Anno II - marzo 2007 - Oneness Meditation Center Treviso

Marco aurelio, Not simply an Emperor…
The word “philosopher” has Greek roots and
means “lover of wisdom”. However, many ancient
philosophers were much more than this: some
of them were true mystics who understood the
nature of things and had experienced a personal
meeting with Truth or to use a language more familiar
to us we could say they had become awakened.
As Heraclitus said “The waking have one
common world, but the sleeping turn aside each
into a world of his own”.
Books only dedicate a few pages to some of
the most famous philosophers such as Socrates,
Heraclitus, and Pythagoras: they were actually life
mentors, wise men who have a lot to teach us, the
restless inhabitants of this planet. These famous
philosophers are known by most people but what
about the others, for example Cornelius Fronto,
Junius Rusticus, Seneca, Juvenal, Epictetus, or
Marcus Aurelius?
Before dealing with these let’s just go back for
a moment to the more famous philosophers. The
most well knows quotation of Heraclitus is probably
the story of “you cannot step into the same
river twice” and we probably like it but don’t go
any further…Of Socrates we remember the wonderful
statement made after the oracle of Delphi
proclaimed him to be the wisest man: “wisest is
he who knows he knows nothing”. Pythagoras
is almost unknown: we usually think of him as
a mathematician, ignoring that the esoteric sect
founded by him was the cradle of deep knowledge.
We are talking about true mystics rather
than thinkers.
Osho, a spiritual teacher who has diffused
knowledge probably more than anyone else, has
dedicated two series of speeches to the Golden
Verses of Pythagoras and the Fragments of Heraclitus
and has often quoted Socrates and Marcus
Aurelius. It is thanks to him that I rediscovered the
story of Plate on the death of Socrates, his teacher.
I invite you to get hold of one of the many editions
on sale of the book entitled Phaedo: you only need
to read the last pages to understand more about
these philosophers. The story is about how Socrates
drank the hemlock - a poison prepared by
the judges who sentenced him to death – and with
beautiful words urged his disciples not to worry
about his body. After having said that to prolong
life by a few hours would have been foolish he
spoke the following words: “I cannot make Crito
believe that I am the same Socrates who has been
talking and conducting the argument; he fancies
that I am the other Socrates whom he will soon
see, a dead body”.
Now I would like to talk about Marcus Aurelius,
known by most people as Roman Emperor in the
2nd Century AC. Very few know that he was a
pupil and admirer of the great philosophers mentioned
above and like them, at times more than
them, he was the source of invaluable wisdom.
Osho, who defines Marcus Aurelius as a religious
person in the true sense of the word, says of
him: One of the greatest Emperors in India was
Akbar. In the West he can only be compared with
one man, Marcus Aurelius. Emperors are rarely
wise men but these two were certainly and exception”.
In other words, Marcus Aurelius was not an
DIKsHANEWS
“Emperor who thought” like most people may describe
him, but a great mystic who found himself
in the role of Emperor.
What remains of him are twelve chapters called
books which Aurelius simply called “The Meditations”.
They were written in Greek, which he knew
better than Latin; the monologue which was not
written to be published seems to contain simple
personal thoughts. However, these pearls of wisdom,
translated into many languages (with different
titles: thoughts, meditations, memories) are
still today extremely relevant despite the fact that
they were written almost two thousand years ago.
Last year in Milan, Anandagiri-ji made a statement
on this matter which was so stimulating
for me that it made me re-read some parts of the
book. I was astounded to find that the words of
Marcus Aurelius are very close to the teachings of
Amma, Bhagavan, and the Guides (on the 21 day
process in India).
Here are some examples. A message from
Amma and Bhagavan in 2005 reads: “The modern
divisions of nationalities, of colour, of culture,
of religion are the causes of man’s uncertainty of
survival. What does it mean to cooperate - not the
word but the spirit of it? You cannot possibly cooperate
with another, with the earth and its waters,
unless you in yourself are harmonious, not broken
up, non contradictory; you cannot cooperate if
you yourself are under strain, pressure, conflict.
(…) Deeksha would thus help create a new generation
of human beings, with a new outlook,
with a new sense of being citizens of the world,
concerned with all the living things of the earth.
It is your grave responsibility to help bring about
this Oneness”.
Marcus Aurelius also had something to say
about Oneness (literally “being one”): “Constantly
regard the universe as one living being, having
one substance and one soul; and observe how all
things have reference to one perception, the perception
of this one living being; and how all things
act with one movement; and how all things are
the cooperating causes of all things which exist;
observe too the continuous spinning of the thread
and the contexture of the web” (IV, 40). “My city
and country so far as I am Antoninus, is Rome,
but so far as I am a man, it is the world. The things
then which are useful to these cities are alone useful
to me” (VI, 44).
And also: “Asia and Europe are only corners of
the Universe; the whole ocean a drop in the Universe;
Mount Athos, a little clod of the Universe; all
the present time, a point in eternity. All things are
little, changeable, perishable.” (VI, 36). “Whatever
happens to every man, this is for the interest of
the universal: this might be sufficient. But further
thou will observe this also as a general truth, if you
observe that whatever is profitable to any man is
profitable also to other men” (VI, 45).
In other words, “That which is not good for the
swarm, neither is it good for the bee” (VI,54).
A message from the Oneness University last year
reads: “We are constantly affecting each other’s
thoughts and emotions. The sense of separation
is only an illusion”.
This is how Marcus Aurelius expresses the same
ENGLISH
concept in his own words: “One is in fact the
world made of the order of all things and one God
that pervades them, one the substance, unique the
Logos shared with all human beings and unique
the truth…” (VII, 9). “He who does wrong does
wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly acts
unjustly to himself, because he makes himself
bad” (IX, 4). The same concept is also expressed in
positive terms: “No one is tired of receiving well,
and doing well is acting according to nature. Do
not then be tired of receiving well by doing it to
others” (VII, 74).
At a certain point in life we have all asked ourselves
how can we become one with the others;
this is Aurelius’ thought on this matter: “Dig deep
into yourself; inside is source of the good and it
will bubble up, if you will go on digging” (VII,59).
In a speech Anandagiri-ji spoke about accepting
oneself as the route to opening to the Divine:
“when you finally accept yourself totally you will
be surprised to discover that you are also at ease
with the people around you ”.
It is almost unbelievable but Marcus Aurelius
surprisingly talks about love and acceptance in
similar terms: “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” (VI, 39).“Accustom thyself
to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as
much as it is possible, be in the speaker’s heart” (VI,
53). “Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach
them then or bear with them” (VIII, 59).
This last thought is not simply a theoretical
statement: Marcus Aurelius wanted his adoptive
brother next him and despite the fact that historians
portray him as an indolent man dedicated
to the pleasures of life and not worthy of said role
Marcus Aurelius tolerated and respected him as
joint Emperor.
In one of his speeches Anandagiri-ji mentioned
Bhagavan’s statement “suffering is not in the situation
or fact, but in the perception of the fact”. Let’s
compare this statement with the one by Epictetus (
a reference point for Marcus Aurelius, a slave who
once free became a teacher of young Romans) : “If
you are distressed by any external cause, it’s not
this one that actually bother you, but the way you
judge it ”. The words of Marcus Aurelius on the
same matter: “If thou art pained by any external
thing, it is not this thing that disturbs thee, but thy
own judgment about it” (VIII, 47).
Amma, Bhagavan, and the guides continuously
insist on the need to sort out our relationships to
be able to move forward in our journey towards
the Divine. Here is one of the many statements
made by Marcus Aurelius on this matter: “….How
did you behave towards the gods, parents, brother,
wife, sons, teachers, tutors, relatives, servants?
Check is you followed the rule ‘don’t do or say
anything bad to anybody’” (V, 31).
And this is a recommendation for everyone:
“Towards human beings, as they have reason,
behave in a social spirit. And on all occasions call
on the gods, and do not perplex thyself about the
length of time in which thou shalt do this; for even
three hours so spent are sufficient” (VI, 23).
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