Book Twelve 卷十二

做万物中一个有价值的人

1.人们总是期望通过迂回的方法来达到自己的目的,如果你无意拒绝,也就是说,如果你把过去视若无物,把将来归于天意,把现在归结于虔诚与公正,那你便可如此去做。虔诚,让你得到满足,因为,自然万物为你造就了虔诚,而你也为虔诚而活。公正,让你无须伪装,讲出真理,遵纪守法,实现自身价值。别人的罪恶、意见、话语、情感,都无法阻止你上进的势头,因为被动总会不得势。

如果在你离去的时刻,不加理会心中的支配力量及神学,无畏于生命的终结,那么你将是万物中一个有价值的人,在自己的国土上,你将不再是孤独之人,不再惊奇预料之外的快乐生活,也不再受制于其它一切。

2.上帝看透了外衣包裹下赤裸人类的内心思想(支配原则),他用智慧触摸到了流淌在自己体内的智慧之源。他所关注的不是血肉之躯,因此在追求外部物质诸如衣物、住所、名誉时,不会庸人自扰。如果你也用同样的方法去尝试,也会摆脱麻烦的纠缠。

3.人是由三样物质组成:躯体,生命,智慧。前两个是真正属于自己的,你有责任去照料、保护它们。第三个就不那么肯定地属于自己了。因此,如果你脱离了自己的思想,无论现在或过去的所说所为,抑或是将来的麻烦缠身,或者是缠绕于躯体和生命的一切,都自然而然地与血肉躯体和独立意志保持着千丝万缕的联系。无论外部环流充满多少漩涡,智慧的力量始终自由自在地茁壮成长,并伸张正义,接受真理。如果脱离了经由感知印象和逝去物质与之相联系的支配能力,那么你就好比恩培多克勒的球体。

如果你努力活出真实的自己,便可超越生命,脱离干扰,按照自己的生命轨迹生活下去。即使生命终了,也可安然逝去。

4.我常常惊奇,每个人爱自己都胜过爱别人,但是,却很少有人珍惜自己的想法。如果上帝或一个智者出现在你面前,命令不要思考自己想到却不能表达的东西,可能你一天也无法忍受。所以,我们要做的是给予周围人更多的关注与尊敬,而不是只考虑我们自己。

5.慷慨大方地为人类安排好一切后,神灵们怎能忽略上述问题呢?通过虔诚祈祷和庄严的宗教仪式,一些与神灵也有过亲密接触和促膝长谈的善良之人,一旦老去,所有的一切又怎能都化为乌有?

但是若果真如此,神灵们就不会忽略任何问题,自然万物也不会。但是,事实并非这样,起码你不该认为是这样,因为,你曾与神灵争论不休,如果他们表现的足够完美公正,就不会允许任何非公正和非理智存在,我们也不会与其争执。

6.在这些事情上,你已经失望之极,即使比“右手”更加有力的“左手”牢牢抓住了“缰绳”,到头来依然徒劳无功,因为,你已经无法阻止其前进的步伐。

7.在死亡突然来袭时,一个人应该考虑自己的灵魂与肉体,短暂生命,过去和将来无尽的深渊,还有脆弱的万物。

8.沉思于万物形成所遵循的准则及其行为目的,认真思考什么是痛苦、快乐、死亡、名誉,还有是谁让自己寝食难安,所有这些问题都是要考虑的。

9.你应该像一个斗拳者,而不应该是一个角斗士。因为,角斗士要么杀人要么被杀。而斗拳者掌握着自己的命运,无需其它,只需好好把握命运。

10.我们看到哪些事物掌握着自己的命运,能根据不同物质、形式和目的把自己区分开来。

11.一个有权之人将遵从上帝的旨意,接受上帝的恩赐。

12.至于自然万物,我们不应该怪罪于神灵,因为他们没有任何错误,也无需责怪人类,无心之错总是不可避免。因此,我们不该怪罪于任何人。

13.对人生中的一切遭遇感到惊奇的人,是多么地荒谬可笑啊!

14.或许这是必不可少,无法抗拒的,又或者是天意,是漫无目的、毫无章法的混乱状态。如果是无法抗拒的,你为何又要抵抗呢?如果是天意,你便可得到心灵的抚慰,神灵的帮助。如果是毫无原则的混乱状态夺去了你的血肉之躯,你的生命,你所有的一切,那你应该庆幸智慧还与你相伴。

15.灯火熄灭的那一刻,是否依然辉煌夺目?你逝去的前夕,真理、公正是否会消失殆尽?

16.当一个人做了错事,他会狡辩说,自己又怎能知道那是不该做的呢?而我们又怎能知道他是否自责过?一个好人做了坏事,就好比是没有无花果树却得到了无花果汁,没有婴儿却听到其哭叫,没有马儿却听见其嘶鸣一样,这样的人怎样才能让其改正呢?只有对症下药。如果其性情暴烈,就从其性情下手。

17.错误的,就不要做;不真实的,就不要到处乱说。朝此方向努力吧。

18.观察呈现在你身旁的每一件事情,并把它们按照形式、物质形态、目的和时间加以区分。

19.最后,认真体察你所具有的更加完美、更加神圣的品质,并让其为你指明方向。现在你感受到了什么?恐惧,怀疑,欲望,抑或是其它?

20.首先,做事要深思熟虑,目的明确;其次,要符合社会规范。

人生就在瞬息变化之间

21.不久以后,你将尘归黄土,万物生灵也会在你面前消失。自然所创造的一切都在改变、转换甚至毁灭,一切只为新生事物的繁衍而生存。

22.万事万物皆有使命,使命便是力量。海员努力驾船驶向海角,便能停泊到一个风平浪静的海湾。

23.无论什么样的活动,在适当的时候停止,就不会招来灾祸,因此,在恰当的时候结束我们的行为,甚至生命时,也不会带来不幸。若不能在恰如其分之时终结一系列的行为,你将不得不因此而灾祸连连。但是,在恰当的时间和有限的自然安排下,有时古代人类的独特个性,得到部分改变,万物便能生生不息。有利于宇宙万物发展的,都是美好且适合时令而存在的。因此,每一个生命的终止不是灾祸和不幸,而是意志的独立,并且符合普遍利益,符合宇宙万物发展的。所以说,感动于神灵,在思想和行为上便追随于神灵。

24.你必须遵守三个原则:第一,对于因考虑不周或不公正而未做之事,或外来因素强加于自己身上之事,不能归罪于其偶然性或天命使然;第二,每一个生命从其繁衍到灵魂的完善,再到回归原始,都是由万物复合而成,都是一个从幼稚到成熟的过程;第三,高高在上时,应该多加关注底层万物的命运,时刻留意他们的伟大所在。同时也不忘留神高层人士的伟大之处。如果经常俯瞰而下,你的眼中将会装满大同。你难道为此不感到自豪吗?

25.放弃你的主见吧!这样你就会被拯救,可是又有谁让你不需放弃呢?

26.在你麻烦缠身时,忘记了自然万物时刻在发生着变化,忘记了其他人的错误对你毫无影响,忘记了无论过去、现在和将来万物都在发展,忘记了个人与人类整体密切的同源关系,此关系不是建立在血缘之上,而是智慧之上。忘记了每一个人的智慧都是一个神灵,或是一个神灵的衍生物,忘记了除去躯体和灵魂之外人类一无所有,忘记了万物皆有使命,忘记了人类生活在现在,也迷失在现在。

27.不断回忆起那些怨声载道之人,或者是显赫名望之人,不幸之人,敌对之人,抑或是幸运之人。你会想,现在他们都躲到那儿去了呢?要么无从考证,要么存活于传说中。生活在村庄的法比乌斯·克勒留,在自己花园里忙碌的卢修斯,拜亚的斯特丁尼斯,卡布里的台比留,维利亚的鲁弗斯,他们是多么热切盼望追求值得自豪的一切,在机遇面前,对神灵所展现的公正、节制、顺从和对无法忍受的傲慢的简单处理,又是多么的具有哲学味道!

28.对于一些人询问:你在哪儿看到了神灵?你怎样理解灵魂的存在和人们对灵魂的崇拜?我的回答是:他们在眼神里,我虽没有看到灵魂的存在,但对他们却尊敬有加。因此,从我对神灵力量的不断认识和了解中,发现他们确实存在着并受到尊敬。

29.人身安全自始至终用公正和真理在检验着每一个事物,检验他们自身,他们的性质,还有他们的形式。除了通过不间断检验人生外,还保留下了什么呢?

30.尽管有高墙、大山和其它物质阻断,仍有一线阳光射过;尽管无数生命中分布着各自的品质,但仍有共同品质相互分享;尽管分布于无穷尽的自然界和各自边界里,仍有灵魂聚首;尽管好似被分割,仍有智慧相联。所提到的部分事物,如空气、物质,都是无感情友谊可言的,然而智慧准则把其牢牢相联。个性、人类、智力同根同源,他们之间的结合、交流从未间断过。

31.你希望什么呢?继续存在?拥有感情?期望运动?得到成长?再次停止生长?或去演讲,去思考?值得你渴求的到底是什么呢?如果说能轻而易举把一些事物变得一文不值,而求助于存留价值之物,那就要遵从于推理和神灵了。但是,人死后将会被剥夺一切,因此也就与推理不符,与神灵相悖。

32.把无穷无尽且无法测量的时间分配给每一个人,是多么的短暂阿!短暂得一眨眼便被永恒所吞噬。与整个物质世界相比,一个事物又是多么的渺小!与整个宇宙灵魂相比,一个灵魂又是多么的微不足道啊!与你所生活的土地相比,一块泥土又是多么的不值一提啊!但是,回想这些,没有什么比生活在自然之中,忍受自然之痛的人类伟大的了。

33.支配力量是如何让自己发挥作用的呢?答案就在于此。但是,每一个事物,无论是否具有坚强的意志,到头来都会灰飞烟灭。

34.这种想法促使我们蔑视死亡,促使那些让邪恶不安的善良人们藐视死亡。

35.善良之人在恰当的时候到来了,无论他们所做公正之事多与寡,都是一样的,无论关注世界的时间是长还是短,也是毫无区别的,因为死亡不再可怕。

36.人类已经是世界公民的一分子,对人类来说,三年或五年有什么不同吗?一切符合规律的都是正当的。如果没有暴君或不公正的判决把你驱逐出这个世界,那谁会带你来到这个世界呢?同样,如果导演让曾经用过的演员离开舞台,演员会说,我还有两个动作表演没完成,但无济于事。缺憾便是生活。完整的戏剧由自身因素所决定,但现在是该解散离开的时候了,因为你已经失去了这些因素,离开,就等于皆大欢喜。

  1. ALL those things at which thou wishest to arrive by a circuitous road, thou canst have now, if thou dost not refuse them to thyself. And this means, if thou wilt take no notice of all the past, and trust the future to providence, and direct the present only conformably to piety and justice. Conformably to piety, that thou mayest be content with the lot which is assigned to thee, for nature designed it for thee and thee for it. Conformably to justice, that thou mayest always speak the truth freely and without disguise, and do the things which are agreeable to law and according to the worth of each. And let neither another man’s wickedness hinder thee, nor opinion nor voice, nor yet the sensations of the poor flesh which has grown about thee; for the passive part will look to this. If then, whatever the time may be when thou shalt be near to thy departure, neglecting everything else thou shalt respect only thy ruling faculty and the divinity within thee, and if thou shalt be afraid not because thou must sometime cease to live, but if thou shalt fear never to have begun to live according to nature—then thou wilt be a man worthy of the universe which has produced thee, and thou wilt cease to be a stranger in thy native land, and to wonder at things which happen daily as if they were something unexpected, and to be dependent on this or that.

  2. God sees the minds [ruling principles] of all men bared of the material vesture and rind and impurities. For with his intellectual part alone he touches the intelligence only which has flowed and been derived from himself into these bodies. And if thou also usest thyself to do this, thou wilt rid thyself of thy much trouble. For he who regards not the poor flesh which envelops him, surely will not trouble himself by looking after raiment and dwelling and fame and suchlike externals and show.

  3. The things are three of which thou art composed, a little body, a little breath [life], intelligence. Of these the first two are thine, so far as it is thy duty to take care of them; but the third alone is properly thine. Therefore, if thou shalt separate from thyself, that is, from thy understanding, whatever others do or say, and whatever thou hast done or said thyself, and whatever future things trouble thee because they may happen, and whatever in the body which envelops thee, or in the breath [life], which is by nature associated with the body, is attached to thee independent of thy will, and whatever the external circumfluent vortex whirls round, so that the intellectual power exempt from the things of fate can live pure and free by itself, doing what is just and accepting what happens and saying the truth: if thou wilt separate, I say, from this ruling faculty the things which are attached to it by the impressions of sense, and the things of time to come and of time that is past, and wilt make thyself like Empedocles’ sphere,— 3 All round, and in its joyous rest reposing; 4 and if thou shalt strive to live only what is really thy life, that is, the present, then thou wilt be able to pass that portion of life which remains for thee up to the time of thy death, free from perturbations, nobly, and obedient to thy own daemon [to the god that is within thee] (ii. 13, 17, iii. 5, 6; xi. 12).

  4. I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. If then a god or a wise teacher should present himself to a man and bid him to think of nothing and to design nothing which he would not express as soon as he conceived it, he could not endure it even for a single day. So much more respect have we to what our neighbours shall think of us than to what we shall think of ourselves.

  5. How can it be that the gods after having arranged all things well and benevolently for mankind, have overlooked this alone, that some men and very good men, and men who, as we may say, have had most communion with the divinity, and through pious acts and religious observances have been most intimate with the divinity, when they have once died should never exist again, but should be completely extinguished?

But if this is so, be assured that if it ought to have been otherwise, the gods would have done it. For if it were just, it would also be possible; and if it were according to nature, nature would have had it so. But because it is not so, if in fact it is not so, be thou convinced that it ought not to have been so:- for thou seest even of thyself that in this inquiry thou art disputing with the diety; and we should not thus dispute with the gods, unless they were most excellent and most just;- but if this is so, they would not have allowed anything in the ordering of the universe to be neglected unjustly and irrationally.

6.Practise thyself even in the things which thou despairest of accomplishing. For even the left hand, which is ineffectual for all other things for want of practice, holds the bridle more vigorously than the right hand; for it has been practised in this.

7.Consider in what condition both in body and soul a man should be when he is overtaken by death; and consider the shortness of life, the boundless abyss of time past and future, the feebleness of all matter.

8.Contemplate the formative principles (forms) of things bare of their coverings; the purposes of actions; consider what pain is, what pleasure is, and death, and fame; who is to himself the cause of his uneasiness; how no man is hindered by another; that everything is opinion.

9.In the application of thy principles thou must be like the pancratiast, not like the gladiator; for the gladiator lets fall the sword which he uses and is killed; but the other always has his hand, and needs to do nothing else than use it.

10.See what things are in themselves, dividing them into matter, form and purpose.

11.What a power man has to do nothing except what God will approve, and to accept all that God may give him.

12.With respect to that which happens conformably to nature, we ought to blame neither gods, for they do nothing wrong either voluntarily or involuntarily, nor men, for they do nothing wrong except involuntarily. Consequently we should blame nobody.

13.How ridiculous and what a stranger he is who is surprised at anything which happens in life.

  1. Either there is a fatal necessity and invincible order, or a kind Providence, or a confusion without a purpose and without a director (Book IV). If then there is an invincible necessity, why dost thou resist? But if there is a Providence which allows itself to be propitiated, make thyself worthy of the help of the divinity. But if there is a confusion without governor, be content that in such a tempest thou hast in thyself a certain ruling intelligence. And even if the tempest carry thee away, let it carry away the poor flesh, the poor breath, everything else; for the intelligence at least it will not carry away.

  2. Does the light of the lamp shine without losing its splendour until it is extinguished; and shall the truth which is in thee and justice and temperance be extinguished before thy death?

16.When a man has presented the appearance of having done wrong, say, How then do I know if this is a wrongful act? And even if he has done wrong, how do I know that he has not condemned himself? and so this is like tearing his own face. Consider that he, who would not have the bad man do wrong, is like the man who would not have the fig-tree to bear juice in the figs and infants to cry and the horse to neigh, and whatever else must of necessity be. For what must a man do who has such a character? If then thou art irritable, cure this man's disposition.

  1. If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it. For let thy efforts be 18.In everything always observe what the thing is which produces for thee an appearance, and resolve it by dividing it into the formal, the material, the purpose, and the time within which it must end.

19.Perceive at last that thou hast in thee something better and more divine than the things which cause the various affects, and as it were pull thee by the strings. What is there now in my mind? Is it fear, or suspicion, or desire, or anything of the kind?

20.First, do nothing inconsiderately, nor without a purpose. Second, make thy acts refer to nothing else than to a social end.

21.Consider that before long thou wilt be nobody and nowhere, nor will any of the things exist which thou now seest, nor any of those who are now living. For all things are formed by nature to change and be turned and to perish in order that other things in continuous succession may exist.

22.Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power. Take away then, when thou choosest, thy opinion, and like a mariner, who has doubled the promontory, thou wilt find calm, everything stable, and a waveless bay.

23.Any one activity whatever it may be, when it has ceased at its proper time, suffers no evil because it has ceased; nor he who has done this act, does he suffer any evil for this reason that the act has ceased. In like manner then the whole which consists of all the acts, which is our life, if it cease at its proper time, suffers no evil for this reason that it has ceased; nor he who has terminated this series at the proper time, has he been ill dealt with. But the proper time and the limit nature fixes, sometimes as in old age the peculiar nature of man, but always the universal nature, by the change of whose parts the whole universe continues ever young and perfect. And everything which is useful to the universal is always good and in season. Therefore the termination of life for every man is no evil, because neither is it shameful, since it is both independent of the will and not opposed to the general interest, but it is good, since it is seasonable and profitable to and congruent with the universal. For thus too he is moved by the deity who is moved in the same manner with the deity and moved towards the same things in his mind.

24.These three principles thou must have in readiness. In the things which thou doest do nothing either inconsiderately or otherwise than as justice herself would act; but with respect to what may happen to thee from without, consider that it happens either by chance or according to Providence, and thou must neither blame chance nor accuse Providence. Second, consider what every being is from the seed to the time of its receiving a soul, and from the reception of a soul to the giving back of the same, and of what things every being is compounded and into what things it is resolved. Third, if thou shouldst suddenly be raised up above the earth, and shouldst look down on human things, and observe the variety of them how great it is, and at the same time also shouldst see at a glance how great is the number of beings who dwell around in the air and the aether, consider that as often as thou shouldst be raised up, thou wouldst see the same things, sameness of form and shortness of duration. Are these things to be proud of?

25.Cast away opinion: thou art saved. Who then hinders thee from casting it away?

26.When thou art troubled about anything, thou hast forgotten this, that all things happen according to the universal nature; and forgotten this, that a man's wrongful act is nothing to thee; and further thou hast forgotten this, that everything which happens, always happened so and will happen so, and now happens so everywhere; forgotten this too, how close is the kinship between a man and the whole human race, for it is a community, not of a little blood or seed, but of intelligence. And thou hast forgotten this too, that every man's intelligence is a god, and is an efflux of the deity; and forgotten this, that nothing is a man's own, but that his child and his body and his very soul came from the deity; forgotten this, that everything is opinion; and lastly thou hast forgotten that every man lives the present time only, and loses only this.

  1. Constantly bring to thy recollection those who have complained greatly about anything, those who have been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind: then think where are they all now? Smoke and ash and a tale, or not even a tale. And let there be present to thy mind also everything of this sort, how Fabius Catullinus lived in the country, and Lucius Lupus in his gardens, and Stertinius at Baiae, and Tiberius at Capreae, and Velius Rufus [or Rufus at Velia]; and in fine think of the eager pursuit of anything conjoined with pride; and how worthless everything is after which men violently strain; and how much more philosophical it is for a man in the opportunities presented to him to show himself just, temperate, obedient to the gods, and to do this with all simplicity: for the pride which is proud of its want of pride is the most intolerable of all.

  2. To those who ask, Where hast thou seen the gods or how dost thou comprehend that they exist and so worshipest them? I answer, in the first place, they may be seen even with the eyes; in the second place, neither have I seen even my own soul and yet I honour it. Thus then with respect to the gods, from what I constantly experience of their power, from this I comprehend that they exist and I venerate them.

  3. The safety of life is this, to examine everything all through, what it is itself, what is its material, what the formal part; with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth. What remains except to enjoy life by joining one good thing to another so as not to leave even the smallest intervals between?

  4. There is one light of the sun, though it is interrupted by walls, mountains, and other things infinite. There is one common substance, though it is distributed among countless bodies which have their several qualities. There is one soul, though it is distributed infinite natures and individual circumscriptions [or individuals]. There is one intelligent soul, though it seems to be divided. Now in the things which have been mentioned all the other parts, such as those which are air and matter, are without sensation and have no fellowship: and yet even these parts the intelligent principle holds together, and the gravitation towards the same. But intellect in a peculiar manner tends to that which is of the same kin, and combines with it, and the feeling for communion is not interrupted.

  5. What dost thou wish? to continue to exist? Well, dost thou wish to have sensation? movement? growth? and then again to cease to grow? to use thy speech? to think? What is there of all these things which seems to thee worth desiring? But if it is easy to set little value on all these things, turn to that which remains, which is to follow reason and god. But it is inconsistent with honouring reason and god to be troubled because by death a man will be deprived of the other things.

  6. How small a part of the boundless and unfathomable time is assigned to every man! for it is very soon swallowed up in the eternal. And how small a part of the whole substance! and how small a part of the universal soul! and on what a small clod of the whole earth thou creepest! Reflecting on all this, consider nothing to be great, except to act as thy nature leads thee, and to endure that which the common nature brings.

  7. How does the ruling faculty make use of itself? for all lies in this. But everything else, whether it is in the power of thy will or not, is only lifeless ashes and smoke.

  8. This reflection is most adapted to move us to contempt of death, that even those who think pleasure to be a good and pain an evil still have despised it.

  9. The man to whom that only is good which comes in due season, and to whom it is the same thing whether he has done more or fewer acts conformable to right reason, and to whom it makes no difference whether he contemplates the world for a longer or a shorter time—for this man neither is death a terrible thing (iii. 7; vi. 23; x. 20; xii. 23).

  10. Man, thou hast been a citizen in this great state [ world]: what difference does it make to thee whether for five years [or three]? for that which is conformable to the laws is just for all. Where is the hardship then, if no tyrant nor yet an unjust judge sends thee away from the state, but nature who brought thee into it? the same as if a praetor who has employed an actor dismisses him from the stage. “But I have not finished the five acts, but only three of them.”—Thou sayest well, but in life the three acts are the whole drama; for what shall be a complete drama is determined by him who was once the cause of its composition, and now of its dissolution: but thou art the cause of neither. Depart then satisfied, for he also who releases thee is satisfied.