Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is the perfect choice if you’re looking for an entry into Stoicism, but I certainly wouldn’t count it out for even the most seasoned of stoic philosophers. However, Stoicism aside, anyone who wishes to reflect on their personal ethics and spiritual experience can benefit from delving into this book.
Written without intention of publication, Aurelius’ words are authentic and honest. They give a deep insight into the mind of not only an emperor and philosopher, but also a fellow human being. Each entry is straightforward and concise, easy to digest and understandable.
It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.
Whilst considered to be a “Stoic Bible”, Aurelius takes inspiration from a variety of well-known philosophers, even from the rival school of Epicureanism. It’s another attestment to the authenticity of his words - never prescribing to one group of thought, but rather taking wisdom from all walks of life.
Meditations is split up into 12 books, written over the last decade of his life. There are a multitude of themes addressed throughout such as ethics and virtue, duty and service, mortality and the transience of life, interconnectedness and more.
Everything Aurelius says can be applied to our own lives. Even when he speaks as an emperor, the underlying values remain. Though I gained a lot personally from the book in it’s entirety, one thing that particularly resonated with me were his views on mortality.
I, like many, invest a lot of thought into my own mortality and the impermanence of life. I’ve had many sleepless nights as a child, fearing the inevitable, infinite void. In my search for peace, Aurelius’ words, as a man now long dead, provide some solace.
Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favour; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills.
And as I continue to meditate on these matters, I can’t help but notice the comparison between what Alan Watts says in the book I’m currently reading, Out of your Mind, and the words of the emperor born almost 2000 years ago.
Marcus Aurelius writes:
Frequently consider the connection of all things in the Universe. Reflect upon the multitude of bodily and mental events taking place in the same brief time, simultaneously in every one of us and so you will not be surprised that many more events, or rather all things that come to pass, exist simultaneously in the one and entire unity, which we call the Universe. We should not say ‘I am an Athenian’ or ‘I am a Roman’ but ‘I am a Citizen of the Universe’.
It’s commonly considered to be a Buddhist, Hindu or Tao concept - to be one with everything. A similar quote I read from Alan Watts, though the theme persists throughout his book, was:
If there was a big bang at the beginning of time, you are not something that is the result of that explosion at the end of the process. You are the process.
A certain peace comes from the thought that we are the universe seeing itself, rather than an unwilling spectator. Whilst I will always seek affirmations on how I can live a kind and virtuous life, these are the reflections I value most.
Everything’s destiny is to change, to be transformed, to perish. So that new things can be born.
Reading of impermanence from a man who has lived and died almost 2000 years ago hits particularly hard. The temporary nature of life is something that we all face, and it was something that Aurelius had to face, and faced, a very long time ago. So we can take heed of his words and wisdom, maybe find a little more peace than we previously had, as we relate so closely to someone who lived in a world considered to be so different from ours. But the questions we ask ourselves, the worries that take our sleep, the way we should aspire to live remains the same - whether we’re Roman emperors, Aztec shamans, or an office worker.
It’s a book that you could read countless times and always find something new. What you might read and gloss over today could be life-changing for you tomorrow. Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is rightly considered a classic, one of the great historical philosophy pieces. Timeless, it was as valuable 2000 years ago as it is now, and as it will be in 2000 years to come - because the human condition, regardless of technology, never changes.
Meditations on Amazon.co.uk - By Marcus Aurelius, Translated by Gregory Hays
Meditations on Amazon.com - By Marcus Aurelius, Translated by Gregory Hays
