📖 Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

Nature of the Universe

universe → an ordered, providentially governed whole

human → an integral, rational part of this whole.

Providence and Order: "All that is from the gods is full of Providence." (Book Two)
Interconnectedness: "Everything harmonizes with me, which is harmonious to thee, O Universe. Nothing for me is too early nor too late, which is in due time for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O Nature: from thee are all things, in thee are all things, to thee all things return." (Book Four)
Change as Natural and Necessary: "It is no evil for things to undergo change, and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change." (Book Four) "Motions and changes are continually renewing the world, just as the uninterrupted course of time is always renewing the infinite duration of ages." (Book Six)
Humanity as a Part of the Whole: "Thou hast existed as a part. Thou shalt disappear in that which produced thee; but rather thou shalt be received back into its seminal principle by transmutation." (Book Four)

external events < one's internal reaction to them

Harm comes from Opinion: "Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint, 'I have been harmed.' Take away the complaint, 'I have been harmed,' and the harm is taken away." (Book Four)
Invincibility of the Mind: "The ruling faculty does not disturb itself; I mean, does not frighten itself or cause itself pain... The leading principle in itself wants nothing, unless it makes a want for itself; and therefore it is both free from perturbation and unimpeded, if it does not disturb and impede itself." (Book Seven)
The Inner Citadel: "For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul... Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself." (Book Four)
Self-Sufficiency of Reason: "Reason and the reasoning art (philosophy) are powers which are sufficient for themselves and for their own works." (Book Five)

Human's inherent social nature

Co-operation and Kinship: "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." (Book Two)
Love for Mankind: "It is peculiar to man to love even those who do wrong. And this happens, if when they do wrong it occurs to thee that they are kinsmen, and that they do wrong through ignorance and unintentionally, and that soon both of you will die; and above all, that the wrong-doer has done thee no harm, for he has not made thy ruling faculty worse than it was before." (Book Seven)
For the Common good: "Whatever either by myself or with another I can do, ought to be directed to this only, to that which is useful and well suited to society." (Book Seven)
Teaching the mistaken people: "If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error." (Book Ten)

accept what is outside one's control, particularly death & the ephemeral nature of all things.

Memento Mori (Remember Death): "Thou wilt soon die, and thou art not yet simple, not free from perturbations, nor without suspicion of being hurt by external things, nor kindly disposed towards all; nor dost thou yet place wisdom only in acting justly." (Book Four) "Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good." (Book Four)
Acceptance: "Accepting all that happens, and all that is allotted, as coming from thence, wherever it is, from whence he himself came; and, finally, waiting for death with a cheerful mind..." (Book Two)
Transience of Fame and Material Possessions: "How quickly all things disappear, in the universe the bodies themselves, but in time the remembrance of them..." (Book Two) "Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself." (Book Four)
Focus on the Present Moment: "Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity..." (Book Two) "For the present is the only thing of which a man can be deprived, if it is true that this is the only thing which he has..." (Book Two)

Eudaemonia: a good and happy life

achieved through the cultivation of virtues and a philosophical disposition.

Key Virtues: "If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude, and, in a word, anything better than thy own mind's self-satisfaction... turn to it with all thy soul..." (Book Three)
Simplicity and Modesty: "From my mother... simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich." (Book One) "Make thyself all simplicity." (Book Four)
Freedom from Passion and Distraction: The ideal state is one where the soul is "pure from passion and thoughtlessness," "To keep the daemon within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pains and pleasures, doing nothing without purpose, nor yet falsely and with hypocrisy..." (Book Two)
Continuous Self-Improvement: "Rusticus I received the impression that my character required improvement and discipline..." (Book One) "Do not be disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou bast failed, return back again..." (Book Five)
Action Aligned with Nature: "To move thyself and to restrain thyself in conformity to thy proper constitution, to which end both all employments and arts lead." (Book Six) "For what else than to venerate the gods and bless them, and to do good to men, and to practise tolerance and self-restraint..." (Book Four)

advices for daily living and responding to challenges.

Morning Reflection: "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." (Book Two)
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities: "The mind converts and changes every hindrance to its activity into an aid; and so that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road." (Book Five)
Pray for inner strength: "One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her?" (Book Nine)