The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius - College of Stoic Philosophers

vi MARCUS AURELIUS 131
36. Asia, Europe are corners of the universe : ail the
sea a drop in the universe ;
Athos a little clod of the
universe : all the present time is a point in eternity. All
things are little, changeable, perishable. All things come
from thence, from that universal ruling power either
directly proceeding or by way of consequence. And
accordingly the lion s gaping jaws, and that which is
poisonous, and every harmful thing, as a thorn, as mud,
are after-products of the grand and beautiful. Do not
then imagine that they are of another kind from that
which thou dost venerate, but form a just opinion of the
source of all (vn, 75).
37. He who has seen present things has seen all, both
everything which has taken place from all
eternity and
everything which will be for time without end ;
for all
things are of one kin and of one form.
38. Frequently consider the connexion of all things
in the universe and their relation to one another. For
in a manner all things are implicated with one another,
and all in this way are friendly to one another ; for one
thing comes in order after another, and this is
by virtue
of thef active movement and mutual conspiration and
the unity of the substance (ix, 1).
39. Adapt thyself to the things with which thy lot has
been cast : and the men among whom thou hast received
thy portion, love them, but do it truly [sincerely].
40. Every instrument, tool, vessel, if it does that for
which it has been made, is well, and yet he who made it
is not there. But in the things which are held together
by nature there is within and there abides in them the
power which made them ; wherefore the more is it fit to
reverence this power, and to think, that, if thou dost live
and act according to its will, everything in thee is in con
formity to intelligence. And thus also in the universe
the things which belong to it are in conformity to intel
ligence.