his power to do, according to his
[21:18] own nature, and it is in his power everywhere. Now it is not
[21:29] given to a cylinder to move everywhere by its own motion, nor yet water,
[21:33] nor to fire, nor to anything else which is governed by nature of
[21:37] an irrational soul. For the things which check them and stand in the way
[21:41] are many. But intelligence and reason are able to go through everything that opposes
[21:47] them, and in such manner as they are formed by nature, and as
[21:49] they choose place before thy eyes this facility with which the reason will be carried
[21:56] through all things as fire upwards as a stone, downward as a cylinder,
[22:00] down an inclined surface, and seek nothing further, for all other obstacles,
[22:07] either affect the body only which is a dead thing, or except through opinion
[22:11] and the yielding of the reason itself, they do not crush nor do any
[22:15] harm of any kind. For if they did, he who felt it would
[22:18] immediately become bad. Now, in the case of all things which have a
[22:23] certain constitution, whatever harm may happy to any of them, that which is
[22:30] so affected becomes consequently worse. But in the like case a man becomes both
[22:34] better, if one may say so, and more worthier praise, by making
[22:38] a right use of these accidents. And finally, remember that nothing harms him
[22:45] who's really a citizen, which does not harm the state, Nor yet does
[22:48] anything harm the state which does not harm law. And of these things which
[22:52] are called misfortunes, not one harm's law. What then does not harm law,
[23:00] not harm either state or citizen. Thirty four To him who is penetrated
[23:07] by true principles, even the briefest precept is sufficient, and any common precept
[23:14] to remind him that he should be free from grief and fair. For example,
[23:19] leaves some the wind scatters on the ground, so is the race of
[23:25] men. Leaves also are thy children, and leaves to are they who cry
[23:30] out as if they were worthy of credit and bestow their praise, or on
[23:33] the contrary, curse or secretly blame and sneer, and leaves in like manner
[23:38] are those who shall receive and transmit a man's famed after times. For all
[23:44] such things as these quote are produced in the season of spring, as the
[23:49] poet says, but the wind cast them down. Then the forest produces other
[23:55] leaves in their places. But a brief existence is common to all things.
[24:00] And yet thou avoidest and pursuest all things as if they would be eternal.
[24:04] A little time, and thou shalt close thy eyes, and him who has
[24:07] attended thee to thy grave another soon will lament thirty five. The healthy eye
[24:19] ought to see all visible things, and not to say I wish for green
[24:22] things, for this is the condition of a diseased eye. And the healthy
[24:27] hearing and smelling ought to be ready to perceive all that can be heard and
[24:30] smelled. And the healthy stomach ought to be with respect to all food,
[24:34] just as the mill with respect to all things which it is formed to grind.
[24:40] And accordingly, the healthy understanding ought to be prepared for everything which happens,
[24:45] but that which says, let my dear children live, and let all
[24:48] men praise. Whatever I may do is an eye which seeks for green things,
[24:52] or teeth which seeks for soft things. There is no man so fortunate
[25:04] that there shall not be by him when he is dying. Some who were
[25:07] pleased with what is going to happen, Suppose that he was a good and
[25:11] wise man. Will there not be at last someone to say to himself,
[25:17] let us at last breathe freely being relieved from this schoolmaster. It is true
[25:22] that he was harsh to none of us, but I perceive that he tacitly
[25:26] condemns us. This is what is said of a good man. But in
[25:32] our own case, how many other things are there for which there are many
[25:34] who which to get rid of us? Thou wilt consider this then, when
[25:38] thou art dying, and thou wilt depart more contentedly by reflecting. Thus,
[25:45] I am going away from such a life in which even my associates and behalf
[25:48] of whom I have striven so much, prayed and cared themselves, wished me
[25:53] to depart, hoping perchance to get some little advantage by it. Why then,
[26:00] a man cling to a longer stay here, do not however, for
[26:04] this reason, go away less kindly disposed to them, but preserving thy own
[26:08] character, and friendly and benevolent and mild. And on the other hand,
[26:12] not as if thou wast torn away, but as a man who dies a
[26:15] quiet death. The poor soul is easily separated from the body. Such also
[26:22] off thy departure from men to be. For Nature united THEE to them and
[26:26] associated thee. But does she now dissolve the union? Well, I am
[26:33] separated as from kinsmen, not however, dragged, resisting, but without compulsion,
[26:40] For this too is one of the things according to nature. Thirty seven.
[26:48] Accustom thyself, as much as possible, on the occasion of anything being
[26:52] done by any person, to inquire with thyself, for what object is this
[26:56] man doing this? But begin with thyself and examine thyself first. Thirty eight
[27:08] Remember that this which pulls the strings is the thing which is hidden within.
[27:12] This is the power of persuasion, This is life. This, if one
[27:17] may say so, is man. In contemplating thyself. Never include the vessel
[27:22] which surrounds THEE, and these instruments were attached about it, For they are
[27:29] like to enact differing only in this that they grow to the body. For
[27:34] indeed, there is no more use than these parts without the cause which moves
[27:38] and checks them, than in the weaver's shuttle, and the writer's pen and
[27:44] the driver's whip.

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