Meditations
Meditations
Preview
Originally written in Greek by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the book provides insights on tackling the challenges one comes across in life. The philosophy of stoicism underlines this work, which essentially enshrines the development of self-control and endurance as the solutions to deal with antagonistic emotions.
About the Author
Marcus Aurelius Antonius Augustus, often referred to as The Wise, was the Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 AD till his death in 180 AD. Considered as the last of the “Five Good Emperors”, he was a staunch believer in stoic philosophy, being fond of Plato. Faced with a series of invasions and rebellions, Marcus’ life was stained by several tragedies, including the loss of his parents at an early age, the loss of his brother Verus, the passing away of his wife Faustina, many of his children who died young, all of which led him to develop a stoic approach towards life.
What should you expect? Learn to master the art of forbearance in the face of crisis…
Meditations discusses the principles of life using candid examples which would draw any person to this book almost immediately. Timeless lessons are to be found in this text. Aptly described by Tyler Cowen, a noted American economist, it is a ‘quake book’ which would shake our faith and beliefs held by us about the world.
Marcus Aurelius epitomized Plato's concept of a Philosopher King. This work is a collection of 12 books he wrote in which he draws from Stoic philosophy to formulate a self-help book par excellence. Meditations will help you to make sense of the world.
After reading this book, you will:
Understand how to remain unaffected by joys and sorrows.
Understand that everything was born to die, life is transient.
Learn to control arrogance, be upright, modest, straightforward and helping to others.
Learn that everything has a purpose, be it mud, horses, or trees.
Learn to discard all vain ambitions and accept that we are all minuscule and insignificant in this universe.
It is all a part of the plan
"Everything that happens, happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so."
Considered widely as one of the best works in philosophy, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius intends to guide the reader to lead a life following a set of moral and ethical guidelines. The world, according to the Stoics has been built rationally, and is directed and governed by an all-powerful and all-pervading force called the logos, almost synonymous with God. Logos is present everywhere, in inanimate as well as animate objects.
Everything which exists in the world is because of Logos, which governs the world as the part of a grand plan. Beyond mere existence, Logos also gives everything an order. Thus, whatever happens in the world happens for a reason, and whatever exists in the world, exists for a reason. Even though there are things which are beyond human comprehension, and there are challenges which one can find unreasonable and harsh, in the big picture, everything happens as it must.
So, you must face any hardships you encounter, with a view that things are meant to be. Just like Marcus Aurelius himself did, when he suffered the losses of his wife and children.
Death is natural and inevitable, and thus, not to be feared
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
Death looms over us, ready to pounce upon us at a moment’s notice. It is unknown when Death will come looking for us, but it is driven by Logos, and hence it will come when it is time. Therefore, we should not waste our precious leisure time, and should engage in meaningful activities.
Death should not be feared but should be thought of as the means to bring focus in our life. We should spend each day as if it is our last day on Earth. We should feel grateful to be alive when we wake up every day and take it upon ourselves to empower those around us. Death is a part of the eternal cycle of life. It can harm us only if we choose to see it as harmful.
Death is a great leveller, and it does not matter if you are an emperor or a beggar, when it is your time, you will die. Something which is inevitable needs to be accepted and not feared.
Don't give trivial matters unnecessary attention
“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil.”
Marcus rightly points out that whatever we hear around us is barely an opinion and not the absolute truth. Hence, we should not make any interpretation out of it. The things we hear are varied perspectives to view the situation but not necessarily the truth.
Marcus reminds us of the importance of cutting off the superfluous actions of our life. The purpose of our life is served even if we do a few things but perform them well. By avoiding superfluous actions, we prevent stress taking over our lives. By removing the unnecessary things from our life, our focus will turn towards what is really important in our life. The next time we make decisions, we need to ask ourselves,’ Is this superfluous?’ and watch the difference it makes.
We should not spend time worrying on frivolous people who are of no consequence to our life. Having limited time on earth, we should not waste our energy worrying about our neighbours. Neither praise nor criticism from others is relevant because it cannot change the intrinsic value of whoever is being judged and evaluated. What we need to do, is to focus on the task at hand.
With the advent of social media, we have become addicted to others, literally. Our reasons for happiness have become solely dependent on the number of likes our Facebook/Instagram post get. We look at others with fancy cars, houses, and feel frustrated for no good reason.
It is crucial to be reasonable and logical and to not be driven by emotions
"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Emotions like Rage, Jealousy, lust, etc., can create chaos in one's mind. These emotions serve to distract us from being a participant in the grand scheme of Logos. If everything is a part of a plan, then there is no need for such emotions to drive us and our judgement.
No one should mull over their destiny, especially if one encounters hardships in life. Always remember that whatever happens, happens for a reason, and Logos is always working to move the Universe forward for the greater good.
For example, a bad experience is bad only if your mind perceives it to be bad. If you take the experience as an event which is a part of logos, you will feel liberated from negative emotions and anxiety. For example, if you lose a job, instead of thinking of it as something which happened to you for no reason, think of it as a part of a greater plan. Perhaps, the experience will serve to act as a trigger for you to discover your calling. Even if that is not the case, still, it is futile to mull over your supposed misfortune, since no human being has any control over the happenings in a world which is driven by Logos.
Pain is a natural part of life, and it must be accepted as such without complaint
"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself…”
Our mind is unaffected by outside events. The mind creates its own turmoil. It is up to us to decide whether to subject our mind to conflicts or keep it calm and serene. The state of our mind is primarily determined by our thoughts.
A popular saying goes like this: ‘Thoughts shape the mind”. Whether we choose to be happy is determined by the state of our mind which is further determined by the thoughts which run through our mind. Positive thoughts tend to create happiness, while the converse fills our life with negativity.
We are tougher than we think. Although we cannot prevent others from harming us, we can interpret a situation in a different manner. Life is hard. We are bound to get punched and bruised, both mentally and physically. There is a saying that goes ‘To live is an act of courage’. Our life is a constant struggle to make ourselves better than we were before, to overcome obstacles and overcome with a smile. To reject pain and suffering, is to reject Logos, which is unnatural.
Final Summary
Logos-the all-pervading governing force is responsible for governing the Universe as well as providing order to things, and therefore, everything happens for a reason. Things cannot happen on their own, and by your desires. Hence, be free from any anxiety, fear, or pain, and live your life ready for anything which comes about.
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