MARCUS AGAIN. . .

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (referred to as “the wise”) was Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to his death in 180. He was the last of the “Five Good Emperors”, and is also one of the more important Stoic philosophers. His two decades as emperor were marked by near continual warfare. Marcus Aurelius’ great work called Meditations, was written by Marcus in Greek, not Latin.  He wrote this journal while on campaign between 170 and 180. Marcus wrote to himself; his goal was to reflect and remind himself of his own life-challenges as a Stoic; it appears as if he did not intend his journal to be read by others.  It continues to be revered as a literary monument and has been read and savored by hundreds of thousands of people.  Marcus’ Meditations provide us a deep insight into both a human being who was striving to live a certain way (the Stoic way) and into an Emperor who at that time was the most powerful man in the Roman world. Today I quote again from Book 8.  Marcus writes:

 

Do not be sloppy in your actions; in conversation, do not be dragged into confusion; and do not allow your thoughts to wander aimlessly.  Do not allow your soul either to contract or inflate; and in your external life, do not be overly busy.  “But they kill us, hack us to pieces, and pursue us with curses.”  What does any of this have to do with keeping your thought pure, composed, restrained, and just?  It is as if someone standing by a fountain of pure sweet water were to yell curses at it, yet the fountain never stops bubbling with fresh water. . . How, then, can you have such a fountain within yourself?  By guarding your freedom each and every hour with kindness, simplicity, and self-respect.

 

Do you desire to be praised by a man who curses himself three times every hour?  Do you desire to gain the approval of people who do not even approve of themselves?

 

The sun seems to pour itself down, and pours itself in every direction, but it is not emptied.  For this pouring is an extension, and its rays are so named because of their extension.  You can observe this if you watch sunlight shinning through some narrow crack in a dark room.  It extends itself in a straight line until it encounters some solid body which stops its extension.  There the light rests, and it does not move or fall off.

   This is how the pouring and diffusion of the mind must be, for it is not a pouring ‘out,’ but rather an extension of itself; and it should not make a violent or angry impact upon whatever stands in its way; nor should it simply fall away, but rather it should stand firm and illuminate whatever receives it.  Whatever does not accept it and help it on its way only deprives itself of the light.

 

Humans have come into being for the sake of each other; so teach them or learn to bear them.