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
i8o MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK all else, but in handling the bridle it is more efficient than the right.: that comes of practice. 7 Think what a man should be in body and soul, when death overtakes him : think of the shortness of life, of the unfathomable eternity behind and before, of the weakness of all things material. 8 Strip off the husks, and look at the underlying causes ; look at the tendencies of action ; at pain, pleasure, death, reputation ; at man, quieter ; his own dis- see how every contravention comes from within, not from without ; how the view taken is everything. 9 In applying principles to action be like the boxer 1 not the swordsman. The swordsman lays by his sword and takes it up again ; but the boxer's hand is always there, he has nothing to do but to clench it. 10 Look at things as they are, discriminating matter, cause, and tendency. 11 How great is man's prerogative to do nothing but what god approves, and to accept all that god assigns. 12 In the order of nature, we must not find 1 Strictly " " pancratiast a mixture of boxing and wrestling.
xii TO HIMSELF 181 fault with gods who do no wrong, witting or unwitting ; nor yet with men, whose wrong is done unwittingly. Therefore find fault with none. How silly .and how strange, to be amazed at 13 anything in life ! Either fixed necessity and an inviolable order, 14 or a merciful providence, or a random and un- governed medley. If an inviolable necessity, why resist? If a providence, waiting to be merciful, make yourself worthy of the divine aid. If a chaos uncontrolled, be thankful that amid the wild waters you have within yourself an Inner governing mind. If the waves sweep you away, let them sweep flesh, breath and poor mortality ; the mind they shall never sweep. Shall the flame of a lamp give light till it is 15 extinguished, and not lose its radiance ; and shall the truth within you and justice and wisdom con- sent to premature extinction ? He gives me the impression of wrongdoing, 16 but after all how do I know, whether it is wrong ? or supposing it was, that he did not upbraid him- self for it like the mourner defacing visage his own ? He who would not have the vile do
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xii TO HIMSELF 181<br />
fault with gods who do no wrong, witting or<br />
unwitting ; nor yet with men, whose wrong is<br />
done unwittingly. Therefore find fault with<br />
none.<br />
How silly .and how strange, <strong>to</strong> be amazed at 13<br />
anything<br />
in life !<br />
Either fixed necessity and an inviolable order, 14<br />
or a merciful providence, or a random and un-<br />
governed medley. If an inviolable necessity, why<br />
resist? If a providence, waiting <strong>to</strong> be merciful,<br />
make yourself worthy <strong>of</strong> the divine aid. If a<br />
chaos uncontrolled, be thankful that amid the<br />
wild waters you have within yourself an Inner<br />
governing mind. If the waves sweep you away,<br />
let them sweep flesh, breath and poor mortality ;<br />
the mind they shall never sweep.<br />
Shall the flame <strong>of</strong> a lamp give light till it is 15<br />
extinguished, and not lose its radiance ; and shall<br />
the truth within you and justice and wisdom con-<br />
sent <strong>to</strong> premature extinction ?<br />
He gives me the impression <strong>of</strong> wrongdoing, 16<br />
but after all how do I know, whether it is wrong ?<br />
or supposing it was, that he did not upbraid him-<br />
self for it like the mourner defacing<br />
visage<br />
his own<br />
? He who would not have the vile do