THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATIONS
👀
* AS MY GRANDFATHER VERUS, I HAVE LEARNED TO BE GENTLE AND MEEK, AND TO REFRAIN FROM ALL ANGER AND PASSION. FROM THE FAME AND MEMORY OF HIM THAT BEGOT ME, I HAVE LEARNED BOTH SHAME-FASTNESS AND MANLIKE BEHAVIOUR. OF MY MOTHER, I HAVE LEARNED TO BE RELIGIOUS, AND BOUNTIFUL, AND TO FORBEAR, NOT ONLY TO DO, BUT TO INTEND MY EVIL, TO CONTENT MYSELF WITH A SPARE DIET, AND TO FLY ALL SUCH EXCESS AS IN INCIDENTAL TO GREAT WEALTH. OF MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER, BOTH TO FREQUENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND AUDITORIUMS, AND TO GET ME GOOD AND ABLE TEACHERS AT HOME, AND THAT I OUGHT NOT TO THINK MUCH, IF UPON SUCH OCCASIONS, I WERE AT EXCESSIVE CHARGES.
👀
* OF HIM THAT BROUGHT ME UP, NOT TO BE FONDLY ADDICTED TO EITHER OF THE TWO GREAT FACTIONS OF THE COURSES IN THE CIRCUS, CALLED PRASINI, AND VENETI, NOR IN THE AMPHITHEATRE PARTIALLY TO FAVOUR ANY OF THE GLADIATORS, OR FENCERS, AS EITHER THE PARMULARI, OR THE SECUTORES. MOREOVER, TO ENDURE LABOUR, NOR TO NEED MANY THINGS, WHEN I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, TO DO IT MYSELF RATHER THAN BY OTHERS, NOT TO MEDDLE WITH MANY BUSINESSESS, AND NOT EASILY TO ADMIT OF SLANDER.
👀
* OF DIOGNETUS, NOT TO BUSY MYSELF VAIN THINGS, AND NOT EASILY TO BELIEVE THOSE THINGS, WHICH ARE COMMONLY SPOKEN, BY SUCH AS TAKE UPON THEM TO WORK WONDERS, AND BY SORCERERS, OR PRESTIDIGITATORS, AND IMPOSTORS, CONCERNING THE POWER OF CHARMS, AND THEIR DRIVING OUT OF DEMONS, OR EVIL SPIRITS, AND THE LIKE. NOT TO KEEP QUAILS FOR THE GAME, NOR TO BE MAD AFTER SUCH THINGS,. NOT TO BE OFFENDED WITH OTHER MENS'S LIBERTY OF SPEECH, AND TO APPLY MYSELF UNTO PHILOSOPHY.HIM ALSO I MUST THANK, THAT EVER I HEARD FIRST BACCHIUS, THEN TANDASIS AND MARCIANUS, AND THAT I DID WRITE DIALOGUES IN MY YOUTH, AND THAT I TOOK LIKING TO THE PHILOSOPHER'S LITTLE COUCH AND SKINS, AND SUCH OTHER THINGS, WHICH BY THE GRECIAN DISCIPLINE ARE PROPER TO THOSE WHO PROFESS PHILOSOPHY.
👀
* WHATSOVER PROCEEDS FROM THE GODS IMMEDIATELY, THAT ANY MAN WILL GRANT TOTALLY DEPENDS FROM THEIR DIVINE PROVIDENCE. AS FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE COMMONLY SAID TO HAPPEN BY FORTUNE, EVEN THOSE MUST BE CONCEIVED TO HAVE DEPENDENCE FROM NATURE, OR FROM THAT FIRST AND GENERAL CONNECTION, AND CONCATENATION OF ALL THOSE THINGS, WHICH MORE APPARENTLY BY THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE ARE ADMINISTERED AND BROUGHT TO PASS. ALL THINGS FLOW FROM THENCE, AND WHATSOEVER IT IS THAT IS, IS BOTH NECESSARY, AND CONDUCING TO THE WHOLE (PART OF WHICH THOU ART), AND WHATSOVER IT IS THAT IS REQUISITE AND NECESSARY FOR THE PRESERVATION, OF THE GENERAL, MUST OF NECESSITY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE GENERAL, MUST OF NECESSITY FOR EVERY PARTICULAR NATURE, BE GOOD AND BEHOVEFUL. AND AS FOR THE WHOLE, IT IS PRESERVED, AS BY THE PERPETUAL MUTATION AND CONVERSION OF THE SIMPLE ELEMENTS ONE INTO ANOTHER, SO ALSO BY THE MUTATION, AND ALTERATION OF THINGS MIXED AND COMPOUNDED. LET THESE THINGS SUFFICE THEE, LET THEM, BE ALWAYS UNTO THEE, AS THY GENERAL RULES AND PRECEPTS. THAT THOU DIE NOT MURMURING AND COMPLAINING, BUT TRULY MEEK AND WELL SATISFIED, AND FROM THY HEART THANKFUL UNTO THE GODS.
👀
* REMEMBER HOW LONG THOU HAS ALREADY PUT OFF THESE THINGS, AND HOW OFTEN A CERTAIN DAY AND HOURS AS IT WERE, HAVING BEEN SET UNTO THEE BY THE GODS, THOU HAST NEGLECTED IT. IT IS HIGH TIME FOR THESE TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE BOTH OF THE WORLD, WHERE OF THOU ART A PART, AND OF THAT LORD AND GOVERNOR OF THE WORLD, FROM WHOM, AS A CHANNEL FROM THE SPRING, THOU THYSELF DIDST FLOW, AND THAT THERE IS BUT A CERTAIN LIMIT OF TIME APPOINTED UNTO THEE, WHICH IF THOU SHALT NOT MAKE USE OF TO CALM AND ALLAY THE MANY DISTEMPERS OF THY SOUL, IT WILL PASS AWAY AND THOU WITH IT, AND NEVER AFTER RETURN.
👀
* LET IT BE THY EARNEST AND INCESSANT CARE AS A ROMAN AND A MAN TO PERFORM WHATSOVER I IS THAT THOU ART ABOUT, WITH TRUE AND UNFEIGNED GRAVITY, NATURAL AFFECTION, FREEDOM AND JUSTICE, AND AS FOR ALL OTHERS CARES, AND IMAGINATIONS, HOW THOU MAYEST EASE THY MIND OF THEM. WHICH THOU SHALT DO, IF THOU SHALT GO ABOUT EVERY ACTION AS THY LAST ACTION, FREE FROM ALL VANITY, ALL PASSIONATE AND WILFUL ABERRATION FROM REASON, AND FROM HYPICRISY, AND SELF-LOVE, AND DISLIKE OF THOSE THINGS, WHICH BY THE FATES OR APPOINTMENT OF GOD HAVE HAPPENED UNTO THEE. THOU SEEST THAT THOSE THINGS, WHICH FOR A MAN TO HOLD ON IN A PROSPEROUS COURSE, AND TO LIVE AND DIVINE LIFE, ARE REQUISITE AND NECESSARY, ARE NOT MANY, FOR THE GODS WILL REQUIRE NO MORE OF ANY MAN, THAT SHALL BUT KEEP AND OBSERVE THESE THINGS.
👀
* DO, SOUL, DO, ABUSE AND COMTEMN THYSELF, YET A WHILE AND THE TIME FOR THEE TO RESPECT THYSELF, WILL BE AT AN END. EVERY MAN'S HAPPINESS DEPENDS FROM HIMSELF, BUT BEHOLD THY LIFE IS ALMOST AT AN END, WHILES AFFORDING THYSELF NO RESPECT, THOU DOST MAKE THY HAPPINESS TO CONSIST IN THE SOULS, AND CONCEITS OF OTHER MEN.
👀
* WHY SHOULD ANY OF THESE THINGS THAT HAPPEN EXTERNALLY, SO MUCH DISTRACT THEE ? GIVE THYSELF LEISURE TO LEARN SOME GOOD THING, AND CEASE ROVING AND WANDERING TO AND FRO. THOU MUST ALSO TAKE HEED OF ANOTHER KIND OF WANDERING, FOR THEY ARE IDLE IN THEIR ACTIONS, WHO TOIL AND LABOUR IN THIS LIFE, AND HAVE NO CERTAIN SCOPE TO WHICH TO DIRECT ALL THEIR MOTIONS, AND DESIRES.
👀
* FOR NOT OBSERVING THE STATE OF ANOTHER MAN'S SOUL, SCARCE WAS EVER ANY MAN KNOWN TO BE UNHAPPY. TELL WHATSOVER THEY BE THAT INTEND NOT, AND GUIDE NOT BY REASON AND DISCRETION THE MOTIONS OF THEIR OWN SOULS, THEY MUST OF NECESSITY BE UNHAPPY.
👀
* THESE THINGS THOU MUST ALWAYS HAVE IN MIND. WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE, AND WHAT IS MINE - IN PARTICULAR. THIS UNTO THAT WHAT RELATION IT HATH, WHAT KIND OF PART, OF WHAT KIND OF UNIVERSE IT IS, AND THAT THERE IS NOBODY THAT CAN HINDER THEE, BUT THAT THOU MAYEST ALWAYS BOTH DO AND SPEAK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE AGREEABLE TO THAT NATURE, WHEREOF THOU ART A PART.
No comments:
Post a Comment