Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: Book Review and Summary
Marcus Aurelius (121-180), an ancient Roman emperor and Stoic scholar, was known as the "philosopher emperor".
Marcus Aurelius used the form of aphorisms to record his conversations with his soul in his spare time when dealing with government affairs and conquering the world. There are twelve chapters in total, and he wrote this "Meditations".
In this work, he explored the relationship between nature and society, the relationship between the universe and life, the relationship between reason and desire, and the relationship between self and others, showing his thoughts on daily life.
Aurelius, who believed in the philosophy of the Stoic school, believed that the world was in a process of eternal change, and everything was insignificant, changing, and fleeting.
He advocated benevolence and kindness, emphasized the suppression of desires, and advocated accepting the changes in fate and living a life in the best way possible.
This work has an incredible charm and touches people's hearts. It is still regarded as a classic by celebrities and ordinary readers around the world.
The original text is in ancient Greek and has been translated into Latin, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Czech, Polish, etc.
Book: Meditations
Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. --- Wikipedia
- Author: Marcus Aurelius
- Original language: Greek
- Genres: Philosophy, Biography, Literary fiction
- Original title: Unknown, probably untitled
- Publication place: Roman Empire
- Paperback : 256 pages
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| Meditations by Marcus Aurelius |
About the Author: Marcus Aurelius
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| Marcus Aurelius |
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise") was Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to his death in 180.
He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the more important Stoic philosophers. His two decades as emperor were marked by near-continual warfare.
He was faced with a series of invasions from German tribes and conflicts with the Parthian Empire in the east. His reign also had to deal with an internal revolt in the east, led by Avidius Cassius.
Marcus Aurelius' work Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a government of service and duty and has been praised for its "exquisite accent and its infinite tenderness."
Short Reviews
"No matter what others do or say, I will be a good person. Just like emeralds, gold nuggets, or purple robes, they always insist: 'No matter what others do or say, I am an emerald and I will keep my color."
"For the rational nature, the right way is to disagree with anything false or ambiguous in the various impressions residing in the mind."
"You must understand that others cannot prevent your thoughts from functioning normally. As long as your thoughts 'become a perfect circle alone', then neither fire, steel, tyranny, slander, or anything else can touch it."
"Stop talking about what a good person is like in a roundabout way. Just be a good person!"
I feel that this friend is a rationalist + pantheist. I would like to call it the Book of Reason. This book teaches me to accept my fate.
The simple natural philosophy has a hint of Buddhism, which always reminds me: The breeze on the river and the bright moon in the mountains are heard by the ears as sound and seen by the eyes as color.
There is no restriction on taking them and they are inexhaustible. They are the endless treasure of the Creator, and they are what you and I share.
Book Summary
In 121 AD, it was a period that is extremely far away from now. In that year in ancient Rome in the West, an outstanding Roman emperor philosopher came into the world, he was Marcus Aurelius Antonius (121-180).
His greatness may not lie in his military exploits, nor in his diligent governance, but in the book he left to future generations, a book he wrote to himself, a book that is still shocking to read today more than 2,000 years later: "Meditations".
As the last emperor of the once-prosperous Roman Empire, Aurelius' life was not smooth. During his more than 20 years in office, there were constant wars and disasters in the country, and he spent most of his time in the military camp.
The once glorious Roman Empire was plagued by internal and external troubles, like a patient with a chronic disease gradually approaching his twilight years.
The economic and political conditions were declining, resulting in a sharp decline in the population of Rome and the people's livelihood. The building was about to collapse.
No matter how capable Aurelius was and how hard he worked, he could not stop the decline of the ancient Roman Empire. He could only watch the collapse of ancient Rome.
Perhaps it was the experience of years of war that made him start to think about life, question his soul, and talk to himself with the perspective of Stoic philosophy.
This is a book written with the soul. People can see the world through their eyes, but there is a blind spot, which is themselves.
Therefore, seeing oneself clearly and talking to oneself has never been done with the eyes. Only with the heart can one examine the past and reflect on the past.
And reflecting on oneself and talking to oneself has never been an easy thing. It requires an absolutely sincere and peaceful mentality and extraordinary and resolute courage.
In the book "Meditations", the author is like an extremely stern and peaceful person standing in front of the mirror, admonishing himself in the mirror. The sentence pattern of "you..." in the book is the best proof.
This is not a simple inner monologue or emotional confession, but a conversation between oneself and oneself, a dissection of the soul to warn oneself.
For example, he said to himself in the book: "You have wronged yourself, you have wronged yourself, my soul, and you will no longer have the opportunity to glorify yourself.
Everyone's life is enough, but your life is coming to an end, and your soul still does not take care of itself, but entrusts your happiness to other souls." He always tortures himself in the book like this.
This is a noble and melancholy book. The nobility comes from the seriousness, solemnity, purity of the author's own thoughts, and the loftiness of the theme.
The book has twelve volumes, and each volume has a major theme, from gratitude, thinking about the universe, the decline of the soul, living according to nature, etc.; its melancholy comes from the author's feelings about himself being confined to the court and the chaotic world he lives in.
A philosopher whose soul longs for freedom is an emperor, shouldering the heavy responsibility of governing the country and saving the people.
In addition, the country has begun to decline, and the pressure is not small. The melancholy in the book mostly comes from this, and its sweetness can only be due to the peace and tranquility of the author's heart.
As the author himself said:
"A person can retreat to no place more peacefully and less distressed than retreating into his own heart, especially when he has such thoughts in his heart, and by considering them, he immediately enters complete tranquility."
Philosophical thinking became his only way to free himself.
This is a simple but sincere book, without gorgeous and lengthy words, without deliberately obscure speculation, without tedious preaching, but with real teaching and personal experience.
Due to cultural barriers, we may not necessarily agree with the will of God that Marcus Aurelius Antony always mentioned, but since this book is his note for self-reflection, a person can use the will of God to demand himself, doesn't it just show that he is a person who strictly demands himself?
This is not a fashionable book, not even a pleasant book, let alone a book that helps people develop and succeed.
But this is a book that can settle the soul, a book that can enlighten wisdom, and even a philosophical self-reflection book that can make our hearts pure and noble.
Nearly two thousand years ago, someone wrote it, but I believe that there will definitely be people who will read it in another two thousand years - "Meditations".
Book Review
"In human life, time is a fleeting point, entities are in flux, perception is dull, the structure of the whole body is easily decomposed, the soul is a vortex, the mystery of fate is unsolvable, and reputation is not based on wise judgment.
In a word, everything that belongs to the body is just a torrent, and everything that belongs to the soul is just a dream. Life is a war, a journey of a passerby, and the reputation behind him quickly falls into the river of forgetfulness."
Marcus Aurelius said in "Meditations".
Different from ordinary philosophical books, "Meditations" is like writing to a close friend, recording the inner reflection on life, in the form of a symphony prelude, lingering with one's dreamy spiritual music.
Excellent things are fundamentally hidden in the shadow of the soul and silent.
A stranger must have a kind and slow confidence and know how to wait so that the door of others' hearts will open to you.
"Meditations" gives you a key to how to open this door.
There is no pretentiousness here, no arrogance to power or influence, just a soul that is constantly introspective, a mind that thinks about the soul.
Any thought Marcus Aurelius has is focused on the world outside of him, and we can hardly understand how he thinks.
However, what he does do is study himself closely, highly examining his own shortcomings and identifying his own good qualities.
More importantly, the Meditations analyze the nature of life and the moral code that Marcus Aurelius wanted to follow throughout his life. It is a manual written to himself on how to live well.
The Meditations does not constitute a book in terms of its content, as it is all paragraphs of text, randomly divided into topics and occasionally placed in various parts of the book.
Even so, it is still exciting to think that the author wrote this book in the saddle of the year!
Marcus Aurelius, one of the last five great emperors to rule Rome, was not a philosopher as others thought, but an emperor who was well versed in philosophy, a ruler, and a good politician, a period described by Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire as the happiest and most prosperous.
Then, in his spare time, he could also take off his emperor's coat and complete an important part of Stoic philosophy.
Meditation is an exercise for Marcus Aurelius, a warning to himself, and an exhortation on how to be a better person. It is really amazing that he still insisted on writing a diary every day in the last stage of his rule.
The profound and mysterious philosophical work was actually integrated into a person's diary, and these diaries were not meant to be left to future generations.
Between the lines, you can see the emperor's constant reminder of his beliefs and his constant speculation on his soul.
"Everyone's life is short, and the corner he lives in on earth is small. The longest reputation is also short after death, and even this reputation is only continued by the poor generations, who will soon die, and they don't even know themselves, let alone those who have already died."
The countless living beings living in this world are busy all day long for petty gains and have lost their own nature for money and material enjoyment. Little do they know that it is a shame for the soul to age before the body.
Life is like a dream, and all the false names and even the reputation after death will be gone.
Don't think you will live for a thousand years, death is always watching you. When you are alive, when your actions are within your control, think about what is really worth your efforts.
Buddha said Nirvana, God said you can go to heaven, is there a so-called soul that becomes light and detached after death?
"If souls continue to exist, how can the atmosphere contain them indefinitely? How can the earth contain the bodies of those who have been buried throughout the ages? Just as these bodies change after a period of existence, and no matter what they become, their decomposition makes room for other bodies, so the souls that move into the air, after continuing to exist for some time, are changed and decomposed, and through the integration of regenerative wisdom of the universe, they acquire a nature like fire, and in this way make room for the flesh souls that arrive there."
This is Marcus Aurelius' answer to the assumption that the soul continues to exist.
You don't have to be very familiar with ancient Roman philosophy to fully understand everything that this book says, because it is eternal.
"Meditations" points out the essence of human thought, or the profound perspective of observing this essence, that is, self-reflection, that is, looking at oneself from the height of the soul.
Marcus Aurelius uses a prose style to challenge and overturn our greatest fears and desires that try to control ourselves.
You can hear the sound of the wings vibrating in the depths of the clouds, it slightly opens a ray of light for you, then disappears and closes the door of the cellar that imprisons life.
Human life is short, like tiny fragments left after a catastrophe, floating among millions of fragments. Reading Meditations is to be grateful to the ancient Roman sage and to have a deep attachment to one's own soul.
In the confession of this inner journey, one can feel the fragility of life and the strength of consciousness.
After all, the affairs of the soul are nothing more than a dream in life.
Notes on Reading Meditations
According to my usual principle of reading, I will keep it concise and avoid detailed descriptions of things that are not easy to misunderstand.
I first heard of "Meditations" four or five years ago. It was promoted as the Prime Minister's desk book. The reputation was so shocking that I had no interest in reading it. Now I have made some efforts and finally finished reading it.
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, inherited the throne from his stepfather. He was diligent and kind and worked hard for the country all his life. A book called "Meditations" is a collection of notes taken by Emperor Marcus during his busy military life.
When he went to war in his old age, his ministers saw his white hair in the autumn wind, the drums and horns breaking, and knew that the emperor and his ministers would not have much time left. They were sad and asked for a book, which they compiled.
This book consists of twelve chapters written in the style of proverbs. It is easy to read, concise, and precise but lacks coordination and logic. The book contains repeated discussions and similar things, which makes it difficult to read quickly.
Here is what taught me most after reading
The past has become a thing of the past, turning into smoke, and the future is nowhere to be found. The only thing that is meaningful in life is the present moment.
One should behave properly, and seek to be guiltless and harmless to the soul at this moment. Life is not happiness, and death is not pain.
It is just the path that all things must follow, and walk gracefully step by step to the final destination.
Some people have not gotten rid of their stupidity, and they dream of becoming a great leader and leaving a good reputation for eternity, but they will all return to dust.
Some people are intoxicated with music, singing, and dancing, and they are no different from birds and beasts, but they are even more rude than those fools who are greedy for fame.
A true wise man knows that he will accept his fate, and pursues only goodness and reason.
Therefore, he accepts life calmly, arranges it calmly, behaves according to his heart, and properly cultivates etiquette.
Reason is the driving force of the world and the way for humans to survive beyond animals. On this road, humans must firmly and calmly take steps toward wisdom.
Under the given rationality, pain and joy are not as clear as in the eyes of ordinary people. Rise and fall, honor and disgrace are nothing but the result of the interaction of causes and conditions.
In this way, the mind can be transformed into the realm of color and emptiness and can be calm and tolerant.
The wise and virtuous follow reason to know the will of heaven, and have great compassion in their hearts, so they are more resolute and firm.
In the face of fame and fame, worldly interests, and troubles, the most direct way to deal with concrete life is to maintain the nature of kindness, honesty, rationality, peace, strength, and openness.
Speaking with sincerity and acting with reason can achieve beauty and peace.
Russell's comment that Marcus Aurelius was a sad man hit the nail on the head. He had a heart of gold but was forced to accept the fate of being the king.
He maintained a pure heart in the emperor's style, remained loyal and forgiving in the tedious government affairs, and took up the responsibility for the country and the people in a tragic way.
Excerpts of the Witty Famous Quote
If the flame is small, it is easily extinguished; but if it is strong, it will seize everything.
Sensation belongs to the body, passion to the soul, and reasoning to the mind.
What moves the soul can only come from within the soul.
Ambitious people place their happiness in the actions of others, pleasure-seeking people place their happiness in the feelings triggered by external things, and rational people place their happiness in their own actions.
A person's value is measured by his goals.
Bad behavior comes from ignorance.
No matter how bad things are, he won't understand your anger.
Let destiny be your only one.
The art of life is more like wrestling than dancing, because in wrestling, you cannot predict the opponent's actions and strategies, you can only stand firmly on your feet.
From your youth, your life is no longer in your control.
Conclusion
"Meditations," by Marcus Aurelius, is a guide to understanding life, nature, and our place in the universe.
As a Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius used his meditations to explore the thoughts and feelings that make us human.
Through his diary, we see a man who struggled with fear, pain, and the challenges of ruling an empire, yet always sought to stay true to the philosophy of Stoicism.
The philosophy in this book teaches us about reason and how to find happiness not in material things but in understanding the world and our role in it.
It's a classic work that has been translated into many languages, like the Greek language it was first written in and has touched the lives of readers across centuries, from Ancient Rome to today.
Marcus Aurelius' words remind us that we are part of a larger universe and that we must live according to nature's laws.
This translation of his thoughts offers timeless lessons on personal development, how to face life's challenges, and how to live a life of truth and virtue.
Whether you're interested in philosophy, or history, or simply looking for self-help, Meditations provides a deep and meaningful perspective on what it means to be human.
It's a document that has stood the test of time, inspiring countless individuals, including modern thinkers like Tim Ferriss, to seek a better understanding of life and the world around them.
If you’re looking for a book that combines wisdom, practicality, and emotional depth, "Meditations" is worth reading.
