05.04.2013 Views

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

46 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

your own ; nor yet in any phase or alteration <strong>of</strong><br />

your<br />

material shell. Where is it then ? In that<br />

part <strong>of</strong> you which forms your<br />

views <strong>of</strong> what is evil.<br />

Refuse the view, and all is well. Though the poor<br />

flesh, <strong>to</strong> which it is so near allied, be cut or burned,<br />

fester or rot, still let this judging faculty remain<br />

at peace, adjudging nothing either bad or good,<br />

that can equally befall the bad man and the good.<br />

For that which equally befalls a man, whether he<br />

conforms <strong>to</strong> nature or no, is neither for nor against<br />

nature.<br />

40 Constantly picture the universe as a living<br />

organism, controlling a single substance and a single<br />

soul, and note how all things are assimilated <strong>to</strong> a<br />

single world-sense, all act by a single impulse, and<br />

all co-operate <strong>to</strong>wards all that comes <strong>to</strong> pass ; and<br />

mark the contexture and concatenation <strong>of</strong> the web.<br />

41 What am I ?<br />

said Epictetus.<br />

" "<br />

A poor soul laden with a corpse<br />

42 Things in change take no harm, nor the pro-<br />

ducts <strong>of</strong> change good.<br />

43 Time is a river, the mighty current <strong>of</strong> created<br />

things. No sooner is a thing in sight, than it is<br />

swept past, and another comes sweeping on, and<br />

will anon be by.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!