I recently read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. After reading it, I wanted to pick out my favorite lines and share them. Aurelius, a Stoic, believed in lack of desire and pleasure. He valued reason heavily. I do not necessarily believe in everything he said, but Meditations has some really thought provoking bits and pieces. These are my interpretations. I encourage you to read it because I believe everyone can get something different out of it! :)
Book 1
From Alexander the Platonic, not frequently nor without necessity to say to any one, or to write in a letter, that I have no leisure; nor continually to excuse the neglect of duties required by our relation to those with whom we live, by alleging urgent occupations.
Commentary: This line speaks to me because if someone is truly important in your life, you will make time for them. Time seems to disappear when you are with them and other menial obligations seem to lose importance when plans with them arise. Of course, we all have important tasks we need to get done. But what we do and who we experience life with in our ‘free’ time, sets the tone for the life we will live. Family and friends set our souls on fire and there will always be enough time to spend with them. We are never too busy to see the ones we love.
Book 2
Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him, For we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away.
Commentary: I love this because Marcus says to not act against others, despite their faults. He states that people who seem ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ are just ignorant of good. Everyone on the earth has faults and at times can be ignorant to a situation. People who wrong you, are ignorant to either what they are doing or how what they are doing affects you. I truly believe people inherently possess a good nature and if they act unjustly, they do not know what good is. We all have a piece in the whole (society, the earth) and to act against each other would cause society and the earth to be unbalanced.
Book 3
As physicians have always their instruments and knives ready for cases which suddenly require their skill, so do thou have principles ready for the understanding of things divine and human, and for doing everything, even the smallest, with a recollection of the bond which unites the divine and human to one another. For neither wilt thou do anything well which pertains to man without at the same time having a reference to things divine; nor the contrary.
Commentary: I interpreted this section in a more mystical sense. Marcus places an importance on reason and morals. He states that you need to consider both yourself (or others) and the divine. I resonate with this because to align yourself with the divine, you connect with something greater than yourself. You are connecting with pure goodness and when you align yourself with something so good, you too become kindhearted, genuine, and sublime. Even if you do not believe in God or a divine figure, aligning with the universe connects you with a beautiful whole that incites passion and pure goodness.
Book 4
Will then this which has happened prevent thee from being just, magnanimous, temperate, prudent, secure against inconsiderate opinions and falsehood; will it prevent thee from having modesty, freedom, and everything else, by the presence of which man's nature obtains all that is its own? Remember too on every occasion which leads thee to vexation to apply this principle: not that this is a misfortune, but that to bear it nobly is good fortune.
Commentary: Here Marcus talks about misfortune. When I read this line the quote by Epictetus, “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters” popped into my head. Sadly, bad things do happen and to truly move forward in life, you must learn from the misfortune. The unfortunate circumstance should be a reason for you to be kinder to the world. Of course, this is easier said than done; but Marcus has a point when he states that misfortune does not take away your ability to be noble and kindhearted. He even says that for you to act nobly and righteous despite a difficult time, serves as good fortune. Strength stems from enduring difficult times with kindness, compassion, and good actions.
Book 5
Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.
Commentary:
I love this line. Whether you believe in fate/destiny/predestination, these words serve as comfort. God/the universe/life does not give you anything that you cannot handle. Build up strength and endure because you can take on any challenge. The presence of a difficult time proves that you can overcome it.
Book 6
The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong doer.
Commentary: People do us wrong and sometimes we respond with revenge. Our emotions and vibes tell us make revenge seem the best response to the situation. But, a wrong act in response to another wrong act just creates more negativity and hostility. Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17). Learn from your enemies and mold yourself into a better and more just person than them. Jesus put it perfectly in the Gospel of Luke, “But I say to you who hear, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-36). Enough love will eventually make them realize their wrongdoings and they will become a better person eventually.
Book 7
Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.
Commentary: In us exists a beautiful and unexplainable soul which trumps both the mind and body. Our mind and body does not define us; our souls do. When we look to our soul and notice our existence and Presence, we then notice how beautiful ourselves and everyone else are. Inside our souls hold our faith and connection to the divine, true love, truth, pure happiness, and heaven. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus says, “For the Kingdom of God is already among you” (Luke 17:21). The transcendence of both God and heaven makes it impossible for us to figure and calculate who God really is and where heaven is. I believe that the closest we can get to God and heaven is looking within our souls, finding that true divine beauty, and spreading it to others.
Book 8
In the next place remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present.
Commentary: This semester I learned to only worry about the present moment because the uncertainty of the future creates unnecessary worries. The present moment has enough difficulties for us to worry about the future. If we can grasp the importance of and understand the present moment we can prepare and make the future the best it can be. Jesus says it best in Gospel of Matthew, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
Book 9
But in the things which are still superior, even though they are separated from one another, unity in a manner exists, as in the stars. Thus the ascent to the higher degree is able to produce a sympathy even in things which are separated.
Commentary: I believe that despite separation, people have a certain unique unity between one another. For instance, I have not seen some of my friends in a while but when I saw them over break, we still had the same connection. We laughed at the same jokes and smiled at the same time. The stars still unite despite distance and people do the same. We can learn a lot from the stars and the night sky.
Book 10
as the blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.
Commentary: Fire feeds from everything that is thrown into it. Become a fire; take and grow from whatever life throws at you. This line gives me hope because fire spreads rapidly and we too can spread just as rapidly no matter what we go through.
Book 11
Not as in a dance and in a play and in such like things, where the whole action is incomplete, if anything cuts it short; but in every part and wherever it may be stopped, it makes what has been set before it full and complete, so that it can say, I have what is my own. And further it traverses the whole universe, and the surrounding vacuum, and surveys its form, and it extends itself into the infinity of time, and embraces and comprehends the periodical renovation of all things, and it comprehends that those who come after us will see nothing new, nor have those before us seen anything more,
Commentary: I love the line in this, “It makes what has been set before it full and complete, so that it can say, I have what is my own.” If we look to fulfill and enlighten everyone and every situation which come before us, positivity will spread. The more people do this, the more the earth will be transformed. Do every task and approach every experience with the attitude to make it the best you can.
Book 12
Does the light of the lamp shine without losing its splendour until it is extinguished; and shall the truth which is in thee and justice and temperance be extinguished before thy death?
Commentary: We all shine a light which emanates justice, truth, divinity, and beauty. A light does not stop shining until it dies, and same as us. Do not stop believing in your light until you die; and even after death your light will not extinguish.
