{
\"code\": 200,
\"title\": \"\",
\"content\": \"用思想滋養你的心靈\\n\\n1.在早晨，當你不情願地起床時，請這樣想：我起來是去做一個人的工作。我們因為這些工作而存在，我們因為這些工作而來到這個世界，那麼我們去做這些工作為什麼會不樂意呢？難道我是為了躲在溫暖的被子裡睡覺而生的嗎？——這的確更舒服——但你存在就隻是為了獲取快樂，你存在的意義完全與行動和努力無關嗎？你冇有看到小小的植物、小鳥、螞蟻、蜘蛛、蜜蜂都在一起工作、履行著自己在宇宙中的職責嗎？難道你不願意去做一個人的工作，不感到急切去做那與本性一致的事嗎？——但休息也是必要的——是，休息是必要的，但自然也為這劃定了界限，她為吃喝規定了界限，但你還是超出了這些限製，超出了足夠的範圍；而在行動上，你卻恰恰相反，還冇做夠你就停止了，所以你不愛自己。若你愛自己的話，你就會愛你的本性及其意誌。那些熱愛自己技能的人都因工作而精疲力竭，顧不上洗澡，也忘記了饑餓雜耍藝人會尊重他的雜耍技藝，舞蹈家尊重自己的舞蹈技藝，守財奴尊重他的金錢，哪怕是自負者也會尊重他小小的榮譽，而你對自己本性的尊重卻還不如他們。這些人，當他們對一件事有著強烈的喜愛時，廢寢忘食也要在這件他們所在乎的事情上精益求精。而在你眼裡，難道有益於社會的行為是邪惡的，是不值得你去為之努力的嗎？\\n\\n2.清除一切令人苦惱或不適的想法，迅速地進入徹底的寧靜之中，這是多麼容易啊。\\n\\n3.根據本性來判斷自己的一言一行是否合適，不要受到他人的譴責或言語的影響，但是如果你能做的某件事或說的某句話對他人有益，不要覺得它對你冇有價值。因為彆人有自己獨特的指導原則，他們遵循著這些原則一步步地行動；你無需理會那些事情，隻管邁步向前，遵從你自己的本性和事物共同的本性；你自己的本性和事物共同的本性的道路其實是同一條。\\n\\n4.根據本性，我經曆該發生的事情，直到我倒下安息，我撥出的氣息轉化為我每日吸入的元素，直到我倒在這塊土地上。在這片土地上，我的父親收集種子，我的母親得到血液，我的奶媽獲取奶汁，許多年來，這片土地給了我食物與水；當我踐踏它時，當我因很多目的濫用它時，它依舊承擔著我的重量、支撐著我。\\n\\n5.你說，人們欣賞不了你的智慧——暫且認為你是對的吧。但是，有許多彆的事情，你不能說這些事你先天就不適合。展示那些完全在你力量範圍內的品質吧：真誠，嚴肅，吃苦耐勞，不貪圖享樂，滿足於自己應得的份額，知足常樂，樂善好施，坦白，不貪婪，適時適度的慷慨。你難道冇有看到你身上能立即展示出來的那麼多品質嗎？你冇有藉口說你天生無能不具備這些品質，你甘願使自己停留在標準之下嗎？還是你先天就不健全以至於無法自控，必須要抱怨、吝嗇、諂媚、對自己的健康不滿、逢迎他人、嘩眾取寵和內心焦慮不安嗎？不，絕對不是，你原本可以很早就從這些事情中解脫出來，除非你的理解力的確天生就相當遲鈍，但即便如此，你也必須在這方麵訓練自己，不忽視你的遲鈍也不能以遲鈍為樂。\\n\\n6.有一個人，當他為彆人做了一件好事時，他就準備把這件好事當作恩惠記到自己賬上。還有一個人他不會這樣做，但他還是會認為這個人欠了他什麼，而且他記著自己曾給予的恩惠。第三個人甚至不知道他自己做了什麼，他就像一株結出葡萄的葡萄藤一樣，在結出了應有的果實之後就彆無所求了。就像馬奔騰、狗追尋獵物、蜜蜂釀蜜一樣，一個人做了一件好事之後，不需要呼喊著叫他們來觀看，而是繼續去做另一件好事，就像葡萄藤在下一個季節繼續結出果實一樣。隻去行動，卻不會刻意留心自己的行動，人是否也要成為這樣一類人呢？是的，但留心自己的行動也是必要的，也就是觀察一個人正在做的事情。因為可以說，感知到自己正以社會一分子的方式在工作，同時確實希望他的社會同伴也感知到了他的舉動，這是社會動物的一個特征。——你說的冇錯, 但是你卻冇有正確地理解現在我在說的事情。因此，你就成了我以前說到過的那類人，他們被理性的表象所誤導。但是如果你願意理解我現在說的話，你不用害怕你會遺漏任何的社會行動。\\n\\n7.雅典人有一個祈禱是：降雨吧，降雨吧，親愛的宙斯，請降雨在雅典人耕種的土地上，請降雨在平原上。我們其實不應當祈禱，但是如若要祈禱的話，我們應以這種簡單和高貴的方式來祈禱。\\n\\n8.愛斯庫拉皮厄斯（注：愛斯庫拉皮厄斯,羅馬神話裡的醫神,專司醫療及醫藥）給人開藥方，讓人們練習騎馬、洗冷水浴或赤足行走，我們理解了愛斯庫拉皮厄斯的話。同樣地，我們也一定要理解這樣的話：宇宙的本質是給人開藥方，讓他經曆生病、殘疾、損失或之類的事情。因為在第一種情況裡，開藥方的意思是這樣的：他為這個人開藥方以使他獲得健康；但在第二種情況裡，它的意思則是：根據命運，每個人經曆那些註定要發生（或適合於他）的事情。因為，這就是我們說“某些事情對我們合適”時所表達的含義，正如工匠們將方形石頭一塊塊地連線起來時，說這些方形石頭在牆壁或金字塔上合適一樣。因為這個整體是那麼適合、那麼和諧。所有的成分將宇宙組成了一個整體，就是宇宙現在的樣子，在所有存在的原因之中，必然性（命運）就成為了這樣一個原因。即使那些完全無知的人也明白我的意思，因為他們說：是它（必然性、命運）使這樣一個人明白了這件事情。於是，這些話被帶到了他的生命中，成為了他的一劑藥方。那麼，讓我們如同接受愛斯庫拉皮厄斯的藥方一般接受這些事情吧！在他的開方中，當然也有許多令人不悅的地方，但由於渴望健康，我們都接受了。各樣事情的完滿與完成，共同的本性斷定它是有益的，將它視為與你的健康同類的事情吧！接受發生的每一件事，即使它看來令人不悅，因為是這些事促成了宇宙的健全與宙斯（宇宙）的成功和幸福。因為宙斯帶給任何人的任何事情，都是對整體有用的，否則當初他就不會那樣做了。不論是任何事物的本性，都不可能引起任何與它所支配的事物不相宜的事情。有兩個理由，你應當對發生在你身上的事情感到滿意：第一，它是為你而發生的，是給你開的藥方，並且在某種程度上它與你有關聯，是源於那些與你的命運相關的最古老的原因；第二個原因是，即使那些單獨地發生於每個人身上的事情，對於支配宇宙的力量來說也是幸福和圓滿的一個誘因，更不用說是繼續存在的原因了。如果你拿走一些事物從而將部分或原因的連貫性打斷，整體的完整性就被破壞了。而當你感到不滿，你試圖將你控製力內的某件事情破壞時，其實你的確破壞了整體的連貫性。\\n\\n9.如果你根據正確的原則去做事，卻冇有成功，請不要厭惡，不要沮喪，不要不滿；但是在你失敗的時候，請重頭再來，隻要你所做的大部分事情都與人的本性一致，你就應當覺得滿足、熱愛你所迴歸的事物；迴歸哲學時，請不要將她視為主人，你對哲學的態度應當如那些眼睛疼的人，一些人用一點海綿和蛋清來敷，一些人用一塊膏藥來敷，而另一些人用水來洗。因為這樣做，你在遵守理性方麵就不會失敗，你將在那裡得到安寧。記住，哲學對你的要求不過是本性對你的要求。而你卻有不符合本性的品質。可能會有人反對，說為什麼我正在做的事就冇有那些令人愉悅的事情呢？但這不正是我們被享樂矇蔽了雙眼的原因嗎？你思考一下，寬宏大量、自由、樸素、鎮靜、虔誠這些品質是否更加令人愉悅？你想想那依賴於領悟力和知識的萬物在安全和幸福的道路上發展的過程，還有什麼能比智慧本身更令人愉悅的呢？\\n\\n10．事物處在如此一種包圍之中，以至於在哲學家們眼中，它們是完全難以理解的，這並不是指僅僅幾個哲學家或是那些平庸的哲學家，這個問題甚至對斯多葛派哲學家本身(注：斯多葛派是塞浦路斯島人芝諾於公元前300年左右在雅典創立的學派。 斯多葛派認為理性決定事物的發展與變化。在社會生活中斯多葛派強調順從天命,要安於自己在社會中所處的地位,隻有清心寡慾才能得到幸福。其代表人物有：巴內斯、塞內卡、埃比克泰德和本書作者。)來說也是很難理解的。我們所同意的內容都處在不斷的變化之中；哪有完全不改變的人呢？再想想物品本身，想想它們的存在是多麼短暫，多麼冇有價值，它們可能被一個無恥之徒占有，或被娼妓占有，或被強盜占有。再想想你身邊那些人的道德水平，即使他們當中性格好的也幾乎讓人難以忍受，更不用提連自己都受不了的那類人了。那麼在如此的黑暗和肮臟之中，在物質與時間的不斷流動之中，在物體的運動之中，有什麼東西是值得我們褒揚或者哪怕是值得我們認真追求的呢？我想不出。但是事情也有另外一麵。一個人有責任自我安慰，耐心等待事物的自然瓦解，不能因為延緩而煩惱，你應該隻相信下麵的原則並在其中得到安寧：第一，冇有任何不符合宇宙本性的事情會發生在我身上；第二，我的行為絕不違逆神的旨意，這是在我力量範圍之內我一定能做到的事，因為冇有人能迫使我違反神。\\n\\n11．那麼現在我要把我自己的靈魂用於什麼事情上呢？在任何場合我都必須問自己這個問題，我在探尋，我的一部分人們稱之為“支配原則”（此處支配原則指靈魂——譯者注），而我在這部分自己中擁有什麼呢？我現在擁有誰的靈魂呢？是一個孩子的靈魂嗎，還是一個年輕人，一個羸弱的婦人，一個暴君，一頭家畜，抑或是一頭野獸的靈魂？\\n\\n12．那些許多人公認為好的事物究竟是一種什麼樣的事物呢？我們甚至可以從這個問題上學到些什麼。因為，如果有人把諸如謹慎、克己、正義、堅毅這些品質視做真正好的東西，他在產生了這種認識之後就不會再願意聽任何與真正好的東西相牴觸的事情。但是如果一個人首先把多數人認為好的東西理解為好的，那麼他就可能把喜劇作家所說的東西視為十分適合的東西來傾聽並欣然接受。那麼，連芸芸眾生也能看出這裡的差彆了。因為如果不是這樣，當有人提到有關財富或有人提及謀取更多的奢侈品與名聲的巧妙機智的手段時，我們一開始就不會覺得不舒服並排斥了。接著問問我們自己，我們是否重視這些事物，是否認為它們是好的，當我們在心裡對它們形成了看法之後，那些喜劇作家的話還是不是那樣有理——那些擁有它們的人，物質上雖然富足，心靈上卻無法獲得寧靜。\\n\\n13.我由形式和質料組成，二者都不會幻滅成為虛無，正像它們都不可能由虛無演化為存在一樣。我的每一部分就都將變換為宇宙的某一部分，繼而再轉變為宇宙的另一部分，變化永不停歇。我的存在也是這一變化的結果，我的祖先也是如此，我的子孫也會是如此。儘管宇宙的掌管是由無數變革的時期來實現的，但也冇有什麼能夠阻止我們說出這一真理。\\n\\n14.理智和推理藝術（哲學）作為一種力量，對於他們的工作以及它們本身是足夠的。它們將自己的原則作為第一原則並從此原則出發開辟道路，一直到那設定好的終點；這就是這種活動被稱為“catorthoseis” 或“正確活動”的原因， 而“catorthoseis”一詞的意思是沿著正確的道路前進。\\n\\n15.這些事物不應當被稱為是人的東西，它們不屬於人，不屬於一個真正的人。它們不是人必需的，人的本性也不曾預示它們的產生，它們也不是人的本性達到其目的的手段。於是，人的目的並不依賴於這些事物，他們對實現目的也冇有幫助，真正的好的事物纔有助於這一目的的實現。此外，如果這些事情中有什麼確屬於人的話，鄙視它們、反對它們是不對的，一個人如若表現他不想要這些事情，他也不值得讚揚，如果這些事物的確是好的，那麼不接觸它們的人也就不是好的。但是，如果一個人能夠使自己擺脫這些事物或類似的東西，他擺脫的越多，能夠承受的損失的限度就越大，他也相應地成為了一個更好的人，哪怕他隻是擺脫其中的任何一個，也是有益的。\\n\\n16.這就是你習慣性的思維，這也將成為你思維的特征，因為心靈的顏色已被思想所染。用下麵這一係列思想來染出你的心靈的色彩吧：比如說，凡是人能活下去的地方，他就一定能活得很好，如果人非要住在宮殿裡——誠然，住在宮廷裡也能活得很好——但這不是必需的。再比如，仔細想一想每一事物究竟是為何目的而生？它們為此目的而產生，也冥冥中朝著這一目的而去，其目的之所在處，它的優點與益處也會在那兒顯現。對理性生物有益的是社會，我們是為社會而生，這一點上麵已經解釋過。卑賤者為高尚者的益處而存在，這不是顯而易見的嗎？有生命的比無生命的高等，而有生命的當中，擁有理性的則更為高貴。\\n\\n做本性要求的事\\n\\n17.追求不可能的事物即為瘋狂，惡人不做惡就是件不可能的事。\\n\\n18.一個人生來不必承擔的事，自然不會降臨到他頭上。如果這件事發生在其他人身上，那麼或者是因為他冇有感到這件事情對他的影響，或者是他將通過這件事情表現出自己堅忍不拔的精神，他會經過劫難卻毫髮無傷。讓無知狂妄勝過智慧是一種恥辱。\\n\\n19.事物本身不會觸動靈魂，絕對不會；它們冇有進入靈魂的能力，它們也不能讓靈魂轉向或移動，隻有靈魂自己能讓自己轉行移動。它做出它認為適合的一切判斷，它為自己做出的這些判斷是基於呈現在它眼前的事物的。\\n\\n20.我必須對他人行善並善於忍耐，在這方麪人和我最為接近。但當一些人對我恰當的行為構成障礙時，人對我而言就顯得冇什麼特彆之處了，他們就和太陽、風或一頭獸無異。誠然，這些人可能會阻礙我的行動，但他們卻不能對我的影響力和意願構成阻礙，而這些意願和影響力則具有根據條件不斷改變的力量。由於頭腦將每一障礙都轉化為援助的行動，於是每一個障礙都轉變成了對行為的一種促進，道路上的障礙自然地就變成了我們前進中的幫手。\\n\\n21.尊重宇宙中的最好的部分，那是利用和指引萬物的東西。同樣，也要尊重你自身中最好的部分，它和上麵提到的宇宙精華是一樣的。因為，你內心也有那麼一種東西，它可以利用萬物，它可以指引你的人生。\\n\\n22.不損害國家的事情，也不會損害公民。對所有看來有害的現象，都用這一原則來審視：如果國家冇有受到損害，那我也冇有受到損害。但是如果國家利益被損害了，你不要對那個人憤怒，你要讓他明白他的錯誤所在。\\n\\n23.經常想想事物的存在是多麼短暫，消逝是多麼迅速。不論是本源的事物，還是派生出來的事物，都是如此。因為物質就像一條奔騰的河流，萬物的活動都處於不斷的變化之中，事物的誘因也有千種百種。幾乎冇有事物是靜止不動的。想想那些與你近在咫尺的東西，它們都將消逝在過去和未來的無儘深淵之中。那麼，因為這些東西自我膨脹或飽受煎熬的人將自己陷入無限的悲慘之中，他們不是很傻嗎？這些事物僅僅能夠擾他一段時間，而且是轉瞬即逝的一段時間，既然如此，怎能說他不是傻瓜呢？\\n\\n24.想想宇宙的物質，你隻占有它非常少的一部分；再想想宇宙的時間，你分到的隻是它一個十分短暫並不可分割的一個時間段；想想命運冥冥中的安排，你是多麼的渺小。\\n\\n25.又有人對我不公嗎？讓他注意去改進吧。他有他自己的意願，自己的活動。我現在擁有宇宙本質要我擁有的東西，我做我的本性現在要我做的事。\\n\\n26.讓你靈魂中指導並掌控你的那部分不要受到**活動的擾亂，不論那是**上的享樂或是痛苦；不要讓**與靈魂統一起來，而是讓**限定自己，將其影響力侷限在**自身而不波及到靈魂。但是，如果是出於那自然地存在於你體內並與你身體完全統一的同情心，這些影響就會自然而然地出現在你的心靈之中，那麼你就不要竭力剋製這種感覺，因為它是自然的，但是也不要讓其支配的部分妄下評論，不要輕率地認定這種感覺是好或不好。\\n\\n27．與神靈同在。那些與神靈同在的人會不斷地向神靈表明他的靈魂滿足於他所得到的份額，那是宙斯給每個人應有的份額，以指引他、守護他，與神靈同在的人會不斷向神靈表明這一份額已經完成了神靈所期待的職責。這就是每個人擁有的領悟力與理性。\\n\\n28．你對有狐臭的人感到生氣嗎？你對有口臭的人感到生氣嗎？這些危害於你有什麼益處呢？他就是有這樣一張嘴，他就是有這樣的腋窩，這種地方必然會產生這些氣味。——但是他是有理性的，這一點我們一會兒會再提，如果他努力思考的話，他能夠發現冒犯他人之處。——我希望你對自己的發現滿意，其實，你也有理性，用你的理性來刺激他的理性，向他指明他的錯誤，告誡他。因為如果他肯聽，你將醫治好他的缺點，但是你冇有必要生氣。即使你麵對的是悲劇演員或是妓女，也不要感到生氣。\\n\\n29．正如，你生命耗儘時你依舊想要生存一樣……所以，生活在此是你的一種力量。但是如果人們與你不容，那麼就遠離這種生活吧，並表現得彷彿冇有受到傷害一樣。屋子裡充滿了煙霧，那我就離開它。你為什麼認為這是苦惱呢？但是如果還冇有什麼類似的東西能夠迫使我出去，我就留下，並且會自由自在地生活，冇有人能夠阻止我選擇我要做的事情，而我是根據理性的、合乎社會規範的本性去選擇要做的事情的。\\n\\n30．宇宙的智慧在於其社會性。根據這一原則，它創造出低等的事物以便更好地滿足高等的事物的需求，並使高等的事物個體之間能夠相互適應。你看看，它主從有序，相互合作，每一事物都被分配適當的份額，並將最好的事物組合成了一個和諧的整體。\\n\\n31.迄今為止，你在神靈、父母、兄弟、孩子、老師、嬰兒時期的照看者、朋友、親屬以及你的奴隸麵前是如何表現的呢？考慮一下，你在以上所有人麵前的表現，是否能讓彆人這樣評價你：\\n\\n從未在行動或言語上對他人不公。\\n\\n你回憶一下你經曆過多少事情，回憶一下你經受了多少痛苦，你的一生已經完整，你在世上的責任已經完成；想想你見過多少美麗的事物，想想你藐視過多少享樂與苦楚，你拒絕了多少所謂的榮譽，你又對多少心地不好之人表達了善意。\\n\\n32．為什麼無能無知的靈魂會打擾到有技能有知識的人上來呢？而什麼樣的靈魂是有技能有知識的呢？是那些掌管宇宙的靈魂，他們知曉開端和結尾，明白那處於萬物之中、以時間段（變革）這一形式貫穿於永恒之中的理性的含義。\\n\\n33．很快，你就將化為灰塵，或者一具白骨，隻留下一個名字，甚至連名字都冇有留下，而名字也僅僅是聲音和它的迴響而已。生活中被重視的東西是空洞的、腐朽的、瑣碎的，人們像狗一樣互相撕咬，像小孩子們一樣爭吵、大笑，接著又哭泣。但忠誠、謙遜、正義和真理卻被人遺忘。\\n\\n從廣闊的大地一直到奧林匹斯山（注：奧林匹斯山坐落在希臘北部，被古希臘人尊奉為“神山”，古希臘人認為統治世界、主宰人類的諸神居住在這座山上。）\\n\\n究竟是什麼使你停留在此呢？如果感知的物件變化無常，從不靜止，那麼感覺器官就很遲鈍，很容易得到錯誤的印象；那麼，靈魂本身就淪為了血液撥出的一團氣。那麼，在這樣一個世界裡汲汲於盛名，不過是虛無。那麼，不論你的結局是徹底的消逝，遷徙至另一境界，或是其他什麼狀態，你為什麼不能寧靜地等待自己的結局呢？在那一刻來臨之前，什麼纔是足夠的呢？敬仰並感激神靈，對他人行善，練習忍耐與自我剋製，還有什麼事能比這些更重要呢？至於你血肉之軀以外的事物，要記住：它們既不屬於你，也不在你的控製能力之內。\\n\\n34．如果你走在正確的道路上，以正確的方式思考與行動，你就能平靜地度過幸福的一生。這兩點對於神的靈魂、人的靈魂，以及每一個充滿理性的靈魂都是共通的，不會受到其他事情的阻撓。堅持正義的品格並以正義的方式來行動，這樣你的**就會消失。\\n\\n35．如果這既不是我自己的惡，也不是我的惡所造成的後果，而且公共利益也冇有受到損害，那麼我為什麼要苦惱呢？這對公共利益能有什麼損害呢？\\n\\n36．不要為事物的表象所矇騙，而是根據自己的能力和他人的需求給予所有人援助；如果他們蒙受了無關緊要的損失，那就不要將其視為一種損害。因為這是一種壞習慣。當一個老人即將去世時，回顧他年輕的時期，記得那確實是他人生的巔峰。在這裡，你也要這樣做。\\n\\n當你在講壇上大聲呼喚時，人啊，你是否忘記這些事物的本質？——是的，它們是人們極度關心的物件——但是你是否也會被這些事物所愚弄呢？——我曾經是一個幸運的人，但我失去了我的運氣，卻不知是如何失去的。——但是，幸運其實指的是一個人自己為自己帶來好運，而好運是促進靈魂、善意的情感、善意的舉動的一個好方法。\\n\\n1. In the morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present—I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world? Or have I been made for this, to lie in the bedclothes and keep myself warm?—But this is more pleasant.—Dost thou exist then to take thy pleasure, and not at all for action or exertion? Dost thou not see the little plants, the little birds, the ants, the spiders, the bees working together to put in order their several parts of the universe? And art thou unwilling to do the work of a human being, and dost thou not make haste to do that which is according to thy nature?—But it is necessary to take rest also.—It is necessary: however nature has fixed bounds to this too: she has fixed bounds both to eating and drinking, and yet thou goest beyond these bounds, beyond what is sufficient; yet in thy acts it is not so, but thou stoppest short of what thou canst do. So thou lovest not thyself, for if thou didst, thou wouldst love thy nature and her will. But those who love their several arts exhaust themselves in working at them unwashed and without food; but thou valuest thy own nature less than the turner values the turning art, or the dancer the dancing art, or the lover of money values his money, or the vainglorious man his little glory. And such men, when they have a violent affection to a thing, choose neither to eat nor to sleep rather than to perfect the things which they care for. But are the acts which concern society more vile in thy eyes and less worthy of thy labour?\\n\\n2. How easy it is to repel and to wipe away every impression which is troublesome or unsuitable, and immediately to be in all tranquillity.\\n\\n3. Judge every word and deed which are according to nature to be fit for thee, and be not diverted by the blame which follows from any people, nor by their words, but if a thing is good to be done or said, do not consider it unworthy of thee. For those persons have their peculiar leading principle and follow their peculiar movement; which things do not thou regard, but go straight on, following thy own nature and the common nature; and the way of both is one.\\n\\n4. I go through the things which happen according to nature until I shall fall and rest, breathing out my breath into that element out of which I daily draw it in, and falling upon that earth out of which my father collected the seed, and my mother the blood, and my nurse the milk; out of which during so many years I have been supplied with food and drink; which bears me when I tread on it and abuse it for so many purposes.\\n\\n5. Thou sayest, men cannot admire the sharpness of thy wits.—Be it so; but there are many other things of which thou canst not say, I am not formed for them by nature. Show those qualities then which are altogether in thy power: sincerity, gravity, endurance of labour, aversion to pleasure, contentment with thy portion and with few things, benevolence, frankness, no love of superfluity, freedom from trifling magnanimity. Dost thou not see how many qualities thou art immediately able to exhibit, in which there is no excuse of natural incapacity and unfitness, and yet thou still remainest voluntarily below the mark? or art thou compelled through being defectively furnished by nature to murmur, and to be stingy, and to flatter, and to find fault with thy poor body, and to try to please men, and to make great display, and to be restless in thy mind? No, by the gods: but thou mightest have been delivered from these things long ago. Only if in truth thou canst be charged with being rather slow and dull of comprehension, thou must exert thyself about this also, not neglecting it nor yet taking pleasure in thy dullness.\\n\\n6. One man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set it down to his account as a favour conferred. Another is not ready to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the man as his debtor, and he knows what he has done. A third in a manner does not even know what he has done, but he is like a vine which has produced grapes, and seeks for nothing more after it has once produced its proper fruit. As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has tracked the game, a bee when it has made the honey, so a man when he has done a good act, does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season.—Must a man then be one of these, who in a manner act thus without observing it?—Yes.—But this very thing is necessary, the observation of what a man is doing; for it may be said, it is characteristic of the social animal to perceive that he is working in a social manner, and indeed to wish that his social partner also should perceive it.—It is true what thou sayest, but thou dost not rightly understand what is now said; and for this reason thou wilt become one of those of whom I spoke before, for even they are misled by a certain show of reason. But if thou wilt choose to understand the meaning of what is said, do not fear that for this reason thou wilt omit any social act.\\n\\n7. A prayer of the Athenians: Rain, rain, O dear Zeus, down on the plowed fields of the Athenians and on the plains.—In truth we ought not to pray at all, or we ought to pray in this simple and noble fashion.\\n\\n8. Just as we must understand when it is said, That ?sculapius prescribed to this man horse-exercise, or bathing in cold water, or going without shoes, so we must understand it when it is said, That the nature of the universe prescribed to this man disease or mutilation or loss or anything else of the kind. For in the first case prescribed means something like this: he prescribed this for this man as a thing adapted to procure health; and in the second case it means, That which happens to [or suits] every man is fixed in a manner for him suitably to his destiny. For this is what we mean when we say that things are suitable to us, as the workmen say of squared stones in walls or the pyramids, that they are suitable, when they fit them to one another in some kind of connection. For there is altogether one fitness [harmony]. And as the universe is made up out of all bodies to be such a body as it is, so out of all existing causes necessity [destiny] is made up to be such a cause as it is. And even those who are completely ignorant understand what I mean, for they say, It [necessity, destiny] brought this to such a person.—This then was brought and this was prescribed to him. Let us then receive these things, as well as those which ?sculapius prescribes. Many, as a matter of course, even among his prescriptions, are disagreeable, but we accept them in the hope of health. Let the perfecting and accomplishment of the things, which the common nature judges to be good, be judged by thee to be of the same kind as thy health. And so accept everything which happens, even if it seem disagreeable, because it leads to this, to the health of the universe and to the prosperity and felicity of Zeus [the universe]. For he would not have brought on any man what he has brought, if it were not useful for the whole. Neither does the nature of anything, whatever it may be, cause anything which is not suitable to that which is directed by it. For two reasons, then, it is right to be content with that which happens to thee; the one, because it was done for thee and prescribed for thee, and in a manner had reference to thee, originally from the most ancient causes spun with thy destiny; and the other, because even that which comes severally to every man is to the power which administers the universe a cause of felicity and perfection, nay even of its very continuance. For the integrity of the whole is mutilated, if thou cuttest off anything whatever from the conjunction and the continuity either of the parts or of the causes. And thou dost cut off, as far as it is in thy power, when thou art dissatisfied, and in a manner triest to put anything out of the way.\\n\\n9. Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou hast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man’s nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus thou wilt not fail to obey reason and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which thy nature requires; but thou wouldst have something else which is not according to nature. It may be objected, Why, what is more agreeable than this [which I am doing]? But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge?\\n\\n10. Things are in such a kind of envelopment that they have seemed to philosophers, not a few nor those common philosophers, altogether unintelligible; nay even to the Stoics themselves they seem difficult to understand. And all our assent is changeable; for where is the man who never changes? Carry thy thoughts then to the objects themselves, and consider how short-lived they are and worthless, and that they may be in the possession of a filthy wretch or a whore or a robber. Then turn to the morals of those who live with thee, and it is hardly possible to endure even the most agreeable of them, to say nothing of a man being hardly able to endure himself. In such darkness, then, and dirt, and in so constant a flux, both of substance and of time, and of motion, and of things moved, what there is worth being highly prized, or even an object of serious pursuit, I cannot imagine. But on the contrary it is a man’s duty to comfort himself, and to wait for the natural dissolution and not to be vexed at the delay, but to rest in these principles only: the one, that nothing will happen to me which is not conformable to the nature of the universe; and the other, that it is in my power never to act contrary to my god and daemon: for there is no man who will compel me to this.\\n\\n11. About what am I now employing my own soul? On every occasion I must ask myself this question, and inquire, what have I now in this part of me which they call the ruling principle? and whose soul have I now? that of a child, or of a young man, or of a feeble woman, or of a tyrant, or of a domestic animal, or of a wild beast?\\n\\n12. What kind of things those are which appear good to the many, we may learn even from this. For if any man should conceive certain things as being really good, such as prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude, he would not after having first conceived these endure to listen to anything which should not be in harmony with what is really good. But if a man has first conceived as good the things which appear to the many to be good, he will listen and readily receive as very applicable that which was said by the comic writer. Thus even the many perceive the difference. For were it not so, this saying would not offend and would not be rejected [in the first case], while we receive it when it is said of wealth, and of the means which further luxury and fame, as said fitly and wittily. Go on then and ask if we should value and think those things to be good, to which after their first conception in the mind the words of the comic writer might be aptly applied—that he who has them, through pure abundance has not a place to ease himself in.\\n\\n13. I am composed of the formal and the material; and neither of them will perish into non-existence, as neither of them came into existence out of non-existence. Every part of me then will be reduced by change into some part of the universe, and that again will change into another part of the universe, and so on forever. And by consequence of such a change I too exist, and those who begot me, and so on forever in the other direction. For nothing hinders us from saying so, even if the universe is administered according to definite periods [of revolution].\\n\\n14. Reason and the reasoning art\\n\\n15. None of these things ought to be called a man’s which do not belong to a man, as man. They are not required of a man, nor does man’s nature promise them, nor are they the means of man’s nature attaining its end. Neither then does the end of man lie in these things, nor yet that which aids to the accomplishment of this end, and that which aids toward this end is that which is good. Besides, if any of these things did belong to man, it would not be right for a man to despise them and to set himself against them; nor would a man be worthy of praise who showed that he did not want these things, nor would he who stinted himself in any of them be good, if indeed these things were good. But now the more of these things a man deprives himself of, or of other things like them, or even when he is deprived of any of them, the more patiently he endures the loss, just in the same degree he is a better man.\\n\\n16. Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then with a continuous series of such thoughts as these: for instance, that where a man can live, there he can also live well. But he must live in a palace—well then, he can also live well in a palace. And again, consider that for whatever purpose each thing has been constituted, for this it has been constituted, and toward this it is carried; and its end is in that toward which it is carried; and where the end is, there also is the advantage and the good of each thing. Now the good for the reasonable animal is society; for that we are made for society has been shown above. Is it not plain that the inferior exist for the sake of the superior? but the things which have life are superior to those which have not life, and of those which have life the superior are those which have reason.\\n\\n17. To seek what is impossible is madness: and it is impossible that the bad should not do something of this kind.\\n\\n18. Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear. The same things happen to another, and either because he does not see that they have happened or because he would show a great spirit he is firm and remains unharmed. It is a shame then that ignorance and conceit should be stronger than wisdom.\\n\\n19. Things themselves touch not the soul, not in the least degree; nor have they admission to the soul, nor can they turn or move the soul: but the soul turns and moves itself alone, and whatever judgments it may think proper to make, such it makes for itself the things which present themselves to it.\\n\\n20. In one respect man is the nearest thing to me, so far as I must do good to men and endure them. But so far as some men make themselves obstacles to my proper acts, man becomes to me one of the things which are indifferent, no less than the sun or wind or a wild beast. Now it is true that these may impede my action, but they are no impediments to my affects and disposition, which have the power of acting conditionally and changing: for the mind converts and changes every hindrance to its activity into an aid; and so that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road.\\n\\n21. Reverence that which is best in the universe; and this is that which makes use of all things and directs all things. And in like manner also reverence that which is best in thyself; and this is of the same kind as that. For in thyself also, that which makes use of everything else, is this, and thy life is directed by this.\\n\\n22. That which does no harm to the state, does no harm to the citizen. In the case of every appearance of harm apply this rule: if the state is not harmed by this, neither am I harmed. But if the state is harmed, thou must not be angry with him who does harm to the state. Show him where his error is.\\n\\n23. Often think of the rapidity with which things pass by and disappear, both the things which are and the things which are produced. For substance is like a river in a continual flow, and the activities of things are in constant change, and the causes work in infinite varieties; and there is hardly anything which stands still. And consider this which is near to thee, this boundless abyss of the past and of the future in which all things disappear. How then is he not a fool who is puffed up with such things or plagued about them or makes himself miserable? for they vex him only for a time, and a short time.\\n\\n24. Think of the universal substance, of which thou hast a very small portion; and of universal time, of which a short and indivisible interval has been assigned to thee; and of that which is fixed by destiny, and how small a part of it thou art.\\n\\n25. Does another do me wrong? Let him look to it. He has his own disposition, his own activity. I now have what the universal nature wills me to have; and I do what my nature now wills me to do.\\n\\n26. Let the part of thy soul which leads and governs be undisturbed by the movements in the flesh, whether of pleasure or of pain; and let it not unite with them, but let it circumscribe itself and limit those affects to their parts. But when these affects rise up to the mind by virtue of that other sympathy that naturally exists in a body which is all one, then thou must not strive to resist the sensation, for it is natural: but let not the ruling part of itself add to the sensation the opinion that it is either good or bad.\\n\\n27. Live with the gods. And he does live with the gods who constantly shows to them that his own soul is satisfied with that which is assigned to him, and that it does all that the daemon wishes, which Zeus hath given to every man for his guardian and guide, a portion of himself. And this is every man’s understanding and reason.\\n\\n28. Art thou angry with him whose arm-pits stink? art thou angry with him whose mouth smells foul? What good will this anger do thee? He has such a mouth, he has such arm-pits: it is necessary that such an emanation must come from such things—but the man has reason, it will be said, and he is able, if he takes pains, to discover wherein he offends—I wish thee well of thy discovery. Well then, and thou hast reason: by thy rational faculty stir up his rational faculty; show him his error, admonish him. For if he listens, thou wilt cure him, and there is no need of anger. [Neither tragic actor nor whore.\\n\\n29. As thou intendest to live when thou are gone out,… so it is in thy power to live here. But if men do not permit thee, then get away out of life, yet so as if thou wert suffering no harm. The house is smoky, and I quit it. Why dost thou think that this is any trouble? But so long as nothing of the kind drives me out, I remain, am free, and no man shall hinder me from doing what I choose; and I choose to do what is according to the nature of the rational and social animal.\\n\\n30. The intelligence of the universe is social. Accordingly it has made the inferior things for the sake of the superior, and it has fitted the superior to one another. Thou seest how it has subordinated, co-ordinated and assigned to everything its proper portion, and has brought together into concord with one another the things which are the best.\\n\\n31. How hast thou behaved hitherto to the gods, thy parents, brethren, children, teachers, to those who looked after thy infancy, to thy friends, kinsfolk, to thy slaves? Consider if thou hast hitherto behaved to all in such a way that this may be said of thee:\\n\\nNever has wronged a man in deed or word.\\n\\nAnd call to recollection both how many things thou hast passed through, and how many things thou hast been able to endure: and that the history of thy life is now complete, and thy service is ended: and how many beautiful things thou hast seen: and how many pleasures and pains thou hast despised; and how many things called honourable thou hast spurned; and to how many ill-minded folks thou hast shown a kind disposition.\\n\\n32. Why do unskilled and ignorant souls disturb him who has skill and knowledge? What soul then has skill and knowledge? That which knows beginning and end, and knows the reason which pervades all substance and through all time by fixed periods [revolutions] administers the universe.\\n\\n33. Soon, very soon, thou wilt be ashes, or a skeleton, and either a name or not even a name; but name is sound and echo, and the things which are much valued in life are empty and rotten and trifling, and [like] little dogs biting one another, and little children quarrelling, laughing, and then straightway weeping. But fidelity and modesty and justice and truth are fled\\n\\nUp to Olympus from the wide-spread earth.\\n\\nHesiod, Works, etc., v. 197.\\n\\nWhat then is there which still detains thee here? if the objects of sense are easily changed and never stand still, and the organs of perception are dull and easily receive false impressions; and the poor soul itself is an exhalation from blood. But to have good repute amid such a world as this is an empty thing. Why then dost thou not wait in tranquillity for thy end, whether it is extinction or removal to another state? And until that time comes, what is sufficient? Why, what else than to venerate the gods and bless them, and to do good to men, and to practise tolerance and self-restraint; but as to everything which is beyond the limits of the poor flesh and breath, to remember that this is neither thine nor in thy power.\\n\\n34. Thou canst pass thy life in an equable flow of happiness, if thou canst go by the right way, and think and act in the right way. These two things are common both to the soul of God and to the soul of man, and to the soul of every rational being, not to be hindered by another; and to hold good to consist in the disposition to justice and the practice of it, and in this to let thy desire find its termination.\\n\\n35. If this is neither my own badness, nor an effect of my own badness, and the common weal is not injured, why am I troubled about it? and what is the harm to the common weal?\\n\\n36. Do not be carried along inconsiderately by the appearance of things, but give help [to all] according to thy ability and their fitness; and if they should have sustained loss in matters which are indifferent, do not imagine this to be a damage. For it is a bad habit. But as the old man, when he went away, asked back his foster-child’s top, remembering that it was a top, so do thou in this case also.\\n\\nWhen thou art calling out on the Rostra, hast thou forgotten, man, what these things are? Yes; but they are objects of great concern to these people—wilt thou too then be made a fool for these things? I was once a fortunate man, but I lost it, I know not how. But fortunate means that a man has assigned to himself a good fortune; and a good fortune is good disposition of the soul, good emotions, good actions.\\n\\n\"
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