TWO STOICS — WORDS TO CONSIDER. . .

For more than fifty years there have been and continue to be three Stoics who offer me ‘words to consider.’  This morning I will offer us two quotations from two of these three Stoics [the three Stoics: Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius].

Marcus Aurelius: All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment; action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way. (Meditations, 9.6)

As I have noted in previous posts, I am moved, and challenged, by Marcus because (1) when he was writing in his journal (which, after his death, was published as his Meditations) he was writing to himself.  He was striving to remind himself of what he, as a Stoic, was being called to live into and out of and (2) at the time, he was considered, as the Emperor of Rome, to be the most powerful man in the world and (3) because his words continue to speak to and challenge me and hundreds of thousands of others to live a life of awareness, commitment and compassion.

Marcus’ repetition of ‘in the present moment’ reminds me that I must choose to be awake, aware, intentional, and purpose-full NOW, ‘in the present moment.’

To the extent I am able to live in the NOW, I am more able to attend to my perceptions, and hence my judgments.  I am also more able to choose actions/behaviors that promote the ‘common good.’  My tendency – and I believe I am not alone when it comes to this – is to choose for ‘my good’ or ‘my tribe’s good’ rather than seek to discern the ‘common good’ and then choose for it.

The first two are daunting challenges for me and the third ups the ante (for me and for many others): To freely accept what is not within my control.  Even as I type this sentence I can find my gut tightening up.

Epictetus: The proper work of the mind is the exercise of choice, refusal, yearning, repulsion, preparation, purpose, and assent.  What then can pollute and clog the mind’s proper functioning?  Nothing but its own corrupt decisions. (Discourses, 4.11.6-7)

Choice.  To discern the moral ‘right’ and then to act upon one’s discernment.  To then reflect upon the outcomes/consequences/effects and seek to learn from them.

Refusal.  To openly refuse to choose and engage in thoughts, attitudes and actions/behaviors that one discerns to be immoral.  To openly declare: THIS is where I choose to stand!

 Yearning.  I yearn many things.  The Stoics invite me to yearn for the Truth, the Good, and the Beauty.  Yearning also implies ‘striving to be…’ and ‘striving to do…’

Repulsion. I choose to be repulsed by all that undermines/threatens ‘Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.’  I choose to be repulsed by all that undermines compassion, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation.

Preparation. I choose to intentionally and purpose-full prepare myself so that I am more able to appropriately respond and appropriately react.  Without ‘preparation’ I am unable to choose to be unconditionally response-able.

Purpose. I am called to discern my life’s purpose.  There are essential questions that help guide me: Who are you?  Who are you choosing to become?  Why are you here?  Where are you choosing to go?  Why are you choosing to go there?  Am I living a life rooted in ‘Purpose’?

Assent. What is it that I am called to assent to (think: agree with)?  I am called first to seek clarity, for if I am not ‘clear’ how am I able to freely choose to assent.  When I ‘assent’ am I willing to state clearly, ‘THIS is where I choose to stand’?  Am I willing to discern and then to choose to openly ‘dissent’?

I leave us this morning with William James’ reminder: ‘I am the message!’