The Emperor's Handbook by Marcus Aurelius

Author:Marcus Aurelius [Aurelius, Marcus]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

28. Death frees us from the feigning of our senses, the tyranny of our passions, the vagaries of thought, the bondage of desire.

29. How shameful and absurd it is for the spirit to surrender when the body is able to fight on!

30. Don’t be a Caesar drunk with power and self-importance: it happens all too easily. Keep yourself simple, good, pure, sincere, natural, just, god-fearing, kind, affectionate, and devoted to your duty. Strive to be the man your training in philosophy prepared you to be. Fear God; serve mankind. Life is short; the only good fruit to be harvested in this earthly realm requires a pious disposition and charitable behavior.

In all things, show yourself to be the faithful student of Antonius, who never tired of living in complete accord with reason, acting with moderation on all occasions, controlling even the expressions on his face. Be worthy of his sweetness and devotion, his indifference to praise, his love of putting things in order. Remember how he never abandoned a subject until he had studied it in depth and understood it thoroughly; how he put up with unjustified accusations without saying a word; how he never acted in haste or listened to slander; how he weighed carefully a man’s character and actions; how he was never spiteful, craven, suspicious, or pedantic; how simple were his tastes and spare his needs in lodging and bed and dress and food and service; and how he loved hard work and bore the inconveniences and irritations of life with inexhaustible patience.

O, what a man he was! He could work in one place from morning till night without pausing for nourishment or rest and without relieving himself before the usual hour. He was a loyal and steadfast friend, who encouraged plainspoken disagreement with his opinions and delighted in being shown a better way. Finally, he was devout without being in the least superstitious. Remember all this so that in your final hour you too can depart this life with as clear a conscience his.

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