Chapter 13 Volume 12

1. All those things which you hope to attain by detours, you can have now, if you do not deny them yourself.This means, as long as you pay no attention to the whole past, trust the future also to providence, and only make your present conform to piety and justice.Conformity to piety means that you can be content with your allotted destiny, because nature has allotted you and you are fit for it.Conformity to justice means that you can always speak the truth frankly and without disguise, according to the value of each thing is consistent with the law.Never let the evil of others frustrate you, don't let opinions or voices frustrate you, and don't let your poor carnal feelings frustrate you, for that will be taken care of by the negative part.If, then, whenever you are near death, you ignore everything else but respect your mastery and the divinity within you; if your fear is not that at some point you must end your life, but that You have never begun to live in accordance with your nature, then you will be worthy to give birth to your universe, you will no longer be a stranger to your homeland, no longer curious about the seemingly daily happenings. is the unexpected, and is no longer dependent on this or that.

2. God beholds the hearts of all people without materials, cloaks, shells and sundries (ruling principle).For he only touches with his intellect the intellect which he acquires only from himself and flows into these bodies.If you make yourself do the same, you will be freed from many of your troubles.For he who cares not for the poor body that encloses him, surely cannot be troubled by clothes, lodgings, fame, and similar appearances and adornments. 3. You are made of three things, a little body, a little breath (life), and reason.The first two things belong to you only in so far as it is your duty to take care of them; and only the third is really yours.Therefore, if you are yourself, that is to say, separate your intellect from these things - that is, no matter what other people do or say, no matter what you do or say yourself, no matter what may happen in the future to distress you, no matter what happens in the future Something in the body you envelop, or in the breath (life) that is inherently united with the body, clings to you against your will, however that outer entwined vortex of things spins, in order to free you from the shackles of fate. The intellect can act purely and freely by itself, then do what is right, accept what happens and speak the truth, I say, if you detach this governing faculty from those things which attach to it through sense impressions , detach yourself from things that are future and things that are past, and you will make yourself like Empedocles' sphere: "perfectly round, resting in its joyful stillness" If you only strive to live the life that is truly yours That is, the present life, then you can live the rest of your life until your death: unmolested, noble, and obedient to your own God (that is, the God within you).

4. How strange it has often seemed to me: that every man, who loves himself more than all others, values ​​other people's opinions of himself more than his own.Then if a god or a wise teacher should come to a man and command him to think and plan only those thoughts which he thinks to speak, he cannot bear even a day.So we are far more concerned with what our neighbors will think of us than with what we will think of ourselves. 5. How is it possible that the benevolent gods, having arranged all things in order, overlooked this one thing alone: ​​that some good men, we may say, some most in touch with the divine mind, by Who, by their pious deeds and strict obedience, came closest to the divine providence, and when they pass away, they never exist again, but disappear altogether?

But if in fact it is so, then you have to believe that the gods would not have done it if it should not have been so.For whatever is right is possible; and whatever is natural, nature also brings about it.But because it is not right and natural, if in fact it is not so, you are convinced that it should not be so. - For you see that even you yourself contend with the gods in this inquiry, which we should not so dispute with the gods, unless they are too good and too just (to bear with us). - but if so, they will not allow anything in the cosmic order to be unjustly and unjustifiably overlooked.

6. Train yourself even in things you have no hope of accomplishing.For even the left hand, which is not very good at all other things, holds the rein stronger than the right, because it has been trained in this way. 7. Consider what state of mind and body a man should be in when he is overtaken by death; consider the brevity of life, the endless abyss of time past and future, and the fragility of all matter. 8. To strip things of their shells and contemplate the principles (forms) of their formation, contemplate the purpose of actions, consider what is pain; what is pleasure; what is death; reasons; why one cannot possibly be hindered by another; everything considered is opinion.

9. In applying your principles you must act like a boxer and not like a gladiator, because the latter drops his sword and is killed, while the former always uses his hands and needs nothing but his hands s things. 10. See things in themselves, and divide them into matter, form, and purpose. 11. A powerful man must do only what the gods will appreciate, accepting all that the gods give him. 12. We should never blame the gods for what happens naturally, because they do nothing wrong, consciously or unconsciously; nor blame people, because they do wrong only unconsciously.So we should not have any blame.

13. How funny and strange is the man who wonders what happens in his life! 14. Either there is a fatal inevitability and an unalterable order; or there is a benevolent providence; or there is an aimless and undirected chaos (Vol. IV, paragraph 27).So why should you resist if there is an unalterable inevitability?And if there is a God who is willing to accept good intentions, make yourself worthy of God's help.But if there is a chaos without a ruler, be content with yourself having a governing reason in the chaos.Even if this turmoil takes you away, let it take away your poor body, your poor breath and everything else, at least it won't take away your mind.

15. The light is shining, and it will not lose its light until it is extinguished, but the truth, justice and temperance in your heart will be extinguished before you die? 16. When a person acts like he is doing something evil, how do I know it must be an evil thing?Even if he did do evil, how do I know he didn't blame himself?Because it's like ruining his own face.Think of him who prevents the wicked from doing evil, as he who prevents the fig tree from bearing fruit, the babe from crying, the horse from neighing, and other things that must occur.Why should a man of this quality have to do this?So if you are irritable, correct your temperament.

17. If it's not right, don't do it, if it's not true, don't talk about it.Because you have to work so hard- 18. In all things always observe what is that which arises to you as a phenomenon, and resolve this by dividing it into form, matter, purpose, and the time it must last. 19. Realize at last that you have something better and holier within you than those things that cause all kinds of effects and seem to pull you by strings.And what's on your mind right now?Is it fear, doubt, desire, or something else of the sort? 20. First of all, don't do anything without thinking, without purpose.Second, make your actions directed only to a social purpose.

21. Consider that not so long ago you had no body and no trace, and that some of the things you now see and some of the people you live with do not exist now.For all things are by their nature to change, to twist, and to decay, so that other things in a continuous series may appear. 22. Consider that everything is an opinion, and opinions are within your power.Drive away your opinion, then, when you decide, and like a fleet round the headland, you will find a calm, steady bay without waves. 23. Any kind of activity, whatever it may be, when it stops at its proper time, does not suffer misfortune, because it has ceased; nor does the person who does it suffer misfortune, because One activity has been stopped.Then likewise, the whole of all such actions, which is our life, if it ceases at the right time, does not suffer misfortune because it has ceased.If a person who is being abused ends the process at the right time, he is not suffering.And the proper times and limits are fixed by nature, and sometimes things like the end of old age are fixed by the particular nature of man, but it is always by the universe that, through the changes of its parts, the whole universe is always young and perfect. determined by its nature.All that is useful to the universe is always good and timely.Therefore the end of life is not evil to everyone, because it is never a disgrace, because it is not dependent on the will and is not opposed to the general interest, and it is a good thing, because it is timely and beneficial to the universe. Yes, it is consistent with the universe.For he who moves in his heart in the same manner as God, towards the same things, is also moved by God.

24. You must be prepared for these three principles.One, in what I do, do nothing, either without consideration, or against justice, and consider what may happen to you from without, either by chance or by divine providence, and you This chance or providence must never be condemned.Second, consider what each being is from the time it is seeded until it receives a soul; into something.Thirdly, if you should suddenly be lifted above the earth, you should look down on the human beings, and see how different they are, and at the same time glance at how many beings dwell in the air and ether around you; always think as if you were lifted, you You will see the same thing, the same form and the ephemerality of duration.Are these things something to be proud of? 25. Abandon opinions and you will be saved.So who's stopping you from doing this? 26. When you are troubled by something, you forget this: all things happen according to the nature of the universe; you forget: a person's evil behavior cannot touch you; you also forget: everything that happens now It has happened, it will happen, and it is happening everywhere; and you forget how close is the kinship between one man and the whole human race, for it is a common, not a little blood or a seed. , but intellectual commons.You also forget that everyone's intellect is a god, an overflow of divinity; you forget that nothing is man's own, his children, his body and even his soul come from God You also forget that everything is an opinion; and finally you forget that everyone lives only in the present and loses only the present. 27. Go on recalling those who have often complained, who have been distinguished by the greatest fame, or the greatest misfortune, or hatred, or the greatest fortune of any kind, and think where are they now?The legend that they have turned to dust is not even close to legend.Let things of this sort come to your mind, too, Fabius P.How is Catellilus now, Lucius in his garden.Lubos, Stedinius in Baia, Tiberius and Vilius in Capari.How is Rufus (or Rufus in Vilia) doing now.When one considers the ardent pursuit of all that one is proud of, how worthless all one strives after, and for a man to show his rectitude, temperance, in the opportunities afforded him, How wise it is to be faithful to God, and to do so very simply!And to be proud of the least proud thing is the most embarrassing of all things. 28. Some people ask: Where have you seen God?Or how do you know they exist and adore them so much?To them I replied that, first, they could even see with the naked eye; and second, that I had not even seen my own soul, but respected it nonetheless.As for the gods, I understand their existence and worship them from my constant experience of their power. 29. The guarantee of life lies in: thoroughly examining all things; what is it in itself, what is its substance, what is its form; do justice and recite the truth with your whole soul.How else can we enjoy life but by connecting one good thing with another so that there is not the slightest gap in between? 30. There is a sun, although it is cut off by walls, mountains and countless other things.There is one common substance, though distributed among innumerable natures and individual limitations (or individuals).There is a sane soul, though it also appears to be divided.Of these things just mentioned, then, all the other parts—like those atmospheric and material—are without feeling and without fellowship, but the rational principle holds even these together and attracts them into oneness.As for the intellect, it tends in a peculiar way to its kind, and is united with it, the sense of communion being unbroken. 31. What do you hope for?continue to exist?Well, would you like to feel it?Want to have exercise and growth?Then stop growing?Want to talk?think?What do all these things seem to you worth desiring?But if it were easy to underestimate the value of all these things, and turn to the rest, which is to obey reason and God.But to be distressed by such things is inconsistent with respecting reason and God, for death will take something else from a man. 32. What a small part of the endless and unfathomable time is allocated to everyone!It was instantly swallowed up by eternity.Also, what a small portion of the whole entity is given to each!What a small part of the universal soul!What a tiny piece of soil is the whole earth on which you crawl!Thinking of all this, decide that there is no great thing but to do what your nature leads you to do, and to suffer what your common nature brings you. 33. How does the ability to dominate use itself?Because everything is based on it.And everything else, whether within the sphere of your will or not, is just ashes and soot. 34. This kind of thinking is most suitable for making us despise death, and even those who think that happiness is good and pain are evil have despised it. 35. For a man, if only that which comes in due time is good to him, it is the same for him to do more or less just and rational actions, and for him longer or less Contemplating the world for a short time makes no difference - for this person, death is not a terrible thing. 36. Man, you have been a citizen of this great country (world), what difference will five years (or three years) make to you?For what is in harmony with the law is just to all.If there were no tyrant or unjust judge to send you out of the country, but only nature that sent you in, what hardship would there be?It is like a lawman who once hired an actor and now dismisses him and lets him off the stage. - "But I haven't finished five acts, but only three," - you are right, but in life three acts are the whole drama, because what is a complete drama depends on the previous The man who was the cause of the play and now the cause of the dismantling of it, you are neither.Exit, then, satisfied, for he who relieves you is also satisfied.