Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.1

These are the properties of the rational soul: it sees itself, analyzes itself, and makes itself such as it chooses; the fruit that it bears itself enjoys—for the fruits of plants and that in animals which corresponds to fruits others enjoy—it obtains its own end, wherever the limit of life may be fixed.

Not as in a dance and in a play and in such like things, where the whole action is incomplete if anything cuts it short; but in every part, and wherever it may be stopped, it makes what has been set before it full and complete, so that it can say, I have what is my own.

And further it traverses the whole Universe, and the surrounding vacuum, and surveys its form, and it extends itself into the infinity of time, and embraces and comprehends the periodical renovation of all things, and it comprehends that those who come after us will see nothing new, nor have those before us seen anything more, but in a manner he who is forty years old, if he has any understanding at all, has seen by virtue of the uniformity that prevails all things that have been and all that will be.

This too is a property of the rational soul: love of one's neighbor, and truth and modesty, and to value nothing more than itself, which is also the property of Law. Thus the right reason differs not at all from the reason of justice.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 11.1 (tr Long)

Observe how we pay all of the attention to the outside layers, and we neglect the inner core.

We have all the objects that we wish to possess, and we say they make us complete. We keep our bodies safe and secure, and we say that we are content. We work to satisfy all of our deepest passions, and we say that we are fulfilled. We win praise from others, and we say that we are whole.

And in doing all of that, we praise the qualities of the vessel, while neglecting the character of the captain.

The cruise ship is so big and shiny, made of the strongest steel. The sailors are all so buff and handsome. The pretty girl serving you a cocktail really seems to like you. But who is piloting the whole darn thing?

I am composed of many things, and I have many aspects, but at the heart of them all is my awareness. My power of reason requires the addition of no luxuries beyond itself to be fully itself; any old experience will do. It demands no supplements to be complete. It finds its satisfaction in its own actions, and looks to nothing further.

The ship will only find herself safe on the seas by the skill of the able commander who guides her. Let me listen to the man on the bridge, not follow the cabin boy having his fun with the lonely housewife down below.

Every ship will one day meet her demise, and every captain will one day breathe his last. How long they lasted, and whatever weather or enemies they faced, and however they happened to end, is neither here nor there. While holding the helm, did the captain do what he knew to be best? When the ship went down, did he gladly go down with her, completely satisfied with a job well done?

And so it is in life. There will be loss, and there will be many things that are quite unexpected, and there will be that final moment when we all sink to the bottom. It may happen right now, or it may happen far in the future. The comfort is in living this life here and now, guiding our actions informed by conscience.

The beauty of a good and happy life involves being aware of nothing beyond our own immediate excellence. I must not think of myself as playing a drawn-out part in a fancy play, or slowly earning seniority at an important job, where I am only done after prancing and posing for a certain expected time. A single action of understanding and of love, committed in only a second, can redeem an entire life.

If I only so choose, my consciousness at this instant embraces all things, conceives of all the past, and surveys the whole future. How old I am, or how much I have, or how esteemed I am has nothing to do with it. Give me just the tiniest view of truth, and I am my own master.

The most wonderful consequence of this is that a man who sees things as they are will also respect them, and accordingly will also love them. It is his very power to understand that allows him to love, without condition, demanding nothing else.

Would you like to find people who are fair, kind, and decent? Look for the people who first and foremost understand true from false, and can thereby live according to right and wrong. 

Written in 4/2009