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bookmeditations杂谈沉思录 |
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Book Eight(Part 2) Augustus' court, wife, daughter,
descendants, ancestors, sister, Agrippa, kinsmen, intimates,
friends, Areius, Maecenas, physicians and sacrificing priests- the
whole court is dead. Then turn to the rest, not considering the
death of a single man, but of a whole race, as of the Pompeii; and
that which is inscribed on the tombs- The last of his race. Then
consider what trouble those before them have had that they might
leave a successor; and then, that of necessity some one must be the
last. Again here consider the death of a whole race. It is thy duty to order thy life well in
every single act; and if every act does its duty, as far as is
possible, be content; and no one is able to hinder thee so that
each act shall not do its duty.- But something external will stand
in the way.- Nothing will stand in the way of thy acting justly and
soberly and considerately.- But perhaps some other active power
will be hindered.- Well, but by acquiescing in the hindrance and by
being content to transfer thy efforts to that which is allowed,
another opportunity of action is immediately put before thee in
place of that which was hindered, and one which will adapt itself
to this ordering of which we are speaking. Receive wealth or prosperity without
arrogance; and be ready to let it go. If thou didst ever see a hand cut off, or
a foot, or a head, lying anywhere apart from the rest of the body,
such does a man make himself, as far as he can, who is not content
with what happens, and separates himself from others, or does
anything unsocial. Suppose that thou hast detached thyself from the
natural unity- for thou wast made by nature a part, but now thou
hast cut thyself off- yet here there is this beautiful provision,
that it is in thy power again to unite thyself. God has allowed
this to no other part, after it has been separated and cut asunder,
to come together again. But consider the kindness by which he has
distinguished man, for he has put it in his power not to be
separated at all from the universal; and when he has been
separated, he has allowed him to return and to be united and to
resume his place as a part. As the nature of the universal has given
to every rational being all the other powers that it has, so we
have received from it this power also. For as the universal nature
converts and fixes in its predestined place everything which stands
in the way and opposes it, and makes such things a part of itself,
so also the rational animal is able to make every hindrance its own
material, and to use it for such purposes as it may have
designed. Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the
whole of thy life. Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the
various troubles which thou mayest expect to befall thee: but on
every occasion ask thyself, What is there in this which is
intolerable and past bearing? For thou wilt be ashamed to confess.
In the next place remember that neither the future nor the past
pains thee, but only the present. But this is reduced to a very
little, if thou only circumscribest it, and chidest thy mind, if it
is unable to hold out against even this. Does Panthea or Pergamus now sit by the
tomb of Verus? Does Chaurias or Diotimus sit by the tomb of
Hadrian? That would be ridiculous. Well, suppose they did sit
there, would the dead be conscious of it? And if the dead were
conscious, would they be pleased? And if they were pleased, would
that make them immortal? Was it not in the order of destiny that
these persons too should first become old women and old men and
then die? What then would those do after these were dead? All this
is foul smell and blood in a bag.
In the constitution of the rational animal
I see no virtue which is opposed to justice; but I see a virtue
which is opposed to love of pleasure, and that is temperance. If thou takest away thy opinion about that
which appears to give thee pain, thou thyself standest in perfect
security.- Who is this self?- The reason.- But I am not reason.- Be
it so. Let then the reason itself not trouble itself. But if any
other part of thee suffers, let it have its own opinion about
itself. Hindrance to the perceptions of sense is
an evil to the animal nature. Hindrance to the movements (desires)
is equally an evil to the animal nature. And something else also is
equally an impediment and an evil to the constitution of plants. So
then that which is a hindrance to the intelligence is an evil to
the intelligent nature. Apply all these things then to thyself.
Does pain or sensuous pleasure affect thee? The senses will look to
that.- Has any obstacle opposed thee in thy efforts towards an
object? if indeed thou wast making this effort absolutely
(unconditionally, or without any reservation), certainly this
obstacle is an evil to thee considered as a rational animal. But if
thou takest into consideration the usual course of things, thou
hast not yet been injured nor even impeded. The things however
which are proper to the understanding no other man is used to
impede, for neither fire, nor iron, nor tyrant, nor abuse, touches
it in any way. When it has been made a sphere, it continues a
sphere. It is not fit that I should give myself
pain, for I have never intentionally given pain even to
another. Different things delight different people.
But it is my delight to keep the ruling faculty sound without
turning away either from any man or from any of the things which
happen to men, but looking at and receiving all with welcome eyes
and using everything according to its value. See that thou secure this present time to
thyself: for those who rather pursue posthumous fame do consider
that the men of after time will be exactly such as these whom they
cannot bear now; and both are mortal. And what is it in any way to
thee if these men of after time utter this or that sound, or have
this or that opinion about thee? Take me and cast me where thou wilt; for
there I shall keep my divine part tranquil, that is, content, if it
can feel and act conformably to its proper constitution. Is this
change of place sufficient reason why my soul should be unhappy and
worse than it was, depressed, expanded, shrinking, affrighted? And
what wilt thou find which is sufficient reason for this? Nothing can happen to any man which is not
a human accident, nor to an ox which is not according to the nature
of an ox, nor to a vine which is not according to the nature of a
vine, nor to a stone which is not proper to a stone. If then there
happens to each thing both what is usual and natural, why shouldst
thou complain? For the common nature brings nothing which may not
be borne by thee. Remember that the ruling faculty is
invincible, when self-collected it is satisfied with itself, if it
does nothing which it does not choose to do, even if it resist from
mere obstinacy. What then will it be when it forms a judgement
about anything aided by reason and deliberately? Therefore the mind
which is free from passions is a citadel, for man has nothing more
secure to which he can fly for, refuge and for the future be
inexpugnable. He then who has not seen this is an ignorant man; but
he who has seen it and does not fly to this refuge is
unhappy. Say nothing more to thyself than what the
first appearances report. Suppose that it has been reported to thee
that a certain person speaks ill of thee. This has been reported;
but that thou hast been injured, that has not been reported. I see
that my child is sick. I do see; but that he is in danger, I do not
see. Thus then always abide by the first appearances, and add
nothing thyself from within, and then nothing happens to thee. Or
rather add something, like a man who knows everything that happens
in the world. A cucumber is bitter.- Throw it away.-
There are briars in the road.- Turn aside from them.- This is
enough. Do not add, And why were such things made in the world? For
thou wilt be ridiculed by a man who is acquainted with nature, as
thou wouldst be ridiculed by a carpenter and shoemaker if thou
didst find fault because thou seest in their workshop shavings and
cuttings from the things which they make. And yet they have places
into which they can throw these shavings and cuttings, and the
universal nature has no external space; but the wondrous part of
her art is that though she has circumscribed herself, everything
within her which appears to decay and to grow old and to be useless
she changes into herself, and again makes other new things from
these very same, so that she requires neither substance from
without nor wants a place into which she may cast that which
decays. She is content then with her own space, and her own matter
and her own art. Neither in thy actions be sluggish nor in
thy conversation without method, nor wandering in thy thoughts, nor
let there be in thy soul inward contention nor external effusion,
nor in life be so busy as to have no leisure. Dost thou wish to be praised by a man who
curses himself thrice every hour? Wouldst thou wish to please a man
who does not please himself? Does a man please himself who repents
of nearly everything that he does? No longer let thy breathing only act in
concert with the air which surrounds thee, but let thy intelligence
also now be in harmony with the intelligence which embraces all
things. For the intelligent power is no less diffused in all parts
and pervades all things for him who is willing to draw it to him
than the aerial power for him who is able to respire it. Generally, wickedness does no harm at all
to the universe; and particularly, the wickedness of one man does
no harm to another. It is only harmful to him who has it in his
power to be released from it, as soon as he shall choose. To my own free will the free will of my
neighbour is just as indifferent as his poor breath and flesh. For
though we are made especially for the sake of one another, still
the ruling power of each of us has its own office, for otherwise my
neighbour's wickedness would be my harm, which God has not willed
in order that my unhappiness may not depend on another. He who fears death either fears the loss
of sensation or a different kind of sensation. But if thou shalt
have no sensation, neither wilt thou feel any harm; and if thou
shalt acquire another kind of sensation, thou wilt be a different
kind of living being and thou wilt not cease to live. In one way an arrow moves, in another way
the mind. The mind indeed, both when it exercises caution and when
it is employed about inquiry, moves straight onward not the less,
and to its object. Enter into every man's ruling faculty; and
also let every other man enter into thine. |