"States will never be happy until rulers become philosophers or philosophers become rulers."
~Plato, The Republic
Author: Marcus Aurelius
Genre: Philosophy, Non-fiction
Originally Published: 1559
Synopsis:
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (a.d. 121–180) succeeded his adoptive father as emperor of Rome in a.d. 161—and Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With a profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus provides insights, wisdom, and practical guidance on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity to interacting with others. Consequently, the Meditations have become required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.
A profound work of spiritual and ethical reflection written by a Roman Emperor - a title to which many have fallen under corruption, power and hedonism - this man remained true to the ethos of the common good and always in service of the logos.
The logos is consistently mentioned in the book. Marcus Aurelius uses logos to refer both to the divine that infuses and directs all things in nature and to the “fragment” of God, the rational mind, that is found in every person.
Any person, from any walk of life, of any age, can pick up Meditations and come across a point or a reflection that can change their life. For me, it was no different, and the stoic teachings of Marcus are something that I try and carry into my everyday being. In times of toil, Marcus tells you not to despair - does the Fig tree cry for the loss of a fig?
In times of happiness or joy, Marcus warns not to be intoxicated with emotion - in the end we all return to dust. He decrees to himself an almost radical acceptance of death, as just another facet of nature that one goes through - yet, unlike many who accept that fate and rapidly plunge into nihilism, Marcus uses the logos to push himself into greatness - by emphasizing that each man has a divine duty on Earth, and to shirk from this duty would be an injustice and against the logos itself.
While there are too many good points in the book as a whole, a book by the way, which Marcus never intended to be seen by any other eyes but his own (a diary if you will), I have narrowed five strong meditations that I believe have power and can help a lost soul find purpose or respite from the difficulty of the world. If you have also read the book, i am interested to know which points spoke to your soul as powerfully as these spoke to me;
It's time you realized that you have something in you more powerful and miraculous than the things that affect you and make you dance like a puppet.
Here, Marcus wants us to realize that despite there being forces that push us in certain directions, there is a powerful internal force within all of us that supersedes any external locus' of control. We all have the power to orient ourselves towards the common good, but we also have the power to take our lives in a negative direction. Self-directed actions, done everyday, with the intention of betterment, over time, will seem miraculous.
If you do the job in a principled way, with diligence, energy and patience, if you keep yourself free of distractions, and keep the spirit inside you undamaged, as if you might have to give it back at any moment -
If you can embrace this without fear or expectation - can find fulfillment in what you're doing now, as Nature intended, and in superhuman truthfulness (every word, every utterance) - then your life will be happy. No one can prevent that.
Here Marcus endeavours to perform every action with determination and most of all, truth. Not just a normal truth, but a superhuman truthfulness - that is to stand in truth when everything around you is trying to push you to lie. By remaining in truth, you keep the spirit undamaged. Finally, you realize that by acting in this manner, you will find fulfillment and happiness in whatever you endeavor to pursue.
Rational beings exist for one another
A profound saying, one that implies 'no man is an island unto himself'. We need each other to function - not only is it sociological, it is rational. Here Marcus says we exist for one another. This means our purpose or reason for existence is the service of others - the common good.
Love the discipline you know, and let it support you. Entrust everything willingly to the gods, and then make your way through life - no one's master and no one's slave.
To entrust everything to the gods is to accept that life will take you places you never imagined, in directions you never planned, and that is the gods guiding you - however, Marcus emphasized to love the discipline you know, meaning regardless of the unpredictability of life, you have the ability to control your direct actions and manipulate the natural environment that is good and beneficial for not only you, but for other as well - in doing so, we take control of our own lives and are neither Master nor Slave.
So remember this principle when something threatens to cause you pain: the thing itself was no misfortune at all; to endure it and prevail is great good fortune.
Here we see elements of Marcus's inherent Stoicism - to endure in times of hardship. The deeper you go philosophically the more you come to realize that suffering in humanity is not only good but is necessary for the development of the spirit. This is the Stoic philosophy, this is the message of the crucifixion of Christ, and many more. To be able to suffer and endure is to become stronger in life. One must willingly take on suffering, knowing that he who endures will find salvation of the spirit. To run away from suffering, to bubble wrap ones existence from all harm and iniquity, will lead to a weak mind and a weak soul. When Marcus calls it a goof fortune to be able to suffer and prevail, he implies that not everyone is fortunate enough to bear a cross just big enough such that they can overcome it. In many cases, the man must choose the cross not the other way round, however, in unfortunate circumstances, an unbearable cross is surmounted on him and he collapses. To be able to overcome suffering, and not fall prey to it, is truly a blessing in disguise.
Honorable mentions:
Be tolerant of others and strict with yourself.
Not to assume it's impossible because you find it hard. But to recognize that if it's humanly possible, you can do it too.
Remembering that our own worth is measured by what we devote our energy to.
Three relationships:
With the body you inhabit;
With the divine, the cause of everything in all things;
With the people around you.
To stop talking about what the good man is like, and just be one.
Comments