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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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46 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

your own ; nor yet in any phase or alteration <strong>of</strong><br />

your<br />

material shell. Where is it then ? In that<br />

part <strong>of</strong> you which forms your<br />

views <strong>of</strong> what is evil.<br />

Refuse the view, and all is well. Though the poor<br />

flesh, <strong>to</strong> which it is so near allied, be cut or burned,<br />

fester or rot, still let this judging faculty remain<br />

at peace, adjudging nothing either bad or good,<br />

that can equally befall the bad man and the good.<br />

For that which equally befalls a man, whether he<br />

conforms <strong>to</strong> nature or no, is neither for nor against<br />

nature.<br />

40 Constantly picture the universe as a living<br />

organism, controlling a single substance and a single<br />

soul, and note how all things are assimilated <strong>to</strong> a<br />

single world-sense, all act by a single impulse, and<br />

all co-operate <strong>to</strong>wards all that comes <strong>to</strong> pass ; and<br />

mark the contexture and concatenation <strong>of</strong> the web.<br />

41 What am I ?<br />

said Epictetus.<br />

" "<br />

A poor soul laden with a corpse<br />

42 Things in change take no harm, nor the pro-<br />

ducts <strong>of</strong> change good.<br />

43 Time is a river, the mighty current <strong>of</strong> created<br />

things. No sooner is a thing in sight, than it is<br />

swept past, and another comes sweeping on, and<br />

will anon be by.

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