Think often of how swiftly all things pass away and are no more - the works of Nature and the works of man. The substance of the Universe, matter, is like unto a river that flows on forever. All things are not only in a constant state of change, but they are the cause of constant and infinite change in other things. Upon a narrow ledge thou standouts! Behind thee, the bottomless abyss of the Past! In front of thee, the Future that will swallow up all things that are now. Over what things, then, in this present life wilt thou, O foolish man, be disquieted or exalted - making thyself wretched; seeing that they can vex thee only for a time - a brief, brief time! - Marcus Aurelius
Is your cucumber bitter? Throw it away. Are there briars in your path? Turn aside. That is enough. Do not go on and say, "Why were things of this sort ever brought into this world?" Neither intolerable nor everlasting - if thou bearest in mind that it has its limits, and if thou addest nothing to it in imagination. Pain is either an evil to the body (then let the body say what it thinks of it!) - or to the soul. But it is in the power of the soul to maintain its own serenity and tranquility. . . . - Marcus Aurelius
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The first time I learned about M. Aurelius was from a quote a friend of mine attaches on his office wall:
"Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today inquisitive, ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All these things have come upon them through ignorance of real good and ill."
— Marcus Aurelius
That same friend also taught me about Death and Equanimity.
Thanks Vincent.
Hi Carla,
You are welcome! You are well taught. :-)
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