Book Two

BookTwo

Beginthemorningbysayingtothyself,Ishallmeetwiththebusy-body,theungrateful,arrogant,deceitful,envious,unsocial.Allthesethingshappentothembyreasonoftheirignoranceofwhatisgoodandevil.ButIwhohaveseenthenatureofthegoodthatitisbeautiful,andofthebadthatitisugly,andthenatureofhimwhodoeswrong,thatitisakintome,notonlyofthesamebloodorseed,butthatitparticipatesinthesameintelligenceandthesameportionofthedivinity,Icanneitherbeinjuredbyanyofthem,fornoonecanfixonmewhatisugly,norcanIbeangrywithmykinsman,norhatehim,Forwearemadeforco-operation,likefeet,likehands,likeeyelids,liketherowsoftheupperandlowerteeth.Toactagainstoneanothertheniscontrarytonature;anditisactingagainstoneanothertobevexedandtoturnaway.

WhateverthisisthatIam,itisalittlefleshandbreath,andtherulingpart.Throwawaythybooks;nolongerdistractthyself:itisnotallowed;butasifthouwastnowdying,despisetheflesh;itisbloodandbonesandanetwork,acontextureofnerves,veins,andarteries.Seethebreathalso,whatkindofathingitis,air,andnotalwaysthesame,buteverymomentsentoutandagainsuckedin.Thethirdthenistherulingpart:considerthus:Thouartanoldman;nolongerletthisbeaslave,nolongerbepulledbythestringslikeapuppettounsocialmovements,nolongereitherbedissatisfiedwiththypresentlot,orshrinkfromthefuture.

AllthatisfromthegodsisfullofProvidence.ThatwhichisfromfortuneisnotseparatedfromnatureorwithoutaninterweavingandinvolutionwiththethingswhichareorderedbyProvidence.Fromthenceallthingsflow;andthereisbesidesnecessity,andthatwhichisfortheadvantageofthewholeuniverse,ofwhichthouartapart.Butthatisgoodforeverypartofnaturewhichthenatureofthewholebrings,andwhatservestomaintainthisnature.Nowtheuniverseispreserved,asbythechangesoftheelementssobythechangesofthingscompoundedoftheelements.Lettheseprinciplesbeenoughforthee,letthemalwaysbefixedopinions.Butcastawaythethirstafterbooks,thatthoumayestnotdiemurmuring,butcheerfully,truly,andfromthyheartthankfultothegods.

Rememberhowlongthouhastbeenputtingoffthesethings,andhowoftenthouhastreceivedanopportunityfromthegods,andyetdostnotuseit.Thoumustnowatlastperceiveofwhatuniversethouartapart,andofwhatadministratoroftheuniversethyexistenceisanefflux,andthatalimitoftimeisfixedforthee,whichifthoudostnotuseforclearingawaythecloudsfromthymind,itwillgoandthouwiltgo,anditwillneverreturn.

EverymomentthinksteadilyasaRomanandamantodowhatthouhastinhandwithperfectandsimpledignity,andfeelingofaffection,andfreedom,andjustice;andtogivethyselfrelieffromallotherthoughts.Andthouwiltgivethyselfrelief,ifthoudoesteveryactofthylifeasifitwerethelast,layingasideallcarelessnessandpassionateaversionfromthecommandsofreason,andallhypocrisy,andself-love,anddiscontentwiththeportionwhichhasbeengiventothee.Thouseesthowfewthethingsare,thewhichifamanlaysholdof,heisabletolivealifewhichflowsinquiet,andisliketheexistenceofthegods;forthegodsontheirpartwillrequirenothingmorefromhimwhoobservesthesethings.

Dowrongtothyself,dowrongtothyself,mysoul;butthouwiltnolongerhavetheopportunityofhonouringthyself.Everyman-slifeissufficient.Butthineisnearlyfinished,thoughthysoulreverencesnotitselfbutplacesthyfelicityinthesoulsofothers.

Dothethingsexternalwhichfallupontheedistractthee?Givethyselftimetolearnsomethingnewandgood,andceasetobewhirledaround.Butthenthoumustalsoavoidbeingcarriedabouttheotherway.Forthosetooaretriflerswhohaveweariedthemselvesinlifebytheiractivity,andyethavenoobjecttowhichtodirecteverymovement,and,inaword,alltheirthoughts.

Throughnotobservingwhatisinthemindofanotheramanhasseldombeenseentobeunhappy;butthosewhodonotobservethemovementsoftheirownmindsmustofnecessitybeunhappy.

Thisthoumustalwaysbearinmind,whatisthenatureofthewhole,andwhatismynature,andhowthisisrelatedtothat,andwhatkindofapartitisofwhatkindofawhole;andthatthereisnoonewhohinderstheefromalwaysdoingandsayingthethingswhichareaccordingtothenatureofwhichthouartapart.

Theophrastus,inhiscomparisonofbadacts-suchacomparisonasonewouldmakeinaccordancewiththecommonnotionsofmankind-says,likeatruephilosopher,thattheoffenceswhicharecommittedthroughdesirearemoreblameablethanthosewhicharecommittedthroughanger.Forhewhoisexcitedbyangerseemstoturnawayfromreasonwithacertainpainandunconsciouscontraction;buthewhooffendsthroughdesire,beingoverpoweredbypleasure,seemstobeinamannermoreintemperateandmorewomanishinhisoffences.Rightlythen,andinawayworthyofphilosophy,hesaidthattheoffencewhichiscommittedwithpleasureismoreblameablethanthatwhichiscommittedwithpain;andonthewholetheoneismorelikeapersonwhohasbeenfirstwrongedandthroughpainiscompelledtobeangry;buttheotherismovedbyhisownimpulsetodowrong,beingcarriedtowardsdoingsomethingbydesire.

Sinceitispossiblethatthoumayestdepartfromlifethisverymoment,regulateeveryactandthoughtaccordingly.Buttogoawayfromamongmen,iftherearegods,isnotathingtobeafraidof,forthegodswillnotinvolvetheeinevil;butifindeedtheydonotexist,oriftheyhavenoconcernabouthumanaffairs,whatisittometoliveinauniversedevoidofgodsordevoidofProvidence?Butintruththeydoexist,andtheydocareforhumanthings,andtheyhaveputallthemeansinman-spowertoenablehimnottofallintorealevils.Andastotherest,iftherewasanythingevil,theywouldhaveprovidedforthisalso,thatitshouldbealtogetherinaman-spowernottofallintoit.Nowthatwhichdoesnotmakeamanworse,howcanitmakeaman-slifeworse?Butneitherthroughignorance,norhavingtheknowledge,butnotthepowertoguardagainstorcorrectthesethings,isitpossiblethatthenatureoftheuniversehasoverlookedthem;norisitpossiblethatithasmadesogreatamistake,eitherthroughwantofpowerorwantofskill,thatgoodandevilshouldhappenindiscriminatelytothegoodandthebad.Butdeathcertainly,andlife,honouranddishonour,painandpleasure,allthesethingsequallyhappentogoodmenandbad,beingthingswhichmakeusneitherbetternorworse.Thereforetheyareneithergoodnorevil.

Howquicklyallthingsdisappear,intheuniversethebodiesthemselves,butintimetheremembranceofthem;whatisthenatureofallsensiblethings,andparticularlythosewhichattractwiththebaitofpleasureorterrifybypain,orarenoisedabroadbyvapouryfame;howworthless,andcontemptible,andsordid,andperishable,anddeadtheyare-allthisitisthepartoftheintellectualfacultytoobserve.Toobservetoowhothesearewhoseopinionsandvoicesgivereputation;whatdeathis,andthefactthat,ifamanlooksatitinitself,andbytheabstractivepowerofreflectionresolvesintotheirpartsallthethingswhichpresentthemselvestotheimaginationinit,hewillthenconsiderittobenothingelsethananoperationofnature;andifanyoneisafraidofanoperationofnature,heisachild.This,however,isnotonlyanoperationofnature,butitisalsoathingwhichconducestothepurposesofnature.Toobservetoohowmancomesneartothedeity,andbywhatpartofhim,andwhenthispartofmanissodisposed.

Nothingismorewretchedthanamanwhotraverseseverythinginaround,andpriesintothethingsbeneaththeearth,asthepoetsays,andseeksbyconjecturewhatisinthemindsofhisneighbours,withoutperceivingthatitissufficienttoattendtothedaemonwithinhim,andtoreverenceitsincerely.Andreverenceofthedaemonconsistsinkeepingitpurefrompassionandthoughtlessness,anddissatisfactionwithwhatcomesfromgodsandmen.Forthethingsfromthegodsmeritvenerationfortheirexcellence;andthethingsfrommenshouldbedeartousbyreasonofkinship;andsometimeseven,inamanner,theymoveourpitybyreasonofmen-signoranceofgoodandbad;thisdefectbeingnotlessthanthatwhichdeprivesusofthepowerofdistinguishingthingsthatarewhiteandblack.

Thoughthoushouldstbegoingtolivethreethousandyears,andasmanytimestenthousandyears,stillrememberthatnomanlosesanyotherlifethanthiswhichhenowlives,norlivesanyotherthanthiswhichhenowloses.Thelongestandshortestarethusbroughttothesame.Forthepresentisthesametoall,thoughthatwhichperishesisnotthesame;andsothatwhichislostappearstobeameremoment.Foramancannotloseeitherthepastorthefuture:forwhatamanhasnot,howcananyonetakethisfromhim?Thesetwothingsthenthoumustbearinmind;theone,thatallthingsfrometernityareoflikeformsandcomeroundinacircle,andthatitmakesnodifferencewhetheramanshallseethesamethingsduringahundredyearsortwohundred,oraninfinitetime;andthesecond,thatthelongestliverandhewhowilldiesoonestlosejustthesame.Forthepresentistheonlythingofwhichamancanbedeprived,ifitistruethatthisistheonlythingwhichhehas,andthatamancannotloseathingifhehasitnot.

Rememberthatallisopinion.ForwhatwassaidbytheCynicMonimusismanifest:andmanifesttooistheuseofwhatwassaid,ifamanreceiveswhatmaybegotoutofitasfarasitistrue.

Thesoulofmandoesviolencetoitself,firstofall,whenitbecomesanabscessand,asitwere,atumourontheuniverse,sofarasitcan.Fortobevexedatanythingwhichhappensisaseparationofourselvesfromnature,insomepartofwhichthenaturesofallotherthingsarecontained.Inthenextplace,thesouldoesviolencetoitselfwhenitturnsawayfromanyman,orevenmovestowardshimwiththeintentionofinjuring,suchasarethesoulsofthosewhoareangry.Inthethirdplace,thesouldoesviolencetoitselfwhenitisoverpoweredbypleasureorbypain.Fourthly,whenitplaysapart,anddoesorsaysanythinginsincerelyanduntruly.Fifthly,whenitallowsanyactofitsownandanymovementtobewithoutanaim,anddoesanythingthoughtlesslyandwithoutconsideringwhatitis,itbeingrightthateventhesmallestthingsbedonewithreferencetoanend;andtheendofrationalanimalsistofollowthereasonandthelawofthemostancientcityandpolity.

Ofhumanlifethetimeisapoint,andthesubstanceisinaflux,andtheperceptiondull,andthecompositionofthewholebodysubjecttoputrefaction,andthesoulawhirl,andfortunehardtodivine,andfameathingdevoidofjudgement.And,tosayallinaword,everythingwhichbelongstothebodyisastream,andwhatbelongstothesoulisadreamandvapour,andlifeisawarfareandastranger-ssojourn,andafter-fameisoblivion.Whatthenisthatwhichisabletoconductaman?Onethingandonlyone,philosophy.Butthisconsistsinkeepingthedaemonwithinamanfreefromviolenceandunharmed,superiortopainsandpleasures,doingnothingwithoutpurpose,noryetfalselyandwithhypocrisy,notfeelingtheneedofanotherman-sdoingornotdoinganything;andbesides,acceptingallthathappens,andallthatisallotted,ascomingfromthence,whereveritis,fromwhencehehimselfcame;and,finally,waitingfordeathwithacheerfulmind,asbeingnothingelsethanadissolutionoftheelementsofwhicheverylivingbeingiscompounded.Butifthereisnoharmtotheelementsthemselvesineachcontinuallychangingintoanother,whyshouldamanhaveanyapprehensionaboutthechangeanddissolutionofalltheelements?Foritisaccordingtonature,andnothingisevilwhichisaccordingtonature.

ThisinCarnuntum.