沉思录:一位古罗马皇帝的人生独白(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)


发布时间:2020-06-23 14:18:15

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作者:奥勒留 (Aurelinus.M)

出版社:中国致公出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

沉思录:一位古罗马皇帝的人生独白

沉思录:一位古罗马皇帝的人生独白试读:

英译者序

文/乔治·隆(George Long)

公元121年4月26日,安东尼出生于罗马。他的父亲安尼乌斯·维勒斯(Annius Verus)在当执政官时死于任上,母亲是多米西娅·卡尔维拉(Domitia Calvilla),也叫露希拉(Lucilla)。皇帝安东尼·皮乌斯和安尼乌斯·维勒斯的妹妹安妮娅·盖利娜·福斯蒂娜(Annia Galeria Faustina)结婚,因此成了安东尼的姑父。在哈德良(Hadrian)收养安东尼·皮乌斯并宣布其为帝国继承人时,安东尼·皮乌斯也收养了两个儿子,一个是埃琉斯·恺撒(Aelius Caesar)的儿子卢齐乌斯·凯奥尼乌斯·康茂德(L. Ceionius Commodus),另一个就是安东尼。安东尼原来的姓氏为安尼乌斯·维勒斯,后来用埃琉斯·奥勒留·维勒斯(Aelius Aurelius Verus)作为姓氏,在公元139年又被冠以恺撒头衔,埃琉斯(Aelius)属于哈德良家族,奥勒留(Aurelius)是安东尼·皮乌斯的姓氏,在安东尼成为奥古斯都即罗马帝国皇帝以后,就不再使用维勒斯(Verus)作为姓氏,代之而来的就是安东尼。因此,他的名字是奥勒留·安东尼,或简称为安东尼。

安东尼在少年时代便受到精心照料。他感激上帝让其拥有善良可亲的兄弟姐妹和亲朋好友,以及几乎一切美好的事物。他庆幸自己亲眼目睹了他的姑父兼养父安东尼·皮乌斯所树立的榜样,并在他的作品中记录了这位伟大君主的高尚美德。像许多罗马年轻人一样,安东尼努力学习研究诗歌和修辞。希罗德·阿提库斯(Herodes Atticus)和康涅留斯·弗龙托(M. Cornelius Fronto)是他的修辞学老师。在现存的弗龙托与玛克斯之间的通信中不难看出,安东尼毫无掩饰对其老师的热爱,老师也对其学生抱有极大的希望。安东尼曾说他受惠于弗龙托的教育。

当安东尼十一岁时,他穿上了那种朴素、粗糙的哲学家装束,成为一个勤奋用功的学生,且过着极为勤俭节约的生活,甚至到了有损健康的地步。最后,他放弃了诗歌和修辞学的学习,投身于斯多葛学派,但他并没有放弃研习法律,这为其日后坐上高位和执掌权柄打下了有用的基础。他的老师沃伦修斯·麦西安努斯(Volusianus Maecianus)是一位杰出的法学家。我们一定可以猜想到他还学习过罗马军队纪律,这是一个今后领导他的军队抗击一个好战种族的人所必需的教育。

安东尼在他的第一本书中记载着他老师的名字和自己所例行的义务,如果我们未能仔细观察他的表达方式,可能会认为他所说所学似乎有点空洞或自夸的味道,得出如此结论,是大错特错的。安东尼的目的是为了颂扬老师们的功绩,为了说明老师所教以及作为学生所应该学的。另外,这本书和其他十一本一样,是为己所用的,如果我们相信第一本书结尾的注释的话,它是写于安东尼攻击夸地人(Quadi)的一次战役期间,在那时,对老师美德的颂扬时刻提醒他注意关于老师所教的课程及其实际作用。

他的哲学老师是察洛尼亚的塞克图斯(Sextus of Chaeroneia),即普鲁塔克(Plutarch)的孙子,他亲口述说了自己从这位优秀的人身上所学到的东西。他最喜欢的老师是哲学家优尼乌斯·卢斯提库斯(Q. Junius Rusticus),此人也是处理公共事务的高手。在安东尼成为皇帝之后,卢斯提库斯是他的顾问。那些注定要身居高位的年轻人通常在自己的同伴和老师这些方面都没有多少运气,我从没有发现哪个王子接受的教育能与安东尼相比,除他之外,老师们的学识和品格再也很难聚集在一人之上。对于学生,从那之后也不可能再有谁像安东尼那样。

哈德良死于公元138年7月,安东尼·皮乌斯继承了皇位。大约公元146年,安东尼与自己的堂妹也就是皮乌斯的女儿福斯蒂娜(Faustina)成婚。他继承了继父恺撒的封号,并管理国家政务。因此,父子得以在一起友好和睦、相互信任地生活。安东尼是一个孝顺的儿子,皇帝皮乌斯也爱护并尊重安东尼。

安东尼·皮乌斯于公元161年3月去世。据说,当时参议院急切建议安东尼独自管理帝国,他没有采纳,于是和皮乌斯的另一个养子卢齐乌斯·凯奥尼乌斯·康茂德,通常被称为L.维勒斯(L. Verus)联合执政。因此,罗马第一次有了两位皇帝。维勒斯是一个慵懒享乐之人,并不在乎自己职位如何。然而,安东尼容忍了他。据说,由于性格方面的原因,维勒斯异常敬重其同僚。就这样,一个品德高尚的皇帝和一个放任的合伙人和平相处了,后来安东尼把自己的女儿露西拉嫁给了维勒斯,进一步加深了两人之间的关系。

安东尼统治期间面临的第一个挑战就是帕提亚战争,在这次战争中,维勒斯任总指挥,但是他毫无作为,而居住在亚美尼亚、幼发拉底河和底格里斯河地区的罗马人取得的胜利,这些功劳归于他手下的将军们。公元165年,帕提亚战争结束。公元166年,奥勒留和维勒斯在东部地区取得了一次胜利。但是,恰在此时,一场瘟疫席卷了罗马、意大利和东部欧洲,夺去了无数人的生命。

从高卢边境到哈德里亚(Hadriatic)东部,翻越阿尔卑斯山脉的野蛮人,也时刻威胁着意大利北部。这些野蛮人就像300年前的日耳曼人一样,企图攻破意大利。除了短暂的闲暇,安东尼的后半生大部分时间都用来驱逐侵略者。公元169年,维勒斯突然逝世,安东尼开始独自掌管国家政权。

在日耳曼战争期间,安东尼在多瑙河畔的卡尔图姆(Carnuntum)生活了三年。其间,马可曼尼人被驱逐出潘诺尼亚,在他们撤退通过多瑙河时几乎被全军歼灭。公元174年,皇帝取得了针对夸地人战争的伟大胜利。

公元175年,一个智勇双全的亚洲军事指挥官头目阿维狄乌斯·卡西乌斯(Avidius Cassius)发动叛乱,并宣称自己是奥古斯都。但是,卡西乌斯被他的部下所暗杀,叛乱也告中止。安东尼对卡西乌斯家族及其党羽的处理,显示了极大的人性关怀。他的宽恕和仁慈,从写给参议院的信件中可窥见一二。

在得知卡西乌斯叛变的消息后,安东尼便朝东部进发。之前他曾经于174年返回罗马,旋即又回去继续与日尔曼人作战,很有可能他是直接从与日尔曼人的战斗中前往东方平叛的。他的妻子福斯蒂娜,陪同安东尼进军亚洲时,在托罗斯山下突然逝世,安东尼异常悲伤。撰写安东尼传的卡庇托林努斯(Capitolinus),还有迪奥·卡西乌斯(Dion Cassius)都指责女皇对其丈夫不忠,但卡庇托林努斯说,安东尼要么真不知道女皇的不忠,要么就是假装不知道。在所有的年代,不怀好意的披露比比皆是,罗马帝国的历史充斥着此类事件。安东尼深爱着自己的妻子,他说:“她温顺、热情、俭朴。”同样的丑闻也发生在福斯蒂娜的母亲,也就是安东尼·皮乌斯的妻子的身上,但安东尼·皮乌斯依然对妻子爱护有加,满意非常。妻子死后,皮乌斯在给弗龙托的一封信中写道,他宁愿与他的妻子一起被放逐,也不愿在罗马宫殿中而没有妻子的陪伴。没有多少人能比这两位皇帝给予自己妻子如此的宽容与爱护。卡庇托林努斯撰写安东尼传时,是在戴克里先(Diocletian)统治时期,他可能是有意讲述真相,但他只是个贫穷虚弱的传记作家。而出了名的不怀好意的历史学家迪奥·卡西乌斯总是披露丑闻,或许他相信任何丑闻都能对人起到攻击作用。

安东尼继续他的叙利亚和埃及之行,在经过雅典返回意大利的途中,他首次参加了埃琉西斯秘仪。这是皇帝针对古老庄严的宗教仪式和宗教庆典的一次身体力行。如果书中未有表明他是否是一个迷信之人,我们就不能因此认定他是一个迷信之人。这只是统治者公开行为的一个例子,不足以说明他的真实意图。一个明智的君主不会粗暴地镇压迷信的臣民。安东尼希望臣民们都是智慧之人,但是他知道自己无法悖逆臣民的意愿。

公元176年12月23日,安东尼和他的儿子康茂德取得针对日耳曼人的胜利,并回到罗马。第二年,康茂德和他的父亲联合执政,取名为奥古斯都。在基督教会的历史上,这一年是值得纪念的,阿塔罗斯(Attalus)和其他一些人由于坚持信奉基督教,在里昂被处死,这次宗教迫害的证据是尤比乌斯(Eusebius)保留着的一封信,是维也纳和高卢里昂的基督教徒写给亚洲和普里吉亚教众的,信件保存非常完整,并特别描述了对基督教徒的严刑拷打。信中还注明,在迫害的过程中,平民要求把身为基督教徒和具有罗马公民身份的阿塔罗斯带到竞技场。但是在收到皇帝命令之前,执行官必须把他投放在监狱里。因此,执行官在向安东尼申请之前,许多人受到严刑拷打。信上说,皇帝的公告明示,基督教徒应该受到惩罚,但是如果他们能够放弃基督信仰,就可以释放他们。结果,具有罗马公民身份的基督教徒被砍头,剩下便被竞技场的野兽所吞噬,基督教会史的一些现代作家在引用这封信时,对遭到宗教迫害的殉道者们的奇迹故事一言不发。信中提到的赛脱司(Sanctus)被烙铁灼伤,直到身体变成了一块焦炭,完全没有了人形,但当再次被放到烤架上时,他恢复了先前的容颜,因此他便把惩罚当成了疗伤。后来,他被野兽撕扯得四分五裂,并架到烙铁椅烧烤,最终死去。

这封信只是一面之辞。写信者自称是高卢的基督徒,无论他是谁,他都为我们提供了关于这个事件本身的寻常和非寻常方面的证据。我们不能只接受他的一面之词而拒绝另一面。如果我们相信一件事情的发生是比较有可能的话,那么有时虽然只是一个小小的证据,我们也会接受它;反之,如果一件事情看起来几乎是不可能的话,虽然是同样的证据我们也会拒绝它。这样的求证方法是错误的。有些现代的学者还是这样做,他们从一个故事中挑选他们喜欢的部分,而拒绝承认其他的部分;或者即使他们不断然拒绝,也会不诚实地将这样的证据压制起来。人们要保持先后一致就得要么承认这封信的全部内容,要么就全部予以否认,这样我们才不会怪他。但是有些人拒绝这封信的真实性,却又承认其中有些事情是真实的,因为只有这样才可能解释这封信的存在,而他又认为这封信的作者捏造了部分事实,可他自己也说不出这封信到底哪一部分值得相信。

在安东尼访问东部期间,北方边界战事连连,因此安东尼回到罗马便开始与野蛮人交战。公元179年,日尔曼人在一次激战中被打败。就在这次战争中,皇帝感染疾病,死于下潘诺尼亚(Lower Pannonia)地区萨瓦河边的希尔米乌姆营地,不过根据其他权威查证,他于公元180年3月17日死于维也纳,时年59岁。当时,他的儿子康茂德陪伴着他。皇帝的遗体或骨灰被运到罗马,并受到神灵般的尊敬和崇拜,人们为其建造塑像或半身像,在卡庇托林努斯撰写传记时期,许多人仍把安东尼的塑像当作门神或财神供奉着。因此,在某种意义上,他就是一个圣人。康茂德在现在的罗马科隆纳广场为其父亲立碑以示纪念。安置在碑柱上的螺旋形浅浮雕是为了纪念安东尼发动针对马可曼尼人和夸地人战争的胜利和一场神奇的鼓舞士气、挫败敌锐的倾盆大雨。安东尼的塑像建造在了首都云柱上,后来被转移到其他地方,于是教皇西斯都五世就把圣保罗的铜像安置在此。

在安东尼时代,历史方面的证据是非常不完备的,一些证据根本就不可信,最令人惊奇的是发生在公元174年与夸地人战争期间的一个故事: 当时罗马军队处于饥渴的危险边缘,突然一场暴风雨来临,落在敌人身上的则是火和冰雹,罗马军队于是大胜。那些权威著作在提到这次胜利时都必然会提到这次神迹。异教的学者们将其归功于他们的神灵,基督徒们则声称这是奥勒留军中的基督徒军团的功劳,基督徒们为了证明这一点还提到皇帝曾经授予这个军团以“雷击”的头衔。但是达西耶(Dacier)以及其他的学者们在维持了基督徒关于这次神迹说法的同时,也承认,这个军团得到“雷击”的头衔并不是因为夸地人受到了雷击,而是因为这个军团的战士的盾牌上有一个闪电的标记,而这个军团其实是奥古斯都时代的。

在安东尼统治之前,斯卡利热尔(Scaliger)就已经知道了一个叫“雷击”的军团,我们是从迪奥·卡西乌斯得知的,他列举了所有的奥古斯都军团。“雷击”或“闪电”的字眼也在图拉真统治时期的一个碑铭上出现过,这个碑铭是在的里雅斯特发现的。尤西比乌在提到这一神迹的时候提到了希拉波利的主教阿波里那留(Apolinarius)的名字,说正是因为他们的祈祷皇帝才取得了这样的胜利,因此马拉提亚军团被授予“雷击”的称号。由此我们或许可以估测阿波里那留的证词的价值。尤西比乌并没有提到阿波里那留在他所著的哪一部书中叙述了这一事件,迪奥说“雷击”军团在奥古斯都的时代驻扎在卡帕多启亚(Cappadocia)。沃尔什(Valesius)也注意到罗马帝国官名名册中提到亚美尼亚的道德监察官指挥的第十二军团被称为“马拉提亚的雷击”,而亚美尼亚也正位于迪奥所说的卡帕多启亚,因此沃尔什断定马拉提亚并不是军团的名字,而是军团的驻地的名字。这一地区也叫马拉提亚,因此他说军团的名字并不是来自于他们执行任务的地方,而是他们被招募的地方。因此,尤西比乌所说的恐怕不太可能,不过沃尔什还是因为阿波里那留和特土良(Tertullian)权威的缘故,相信是因为军团中基督教士兵的祈祷才带来这次的神迹。沃尔什说鲁斐纳(Rufinus)并没有给这个军团命名为马拉提亚,或许他是有意不要这样做,因为他知道马拉提亚是亚美尼亚的一个小镇,那时这个军团驻扎在那里。

据说皇帝曾向参议院报告了战争的胜利,我们可能认为这只是例行公事,但是我们并不知道国书的内容,因为已无法得到考证。达西耶认为皇帝的国书要么被参议院故意损坏,要么被基督教的对头毁坏,因此真实可靠的证据可能已经不存在了。然而,当他说国书已经被毁,甚至连尤西比乌也无法找到时,这个评论家却没有看到矛盾所在。在战争胜利后的希腊,安东尼确实向罗马人民和参议院发表了一份国书,是在游斯丁(Justin)第一次道歉后,但是,这与道歉没有丝毫关系。不过这封国书是最愚蠢的伪造证据之一,不可能在安东尼向参议院的报告中被发现。如果国书是真实的,皇帝就可以免受被迫害的基督徒的指控,因为皇帝曾在伪造的国书中说道,如果某人因是基督徒而受到控告,被告人能坦白,就能获释,无知之人还补充道,告密人会被活活烧死。

在安东尼·皮乌斯和玛克斯·安东尼统治时期,游斯丁曾做过第一次道歉,并且在安东尼时期,他提安(Tatian)反对希腊的演说,是对宗教最为激烈的攻击。亚他那哥拉代表基督教徒向安东尼做出书面道歉,梅利都也致歉,萨尔迪斯主教和阿波里那留也向皇帝寄去书信。游斯丁第一次向安东尼·皮乌斯和他的两个儿子安东尼和维勒斯做出书面道歉,但是我们不知道他们是否看到。第二次道歉信是致罗马参议院的,但是收信人姓名和地址却是抄写员。信件的第一章是对罗马人的演说,第二章讲述了在安东尼和维勒斯联合执政期间所发生的事件,他还向皇帝提到了一个女人,“她向皇帝递交请愿书,皇帝同意了她的请求”。在其他章节,主要是对两位皇帝的进言。从上所述,道歉信是直接呈给两位皇帝的。尤西比乌说第二次的道歉信是给安东尼·皮乌斯的继任者,也就是安东尼的。在第二封道歉信其中的一章中,游斯丁写道,信奉斯多葛教义的人们,由于道德原因选择自己的生活时,都会受到诅咒和谋杀,比如,同时代的赫拉克利特、穆索尼乌斯(Musonius)等等。对于那些按照理性生活、通过劳作来试图避开邪恶之人,他们总会受到诅咒,这正是魔鬼们所做的。

据说,由于拒绝向神灵做出牺牲,游斯丁在罗马被处死。据权威查证,此事不可能发生在哈德良统治时期。如果第二封道歉信是写给安东尼的,此事也不会发生在安东尼·皮乌斯统治时期。有证据表明此事发生在安东尼和维勒斯当政期间,当时汝斯提古是罗马城的长官。

一封信件表明,波利卡普(Polycarp)是在安东尼统治时期的士麦那遭到迫害,这封信件后来被传到非罗美林(Philomelium)的教堂和其他基督教堂,由尤西比乌保管着。但是一些批评家对波利卡普死去的时间并没有取得一致意见,分歧大约有十二年。波利卡普的殉道伴随各种奇迹的发生,其中一个是尤西比乌所忽视的,这个奇迹出现在一个古老的拉丁版本的信件中,是由乌雪主教(Usher)出版的。据推测,这一版本的出版离尤西比乌时代不远。这封信的结尾注明,其来自于波利卡普的门徒爱任纽(Irenaeus)的手抄,由凯乌斯(Caius)翻译而成。后来由在科林斯湾的苏格拉底再次翻译:“我,庇沃纽(Pionius)在波利卡普启示并且引导下,终于使我找到上面的版本,并重新誊录了一次。”波利卡普殉道的事迹中有很多不可思议的事情,很多现代研究教会史的专家们都有意识地将其忽略了。

为了对安东尼统治下的基督教徒状况有一个正确的了解,我们必须回到图拉真时代。当时比提尼亚在年轻的普林尼统治之下,基督教徒为数众多,旧宗教的信奉者慢慢减少,庙宇被废弃,节日被淡忘,没有人肯为受害者做出牺牲。致力于保留旧有宗教的人们发现他们的利益已到了危机的边缘。于是,基督教徒男女老少被带到长官面前,但是长官们不知道该怎样处理他们,对他们做的只能是坦白从宽抗拒从严。对于基督教徒的顽固,他们无能为力。只能把信奉基督教定义为堕落和极端迷信,如果给与这些人放弃信仰的机会,应该有可能阻止这个宗教的蔓延。于是,普林尼写信通知图拉真。

在哈德良统治时期,罗马政府开始注意到基督教徒的增加和普通民众对他们的敌意。如果各省长官对基督徒放任自流,就不能抵抗他们对狂热异教的盲从,于是便把基督徒当作无神论者。定居在罗马帝国的犹太人对基督教异常敌对。在哈德良时代,基督徒便开始道歉,这清晰地表明基督教是多么流行。哈德良向亚洲各省长官米纽修斯·丰达努斯(Minucius Fundanus)发号施令,指示长官们不能对无辜百姓百般刁难,控诉者不能敲诈勒索,对基督教徒的指控必须合理公正,而无须理会多数人的喧闹。基督教徒因非法行为受到起诉、判刑,必须依据所犯罪行而受到应有的惩罚。为了达到同样的效果,据说安东尼·皮乌斯也颁布了一些法令。哈德良所颁布的法令条款好像对基督徒有利,但是如果我们明白基督徒像其他人一样在犯法时才受到惩罚,那这条法令又有何意义呢?法令真正的意图是,如果基督徒坚持信奉基督教或者不能证明自己已经放弃基督教,他们就会受到惩罚。我们没有任何理由相信哈德良给予基督徒的权利比图拉真给的要多。在游斯丁第一封道歉信的末尾,还印有安东尼·皮乌斯颁发给亚洲公社的法令,也由尤西比乌保存着。法令的日期是在安东尼·皮乌斯的第三个任期内,法令宣称只要基督徒们不试图扰乱反对罗马统治,他们就不会受到惩罚。但是这个法令是伪造的,熟悉罗马历史的人在看到法令的形式和要旨时都会明白这是多么笨拙的伪造。

在安东尼统治时期,新老信仰的对抗甚至更加激烈,异教徒们督促政府来抵制基督教信仰的入侵,梅利都写给安东尼的道歉信代表了在新帝国条令下被迫害的亚洲基督教徒。他说到,贪婪无耻的告密者拥有其他人的财富后,便开始运用这些条令对那些毫无恶意之人进行抢劫。他怀疑一个公正君主是否能做出公正之事,最后的法令是否是皇帝颁布的,基督徒恳求皇帝不要向敌人低头。我们可以得出结论,至少皇帝的法令或安东尼的宪法是存在的,并且都是以迫害为基础的。除非基督教徒否认他们的基督教,否则就是犯法,并将受到惩罚。一些现代批评家记录,在公元167年,士麦那的迫害活动就开始了,十年后,迫害活动绵延至里昂。此时,安东尼政府下的各省长官才完全明白图拉真的法令是用来保护自己、惩罚基督徒的,因此即使基督徒们情非所愿,他们也不得不面对被迫害的下场。但是,除了基督徒们反对所有的异教庆典外,我们不能忘记他们眼中的异教都是虚假错误的。因此基督徒开始向异教仪式宣战,宣称除了基督教之外其他一切都是虚假的,所有辉煌灿烂的庆典都是对邪恶的崇拜。毋庸置疑,这是在向罗马政府宣战。罗马政府可以容忍任何形式的迷信活动的存在,却不能容忍一个宗教派别。

如果我们对宗教史有真实的了解,就应该知道罗马皇帝曾怎样试图阻止新宗教的诞生,怎样实施压迫基督教徒的政策,游斯丁在他的道歉信中曾对此加以确认,我对此也毫不怀疑;还应该知道喧闹和暴乱是多么的受欢迎,有多少狂热无知的基督教徒一方面致力于教义的信仰,一方面还要忍受罗马政府和新教的争吵。现存的宗教史有虚假的成分,真实常被夸大。但是,安东尼时期,异教徒公开对抗基督教徒,人们因是基督教徒而被处死,这一事实是毋庸置疑的。尤西比乌在其第五本书的序言中曾写到,在安东尼统治的第十七年,在世界上一些地区,对基督教徒的迫害已经变得异常暴力,首先遭殃的是各城市的平民。并且,在其夸张的叙述风格下,我们可以推测出曾有一个国家无数教众死于非命。他所暗指的国家是高卢国。然后他异常小心地给维也纳和里昂的教堂去了一封信,信件的内容可能就是说明引发迫害的真实原因,讲述平民对基督教的狂热,及长官们和皇帝在处理暴乱方面所面临的巨大麻烦。玛克斯到底知道多少残酷的事实,我们并不知道,因为历史对安东尼统治时期的记录是残缺不全的,这一时期,安东尼没有制定法令来反对基督教,因为图拉真已经为其铺好了路,即使我们认为他愿意让基督教自由成长,也不能确定这是否在他能力范围内,因为我们猜测安东尼像现代的君主一样,权力被宪法条例、参议院和前任的先例所限制。我们也不能确认他是否是一个积极的迫害者,因为没有证据表明他对基督教徒出言不逊,尽管他对基督教徒没有好感。除了知道基督教徒对罗马宗教的敌意外,他便一无所知了。尽管一些护教士真真假假地游说,他仍认为基督教徒对国家构成了威胁。我已经说得够多了,但是如果不能充分解读一个人的优缺点,对其个人是不公平的。如果所有的材料都是真实无误的,他就可以消除所有的指控,但是,我在寻找真实的时候,证实一些材料是杜撰的,因此他不得不承担对其的指责。另外,我还确定他没能从一无所知的宗教中得到任何道德准则。

毫无疑问,皇帝的“反思”或“沉思” 是一项真实严肃的工作,在其第一卷中,介绍了自己、家庭和他的老师。在其他书卷中也提到了自己,《苏达辞书》注意到安东尼在其十二卷书中所做的工作,把其称为“规范自己的生活”,并且《苏达辞书》还引用了书卷中的几句话,还注上皇帝的名字,不过没有注上作品的名字,引用的几段话,也没有注上皇帝的姓名。作品的真正标题无人得知,克胥兰德(Xylander),出版他第一个拉丁版本,是手稿,包含十二卷,但是现在手稿已不知去向,其他现存比较完整的手稿藏在梵蒂冈图书馆,不过,其中几卷已经没有标题、没有碑铭了,第十一卷仅留有刻着星号的碑铭,其他的梵蒂冈手稿摘自皇帝的书卷。所有的摘录标题与克胥兰德前缀标题几乎一致。所有后来的版本都是用这一标题。我们不清楚安东尼或者其他人是否把他的作品分类成卷,如果第一卷和第二卷末尾的碑铭是真实的,那他就做了分类。

众所周知,奥勒留皇帝在闲暇时间写下了自己的想法和思考,因为要留给自己所用,所以可以推测他留下一个完整的手稿是完全有可能的,一个勤奋刻苦的人不可能让别人代手,并且他也不愿意自己秘密的思想暴露在别人的眼皮之下。他还打算把自己的作品留给儿子康茂德,但他的儿子却没有机会饱览先父的智慧与哲思。一些仔细认真的人保存了这一宝贵的书卷。除了《苏达辞书》外,后来的许多作家都提到过这一伟大作品。

许多评论家都对这本书的文字做过许多工作。其中最完整的是1652年的版本,由托马斯·盖特克(Thomas Gataker)出版。第二个版本是1697年的,由乔治·斯坦霍普(George Stanhope)监制。还有一个是1704年的版本。盖特克在这些版本中做了许多有益的修改,他还印制了一个拉丁文的版本,虽然不是过于完美,但也表达了原有的意义,要好过现在的一些翻译版本。在每段对面的页面空白处,他还为其他平行段落加注了说明。他还写了一个评论,是古代作家中写得最完美的,这个评论包括针对晦涩难懂段落的编者说明和为说明文章而引用希腊和罗马作家的语言。这是一个完美的学习材料,没有英国人曾这样做过。在序言的末尾,编者说他在位于伦敦附近的罗瑟希德撰写这个序言,那是一个异常寒冷的冬季,当时是1651年,他已78岁高龄。那时,密尔顿、塞尔登和其他联邦时代的伟人都在世。当时,伟大的法国学者萨尔梅歇斯(Saumaise)和盖特克一拍即合,并协助盖特克编辑安东尼手稿,在1802年,希腊版本由舒尔兹(J. M. Schultz)在莱比锡(Leipzig)出版, 希腊语版本由学识渊博的阿塔曼迪努·克莱(Adamantinus Corai)于1816年在巴黎出本,也是八卷,后来由陶赫尼茨(Tauchnitz)在1821年再版。

安东尼的作品有英语、德语、法语、意大利语、西班牙语版本,还有其他翻译版本。我没有见过所有的英文版本,不过由杰瑞米·科利尔(Jeremy Collier)在1702年翻译的版本最为粗糙庸俗,夏邦泰(Charpentier)保存的由亚力克西斯·皮埃尔(Alexis Pierron)翻译的法语版要优于达西耶的意大利语版(1772年乌迪内),我没有见过这个由枢机主教翻译的意大利版本,“枢机主教佛朗西丝·巴贝里尼(Francis Barberini)是一个非常出名的人,是教皇乌尔班八世的外甥,他为了散播信仰的种子,耗尽余生用母语去翻译罗马皇帝的思想结晶。他致力于用心灵去理解与翻译异教所留下的高尚品德和思想精髓。”

在使用这本书很多年之后,我利用空余时间将其译出。为完成译著,我参阅了一本希腊版的著作,但是我从来不会仅参考一本书,我还经常与其他版本去比较。我翻译是为自己所用,所以值得为此而劳作。不过,考虑到对别人可能也有用途,所以才决定出版。原著晦涩艰深,很难翻译,因此不可避免会出现一些错误。但是,我相信,自己不会漏译。如果那些与我意见不和的,拿原著与译著进行比较,找麻烦的人不应该匆忙做出结论:那是我的翻译错误。乍一看,一些段落未显其意,其实意思已包含其中了。我不同于其他翻译家,我认为一些地方他们确实是翻译错误,用“+”号标出的部分表明意思的不确定。我尽量让语言轻松流畅,但也不忘符合原著的表达方式。版本中出现的模糊不清是源于希腊语的不达意,是再正常不过了。关于语言,我已经竭尽所能。同时在正文中同一个单词我会给出相同的译法。

我所注意到的斯多葛哲学最后一次体现是在辛普利修斯(Simplicius)的《埃比克泰德手册评论》。辛普利修斯不是基督徒,在基督教大规模腐化的那种时刻,他不可能改变其身份,但他确实是一位宗教人士。他向神灵祈祷的评论并没有为基督教带来改观。从芝诺(Zeno)到辛普利修斯,大约有九百年的时间,斯多葛哲学的辉煌达到顶点,形成了以伟人为特色的哲学形式,但最终烟消云散了。直到一些意大利信件的出现,我们才再一次听到它的声音。波利齐亚诺(Poliziano)见到两本模糊残缺的埃比克泰德手册的手稿,于是把它翻译成拉丁文,献给发现并保护此书的洛伦佐·德·梅迪奇(Lorenzo de’Medici)。波利齐亚诺版本在1531年第一次以合集的形式出版。波利齐亚诺把这本书推荐给洛伦佐,因为它很适合他的性格,期望在困难缠身时能对他有些用途。

埃比克泰德和奥勒留的作品在第一次出版以后就拥有很多读者。奥勒留的这本小书曾伴随许多伟大的人物。约翰·史密斯船长在其年轻年代经常阅读的两本书就是马基雅维利的《战争的艺术》和奥勒留的《沉思录》,他再也找不到其他的两本书更适合于形成战士加君子的性格。史密斯在他的祖国英国默默无名且几乎被遗忘,但是在美洲他却拯救了年轻的弗吉尼亚殖民地。他的英雄气概和他在军事上的成就都很伟大,但最伟大的则是他的高贵的品格。因为一个人的高贵绝不如一般的粗鄙的想法那样是来自于财富和地位,也并非来源于人的知识,相反知识反倒经常与那些最卑劣的人性相连,它使得人们对那些位居高位的人极尽谄媚,对处在贫穷的底层的人则傲慢无礼。一个人真正的伟大来源于对一种以诚实为目的的生活方式的认知,它建立在对自己和对一切都公正的评价的基础上,建立在经常的自我反省上,坚定地遵守他认为是正确的原则而不让自己陷入烦恼。正如皇帝所说的那样,他不应该根据别人怎样想、怎样说,或是别人做与不做,来决定自己的思想、言语和行为。

Book One 卷一

来自私人生活圈的品质传承

1.从我的祖父维勒斯那里,我学到美好的品德和控制自己情绪的重要性。

2.从我父亲的声名和对他的追忆中,我懂得了谦逊和男子汉气概。

3.从我的曾祖父那里,我懂得了不要经常出入公立学校,而要请优秀的家庭教师,懂得了在这些事情上是不能吝惜金钱的。

4.从我的母亲那里,我濡染了虔诚、仁爱和克制,不仅戒除恶行,甚至戒除邪恶念头的产生;而且,我还学会了简单的生活方式,摒弃富人奢侈的生活习俗。

5.从我的老师那里,我明白了不要介入马戏中的任何一派,也不要陷入角斗戏中的党争;从他那里我还学会了吃苦耐劳、清心寡欲、事必躬亲,不要干预他人的私事,不要听信诽谤之言。

6.从戴奥吉纳图斯那里,我学会了不使自己忙碌于琐碎之事,不要相信术士巫师之言,驱除妖魔鬼怪之类的东西;学会了不挑拨离间,既不热衷也不畏惧争斗;学会了让人自由发言;学会了亲近哲学。我先是巴克斯,然后是坦德西斯、马尔塞勒斯的一个倾听者;我年轻时写过对话,向往厚木板床和粗毛皮衣,以及其它一切属于希腊文化的东西。

7.从拉斯蒂克斯那里,我懂得了我的性格需要改进和训练;从他那里我还学会了不要误入诡辩和竞赛的歧途,不要写作投机的东西,不要进行繁琐的劝诫,不要炫耀自己是一个训练有素的人,或者为了哗众取宠而行善;学会了避免华丽的辞藻、构思精巧的写作;不穿外出的衣服在室内行走,以及诸如此类的事件;以简洁朴素的风格写信,就像拉斯蒂克斯从锡纽埃瑟给我母亲写的信一样;对于那些以言语冒犯我或者对我做了错事的人,只要他们表现出愿意和解的意思,那就乐于与他们和解;仔细地阅读,不要满足于对书籍的肤浅理解;不轻率地同意那些夸夸其谈的人;我感谢他使我熟悉了埃比克泰德的言论,那是他从自己的收藏中传授给我的。

8.从阿珀洛尼厄斯那里,我懂得了意志的自由,和目标的坚定不移;懂得了在任何时候都要依赖理性,而不去依赖其它任何东西;即使在失去孩子和久病不愈的剧痛中,依然镇定如常;从他身上,我清楚地看到了一个既果断又灵活,在教导别人时毫不焦躁易怒的活生生的榜样;看到了一个清醒地不以他解释各种哲学原则时的经验和艺术自傲的人;从他那里,我学会了如何从值得尊敬的朋友那里赢得好感,既不使自己在他们面前显得卑微,又不对他们视若无睹。

9.从塞克斯都那里,我看到一种乐善好施的品质,一个以父爱的方式去管理家庭的榜样和合乎自然地生活的观念;庄重严肃而不矫揉造作,细心地顾及到朋友的利益,原谅那些无知的人、那些不经思考就发表意见的人。他有一种使自己迅速融入所有人的能力,所以与他交往的愉快胜过任何阿谀奉承;同时他最能赢得与他交往的人的最高尊重。他有能力以一种明智而系统的方式发现和整理生活所必需的原则;他从未对任何人表示愤怒或者其它激烈情绪,而是完全心平气和而又最宽厚仁爱;他能够表示嘉许而毫不张扬,他拥有渊博知识而毫不骄矜。

10.从文法家亚历山大那里,我学会了避免挑剔,不要苛责那些表达上有粗俗、欠文理和生造等毛病的人们;而是巧妙地通过回答或者提供信息的方式、探讨事物本身而非语言的方式,或者给出恰当的意见,来引出那应当运用的正确表达。

11.从弗朗特那里,我学会了观察存在于一个暴君里的嫉妒、伪善和表里不一;懂得了我们中间那些被称为上流人士的,一般都缺乏仁慈之情。

12.从柏拉图派学者亚历山大那里,我懂得了无需经常但又不是没有必要对人说话或者写信,懂得了我没有空闲;懂得了我们并不是总能以紧迫事务的借口来推卸对与自己一起生活的那些人的义务。

13.从克特勒斯那里,我懂得了当一个朋友抱怨时,即使他是无理取闹也不要漠不关心,而是试图抚平他的情绪;懂得了要随时好言相劝,正像人们所说的多米蒂厄斯和雅特洛多图斯一样;懂得了要真诚地爱我的孩子。

14.从我的兄弟西维勒斯那里,我懂得了爱亲人、爱真理、爱正义;从他那里,我懂得了思雷西亚、黑尔维蒂厄斯、加图、戴昂、布鲁特斯;从他那里,我接受了一种法律对所有人都平等、实施权利平等和言论自由的政体思想,和一种最大范围地尊重被治者的所有自由的王者之治的观念;从他那里,学会了对于哲学的从一而终和坚定不移的尊重,学会了一种行善的品质,为人随和,抱以善望,相信自己为朋友所爱,我也看到他从不隐瞒对他所谴责的人的意见,因此他的朋友不必臆测他想做什么、不想做什么,他的意愿是相当明显的。

15.从马克西默斯那里,我学会了自制,不为任何东西所左右;学会了在一切情况下都保持乐观,即使患病了也是如此;学会了在道德品质方面形成一种甜美和尊严的恰当配合;学会了做任何摆在我面前的工作而毫无怨言。我看到每一个人都相信他所说即他所思,相信他所做的一切从来都无恶意;他从未表现过奇怪和惊愕,从不慌忙,从不拖延,从不会不知所措或灰心丧气;他从不以笑脸来隐藏自己的恼怒,另一方面,他也从不狂热或者多疑。他习惯于行善,随时宽恕别人,并远离一切虚伪;他给人的印象与其说是一贯公正,不如说是不断改善。我还注意到任何人都不会认为自己受到了他的蔑视,或者敢于自认比他还好。他也具有一种令人愉快的幽默感。

养父安东尼·皮乌斯给我的教诲

16.从我的父亲那里,我看到一种温和的脾性,他对经过深思熟虑之后所做的决定抱有不可更改的决心;对于那些人们称之为功勋的东西毫无骄傲之感;热爱劳动,持之以恒;乐意倾听对公共福利提出的建议;毫不动摇地根据每个人的贡献来分配;并拥有一种从经验中获得的辨别精力充沛和软弱无力的行动的知识。我看得到他战胜了对孩子的所有激情;他把自己视为与其它任何一个公民没有差异的公民;他解除了他的朋友陪他一起喝茶和出国时必须觐见他的所有义务,那些由于紧急事务无法陪伴他的人,总发现他对他们一如往常。我还看到他仔细探讨一切所需考虑的事情。他坚持不懈,从不因初次印象的满意而停止探究;他有一种保持友谊的性情,不会很快对朋友感到厌倦,也不会浪费自己的感情;对一切环境都感到满意和乐观;以一种长远的眼光预测事物,能不夸张地见微知著;他可以立即阻止一切流行的赞美和阿谀奉承;他对管理帝国所需的事务保持警惕,妥善管理支出,耐心地容忍由此带来的一切指责;他既不迷信神灵,也不以赏赐、娱乐或奉承大众而对人们献殷勤;他对一切事情都保持清醒和镇定,从未有过任何卑鄙的想法或行为,也不好新骛奇。对于幸运所赐的丰富的有益于生命的东西,他既不推辞也不炫耀,所以当得到这些东西时,他就毫不虚伪地享用,当得不到时,他也并不想得到。没有任何人说他是一个诡辩家,一个能说会道的家奴,或者卖弄学问的人;但每个人都承认他是一个成熟、完美的男人,不受奉承的影响,能够管理自己和他人的事务。除此以外,他尊敬真正的哲学家,不谴责那些自称为哲学家的人,也不轻易地被他们迷惑。他在社交方面也平易近人,使自己显得和蔼可亲而不带有任何攻击性的虚伪。他适度关注自己的身体健康,既不过分依恋生命,又不像那些对个人形象毫不在乎的人。但通过自己日常的留意,他很少需要看医生、吃药和进补。他非常乐意为那些拥有特殊才能的人开辟道路而不带丝毫嫉妒之心,比如具有雄辩口才或者拥有法律、道德等知识的人;他给予他们帮助,并根据每个人的长处使他们享有声誉;他总是愉快地根据自己国家的制度行事,而不带任何个人的感情。而且,他不喜欢改变或不稳定,而喜欢呆在同一个地方,并专注于同一件事情;他在头痛病发作过后,立即精神抖擞、精力充沛地继续他一贯的工作。他的秘密不多也不少,这些秘密都是有关公共事务的;他在公众观瞻之物和公共建筑的建设,以及对待人民的捐献等方面表现得审慎而节约,因为他关注的是是否应该这样做,而不是通过这些事情获得名声。他不在不恰当的时间洗澡;他不喜欢兴建豪宅,也不关注自己的饮食、衣物的质地和颜色,和自己仆人的美貌。他的衣物一般是从他在海滨的别墅罗内姆来的,是从拉努维阿姆来的。我们知道他是如何对待那个在塔斯丘佗请求他宽恕的收税人的,这就是他总的行为方式。在他身上没有什么是严厉的,不可饶恕的或是暴力的。他对一切事物分别进行考察,就像有用不完的时间一样,而且井井有条,毫不含糊,精力充沛,始终如一。那对苏格拉底的记录也适用于他:他既能够克制,又可以享受,而这些东西是很多人太过软弱而难以克制的,他们很容易无节制地享受。而既能够足够强健地承受,又可以保持清醒的品质,是具有一个完美而不可征服的灵魂的人的标志,正如他在马克西默斯的疾病中所表现的一样。

17.我感谢神明让我拥有好的祖辈、好的父母、好的姐妹、好的教师、好的同伴、好的亲戚和好的朋友,几乎一切都是美好的。而且,我还要感谢神明的是,我从不冒犯他们之中的任何一个,尽管我的性情是只要有机会允许就可能做这样的事情。但是,在他们的帮助下,还没有这种机缘凑巧使我经受这种考验。另外,我还要感谢神明的是,我很早就不是由祖父的妾抚养,这样我可以保留我的青春之美,直到合适的时节甚至更晚的时辰才证明我的男性精力;我隶属于一个统治者、一个父亲,他能够剔除我身上所有的骄傲,教会我这样的知识,即一个人在皇宫里生活是可以不需要卫兵、华丽服饰、火炬和塑像这类东西的;但一个人是有能力过自己喜欢的私生活的,并不因此而思想低劣、行动懈怠,因为他重视通过一种适合于统治者的方式去作为公众谋利所必须做的事情。我感谢神明给了这样一个兄弟,他能够将自己的道德品质唤醒我的警戒意识,同时用他自己的尊重和爱心来使我愉悦;感谢神明使我的孩子并不愚蠢或是有生理缺陷;感谢神明使我对华丽辞藻和诗词歌赋和别的学问并不十分精通,如果我看到我在这些方面取得进步,那我可能将沉迷于其中;感谢神明使我很迅速就能够给予那些抚育我长大的人应得的、他们愿意得到的荣誉,而不延迟他们所对我给予的以后这样做的期望,因为他们那时候还很年轻;感谢神明使我认识了阿珀洛尼厄斯、拉斯蒂克斯、马克西默斯,使我对按照自然而生活,依赖神明及他们的赏赐、帮助和启示留下了清晰而巩固的印象,没有什么能够阻止我立刻按照自然而生活,尽管还是因为自己的过错,因为我没有注意到神明的劝诫(我几乎可以说是神明的直接劝诫)而没有达到这个目标;感谢神明使我如此长久地处在这样一种生活中身体仍然保持健康;我从未达到本尼迪克特或西奥多图斯的高度,但陷入热恋之后,我还是被治愈了;虽然我常常达不到拉斯蒂克斯的那种气质,但是我从来不做能让我有机会后悔的事情;虽然我母亲的早逝是命运使然,但她在生命的最后一年中陪伴我度过;无论何时,我帮助任何需要帮助的人,或者在别的情况,我从不感到自己缺乏这样做的手段;而我自己却从来没有这样的需要,或者说从他人那里得到任何东西;感谢神明让我拥有一位这般温柔、神情和朴素的妻子;感谢神明让我有许多优秀的教师来教导我的孩子;感谢神明通过梦和其它方法,让我发现了各种治疗咳血和头晕的药方……而且,当我倾心于哲学之时,我并未落到任何一个诡辩家之手,没有浪费时间去书写历史作品,研究三段论法的解决方法,或是探究天国的表面现象;而以上这些都需要神明和命运的帮助。

写于阿奎,当时正在与夸地族人进行作战。

1.From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.

2.From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character.

3.From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.

4.From my great-grandfather, not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally.

5.From my governor, to be neither of the green nor of the blue party at the games in the Circus, nor a partizan either of the Parmularius or the Scutarius at the gladiators’ fights; from him too I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people’s affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander.

6.From Diognetus, not to busy myself about trifling things, and not to give credit to what was said by miracle-workers and jugglers about incantations and the driving away of daemons and such things; and not to breed quails for fighting, nor to give myself up passionately to such things; and to endure freedom of speech; and to have become intimate with philosophy; and to have been a hearer, first of Bacchius, then of Tandasis and Marcianus; and to have written dialogues in my youth; and to have desired a plank bed and skin, and whatever else of the kind belongs to the Grecian discipline.

7.From Rusticus I received the impression that my character required im- provement and discipline; and from him I learned not to be led astray to sophistic emulation, nor to writing on speculative matters, nor to delivering little hortatory orations, nor to showing myself off as a man who practises much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make a display; and to abstain from rhetoric, and poetry, and fine writing; and not to walk about in the house in my outdoor dress, nor to do other things of the kind; and to write my letters with simplicity, like the letter which Rusticus wrote from Sinuessa to my mother; and with respect to those who have offended me by words, or done me wrong, to be easily disposed to be pacified and reconciled, as soon as they have shown a readiness to be reconciled; and to read carefully, and not to be satisfied with a superficial understanding of a book; nor hastily to give my assent to those who talk overmuch; and I am indebted to him for being acquainted with the discourses of Epictetus, which he communicated to me out of his own collection.

8.From Apollonius I learned freedom of will and undeviating steadiness of purpose; and to look to nothing else, not even for a moment, except to reason; and to be always the same, in sharp pains, on the occasion of the loss of a child, and in long illness; and to see clearly in a living example that the same man can be both most resolute and yielding, and not peevish in giving his instruction; and to have had before my eyes a man who clearly considered his experience and his skill in expounding philosophical principles as the smallest of his merits; and from him I learned how to receive from friends what are esteemed favours, without being either humbled by them or letting them pass unnoticed.

9.From Sextus, a benevolent disposition, and the example of a family governed in a fatherly manner, and the idea of living conformably to nature; and gravity without affectation, and to look carefully after the interests of friends, and to tolerate ignorant persons, and those who form opinions without consideration: he had the power of readily accommodating himself to all, so that intercourse with him was more agreeable than any flattery; and at the same time he was most highly venerated by those who associated with him: and he had the faculty both of discovering and ordering, in an intelligent and methodical way, the principles necessary for life; and he never showed anger or any other passion, but was entirely free from passion, and also most affectionate; and he could express approbation without noisy display, and he possessed much knowledge without ostentation.

10.From Alexander the grammarian, to refrain from fault-finding, and not in a reproachful way to chide those who uttered any barbarous or solecistic or strange-sounding expression; but dexterously to introduce the very expression which ought to have been used, and in the way of answer or giving confirmation, or joining in an inquiry about the thing itself, not about the word, or by some other fit suggestion.

11.From Fronto I learned to observe what envy, and duplicity, and hypocrisy are in a tyrant, and that generally those among us who are called Patricians are rather deficient in paternal affection.

12.From Alexander the Platonic, not frequently nor without necessity to say to any one, or to write in a letter, that I have no leisure; nor continually to excuse the neglect of duties required by our relation to those with whom we live, by alleging urgent occupations.

1.From Catulus, not to be indifferent when a friend finds fault, even if he should find fault without reason, but to try to restore him to his usual disposition; and to be ready to speak well of teachers, as it is reported of Domitius and Athenodotus; and to love my children truly.

14.From my brother Severus, to love my kin, and to love truth, and to love justice; and through him I learned to know Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dion, Brutus; and from him I received the idea of a polity in which there is the same law for all, a polity administered with regard to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly government which respects most of all the freedom of the governed; I learned from him also consistency and undeviating steadiness in my regard for philosophy; and a disposition to do good, and to give to others readily, and to cherish good hopes, and to believe that I am loved by my friends; and in him I observed no concealment of his opinions with respect to those whom he condemned, and that his friends had no need to conjecture what he wished or did not wish, but it was quite plain.

15.From Maximus I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by anything; and cheerfulness in all circumstances, as well as in illness; and a just admixture in the moral character of sweetness and dignity, and to do what was set before me without complaining. I observed that everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did he never had any bad intention; and he never showed amazement and surprise, and was never in a hurry, and never put off doing a thing, nor was perplexed nor dejected, nor did he ever laugh to disguise his vexation, nor, on the other hand, was he ever passionate or suspicious. He was accustomed to do acts of beneficence, and was ready to forgive, and was free from all falsehood; and he presented the appearance of a man who could not be diverted from right rather than of a man who had been improved. I observed, too, that no man could ever think that he was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better man. He had also the art of being humorous in an agreeable way.

16.In my father I observed mildness of temper, and unchangeable resolution in the things which he had determined after due deliberation; and no vainglory in those things which men call honours; and a love of labour and perseverance; and a readiness to listen to those who had anything to propose for the common weal; and undeviating firmness in giving to every man according to his deserts; and a knowledge derived from experience of the occasions for vigorous action and for remission. And I observed that he had overcome all passion for boys; and he considered himself no more than any other citizen; and he released his friends from all obligation to sup with him or to attend him of necessity when he went abroad, and those who had failed to accompany him, by reason of any urgent circumstances, always found him the same. I observed too his habit of careful inquiry in all matters of deliberation, and his persistency, and that he never stopped his investigation through being satisfied with appearances which first present themselves; and that his disposition was to keep his friends, and not to be soon tired of them, nor yet to be extravagant in his affection; and to be satisfied on all occasions, and cheerful; and to foresee things a long way off, and to provide for the smallest without display; and to check immediately popular applause and all flattery; and to be ever watchful over the things which were necessary for the administration of the empire, and to be a good manager of the expenditure, and patiently to endure the blame which he got for such conduct; and he was neither superstitious with respect to the gods, nor did he court men by gifts or by trying to please them, or by flattering the populace; but he showed sobriety in all things and firmness, and never any mean thoughts or action, nor love of novelty. And the things which conduce in any way to the commodity of life, and of which fortune gives an abundant supply, he used without arrogance and without excusing himself; so that when he had them, he enjoyed them without affectation, and when he had them not, he did not want them. No one could ever say of him that he was either a sophist or a home-bred flippant slave or a pedant; but every one acknowledged him to be a man ripe, perfect, above flattery, able to manage his own and other men’s affairs. Besides this, he honoured those who were true philosophers, and he did not reproach those who pretended to be philosophers, nor yet was he easily led by them. He was also easy in conversation, and he made himself agreeable without any offensive affectation. He took a reasonable care of his body’s health, not as one who was greatly attached to life, nor out of regard to personal appearance, nor yet in a careless way, but so that, through his own attention, he very seldom stood in need of the physician’s art or of medicine or external applications. He was most ready to give way without envy to those who possessed any particular faculty, such as that of eloquence or knowledge of the law or of morals, or of anything else; and he gave them his help, that each might enjoy reputation according to his deserts; and he always acted conformably to the institutions of his country, without showing any affectation of doing so. Further, he was not fond of change nor unsteady, but he loved to stay in the same places, and to employ himself about the same things; and after his paroxysms of headache he came immediately fresh and vigorous to his usual occupations. His secrets were not but very few and very rare, and these only about public matters; and he showed prudence and economy in the exhibition of the public spectacles and the construction of public buildings, his donations to the people, and in such things, for he was a man who looked to what ought to be done, not to the reputation which is got by a man’s acts. He did not take the bath at unseasonable hours; he was not fond of building houses, nor curious about what he ate, nor about the texture and colour of his clothes, nor about the beauty of his slaves. His dress came from Lorium, his villa on the coast, and from Lanuvium generally. We know how he behaved to the toll-collector at Tusculum who asked his pardon; and such was all his behaviour. There was in him nothing harsh, nor implacable, nor violent, nor, as one may say, anything carried to the sweating point; but he examined all things severally, as if he had abundance of time, and without confusion, in an orderly way, vigorously and consistently. And that might be applied to him which is recorded of Socrates, that he was able both to abstain from, and to enjoy, those things which many are too weak to abstain from, and cannot enjoy without excess. But to be strong enough both to bear the one and to be sober in the other is the mark of a man who has a perfect and invincible soul, such as he showed in the illness of Maximus.

17.To the gods I am indebted for having good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good. Further, I owe it to the gods that I was not hurried into any offence against any of them, though I had a disposition which, if opportunity had offered, might have led me to do something of this kind; but, through their favour, there never was such a concurrence of circumstances as put me to the trial. Further, I am thankful to the gods that I was not longer brought up with my grandfather’s concubine, and that I preserved the flower of my youth, and that I did not make proof of my virility before the proper season, but even deferred the time; that I was subjected to a ruler and a father who was able to take away all pride from me, and to bring me to the knowledge that it is possible for a man to live in a palace without wanting either guards or embroidered dresses, or torches and statues, and such-like show; but that it is in such a man’s power to bring himself very near to the fashion of a private person, without being for this reason either meaner in thought, or more remiss in action, with respect to the things which must be done for the public interest in a manner that befits a ruler. I thank the gods for giving me such a brother, who was able by his moral character to rouse me to vigilance over myself, and who, at the same time, pleased me by his respect and affection; that my children have not been stupid nor deformed in body; that I did not make more proficiency in rhetoric, poetry, and the other studies, in which I should perhaps have been completely engaged, if I had seen that I was making progress in them; that I made haste to place those who brought me up in the station of honour, which they seemed to desire, without putting them off with hope of my doing it some time after, because they were then still young; that I knew Apollonius, Rusticus, Maximus; that I received clear and frequent impressions about living according to nature, and what kind of a life that is, so that, so far as depended on the gods, and their gifts, and help, and inspirations, nothing hindered me from forthwith living according to nature, though I still fall short of it through my own fault, and through not observing the admonitions of the gods, and, I may almost say, their direct instructions; that my body has held out so long in such a kind of life; that I never touched either Benedicta or Theodotus, and that, after having fallen into amatory passions, I was cured; and, though I was often out of humour with Rusticus, I never did anything of which I had occasion to repent; that, though it was my mother’s fate to die young, she spent the last years of her life with me; that, whenever I wished to help any man in his need, or on any other occasion, I was never told that I had not the means of doing it; and that to myself the same necessity never happened, to receive anything from another; that I have such a wife, so obedient, and so affectionate, and so simple; that I had abundance of good masters for my children; and that remedies have been shown to me by dreams, both others, and against bloodspitting and giddiness...; and that, when I had an inclination to philosophy, I did not fall into the hands of any sophist, and that I did not waste my time on writers of histories, or in the resolution of syllogisms, or occupy myself about the investigation of appearances in the heavens; for all these things require the help of the gods and fortune.

Among the Quadi at the Granua.

Book Two 卷二

把每一天当作生命的最后一天

1.一日之始,我就对自己说,我将会遇到好管闲事的人,忘恩负义的人,愚昧无知的人,不善交际的人,欺骗、嫉妒别人的人。他们染有这些品性是因为他们不懂得什么是善良和邪恶。而我,一个已经懂得善良是美好的、邪恶是丑陋的人,一个已经懂得做错事的人们是与我血脉相连的,我们不仅有着相同的血液和皮肤,而且分享同样的理智和同一份神性的人,绝不可被他们之中的任何一个人伤害,因为没有人可以将丑恶强加在我身上;我也不可对他们生气或者怨恨,因为我们因共同合作而生,就像双脚、双手、上下眼睑和上下排牙齿一样。那么,相互反对就是违反本性了,就是自寻烦恼和自我排斥。

2.无论我是什么人,都只是一个小小的肉体、呼吸和支配的部分;扔掉书本,不再让自己分心:这是不允许的;就像你就要面临死亡,那就轻视自己的肉体吧;它只是血液和骨骼的一个网络组织,只是一种神经、静脉和动脉的结构。再来看看呼吸吧,空气并不总是一样的,但每时每刻总有空气吸进呼出。再次就是支配的部分:你是一位老人,不再成为它的奴隶;不再像一个玩偶一样被绳子牵绊做着反社会的事情;不再对现状不满,或者逃避未来。

3.从神明那儿来的一切都充满了神意。那些来自命运的东西并不脱离本性,或是与神意毫不相干。一切事物都从那里流出,这是一种必然,为着整个宇宙的利益,而你是其中的一部分。但本性的整体所带来的,对本性的每一个部分都是有利的,有助于保持本性。现在,宇宙是通过改变元素从而改变事物元素的构成来保存的。让这些原则在你身上起足够的作用吧,让它们决定你的意见吧。丢弃对书本的渴望,这样你就不会在抱怨中死去,而是在欢乐、真诚和对神明的衷心感谢中逝去。

4.记住你远离这些东西已经有多久了,你多久才接到神明赐予的一次机会而不去抓住机会。现在你终于感知到自己是宇宙的一部分了,领悟到作为宇宙的管理者的你的存在,只是宇宙中的一段流逝。一段有限的时间已经为你划定,如果你不驱散思想中的云雾,去利用这段时间,它就会流逝,而你也随之逝去,再也无法返回了。

5.每时每刻都要坚定地思考,就像一个罗马人和男人一样,以完整而朴实的尊严、友爱、自由和正义去做手头上的事情,使自己从其它一切思想中解放出来。如果你做生活中的每一件事都像做生命中的最后一件事那样,抛却一切粗心大意和对理性的强烈嫌恶,抛却一切伪善、自私和对已经分配给你的命运的不满,那么你将能使自己得到解脱。你会明白,一个人只要抓住这么少的东西就能够过着宁静的生活,就像神明的存在一样;因为对神明来说,他们并不需要索取更多的东西。

6.你自己做错了,你自己做错了,我的灵魂啊,你不再有机会使自己荣耀;每个人的人生都是充足的。但你的人生正接近尾声,而你的灵魂关注的不是本身,而是将自己的快乐寄托于他人的灵魂里。

7.外界加于你身上的事情让你分心吗?给自己时间去学习一些新鲜和美好的东西,停止兜圈子吧。但你同时必须避免被带入另一条道路。因为那些在生活中被自己弄得筋疲力尽的人也是放浪者,因为他们没有一个目标去指引他们的每一个行动,总而言之,他们的总体思想都是毫无目标的。

8.不要注意别人心里在想什么,一个人很少被看作是不幸福的;但那些不关注自己内心想法的人一定是不幸福的。

9.这些你必须牢记在心:什么是整体本性,什么是我的本性,二者之间如何发生联系,我的本性是一个什么性质的整体的一部分,没有人会阻止你按照你是其中一部分的本性来说话和做事。

10.在他比较各种恶行时,西奥菲拉斯图斯就像一个真正的哲学家一样说(这种比较就像一个人按照人类的共同概念所做的比):因欲望而犯罪的人比因愤怒而犯罪的人更应该受到谴责。因为因愤怒而激动的人看来是被某种痛苦和潜意识里的患病而失去了理性;但因欲望而犯罪的人,被愉悦所战胜,他的犯罪的方式更放纵和更懦弱。接着,他又用一种配得上哲学的方式说,因愉悦而犯罪比因痛苦而犯罪更应该受谴责;总之,前者似乎是先被别人冒犯,痛苦被迫转为愤怒;后者则是被自己的冲动驱使而犯罪,被欲望驱使而做错事。

11.既然你很可能在此时离开人世,那就相应地整理你的每一个行动和思想吧。但要从芸芸众生中离开,如果有神明存在,那并不是什么可怕的事情,因为神明不会使你卷入邪恶;但如果它们确实不存在,或者如果他们对人类的事务并不关心,那么我生活在一个没有神明或神意的宇宙里又有什么意义呢?但事实上它们是存在的,它们并不关心人类的事务,并且它们已经将一切手段都放入人的力量之中,使人类不陷入真正的恶。至于其它的恶,如果有的话,神明也不会让人陷入恶中。一个人是完全有力量决定自己是否会陷入恶中的。既然它们不会使人变坏,又怎么会使人的生活变坏呢?宇宙的本性可能会忽略它们,但既不是因为无知,也不是因为有知,也不是没有力量去防卫或者纠正这些事情,更不是宇宙的本性可能犯了一个巨大的错误——使好事和坏事不加区分地发生在好人和坏人身上,而这并不是因为它缺乏力量或者技巧。但肯定的是,死亡和生存、荣耀和耻辱、痛苦和快乐以及所有这些都同等地发生在好人和坏人身上,成为使我们变得更好或更坏的东西。因此,他们既不是好的也不是坏的。

人只能活在当下

12.所有这一切发生得多快呀,在宇宙中是事物本身消失,在时间中是它们的记忆消失。这就是一切可感知的事物,尤其是以快乐为诱饵或是以痛苦为恐吓的事物,或是那些如蒸汽般远播国外的浮名的性质。它们是多么无用、可鄙、肮脏、腐坏和易逝啊——所有这一切都是理智能力需要注意的。理智能力还需注意的是那些以发表意见和言论博取生命的人,注意死亡是什么,以及这样一个事实,即一个人观察死亡本身,通过反省的抽象力量将他想象中关于死亡的一切分解成各个部分,那么他就会把死亡视为只不过是自然运转的一个部分;如果一个人害怕自然的运转,那他就是个孩子。然而,这不仅仅是自然运转的一部分,而且是有益于实现自然目标的事情。理智能力还需注意人是如何接近神性的,运用人的哪一个部分去接近神性,以及这个部分是在什么时候这样做的。

13.没有什么比这更可悲的了:一个人旋转着穿越一切,就像诗人所说的那样,打听地下的事情,臆测邻居内心的想法,而不懂得只要专注于自己内心的神并真诚地尊崇它就足够了。尊崇自己的神包括避免激情、自私和对神明和别人的不满,保持内心的纯洁。因为来自神明的东西是具有优越性的、值得我们崇敬的;而来自人的东西,由于我们和他们存在血缘关系,我们也是应该珍重的;有时他们甚至在某种程度上因对善恶的无知而引起我们的怜悯;这一缺陷不亚于那些剥夺我们分清黑白是非的力量的东西。

14.尽管你希望活到三千年,甚至数万年,但你仍然要记住,任何人失去的不是什么其它的生活,而是他现在的生活;任何人过着的不是其它的生活,而是他现在过着的生活。因此,生命的长久或短暂都是一样的。尽管已经逝去的是不一样的,但现在对于所有人都是一样的。因而,逝去的东西看起来仅仅是一个瞬间。因为一个人既不能失去过去,也不能失去未来,因为如果一个人什么都没有,那么别人又怎么从他身上夺走这些东西呢?这两件事情你一定要牢记于心:第一,来自永恒的东西犹如形式,是在一个圆圈中打转轮回的,它决定了一个人在一百年、两百年或是无限的时间里是否看见相同的东西;第二,最长寿的人和最短命的人失去的东西都是一样的。因为现在是一个人唯一能够被人剥夺的东西,如果这真的是他唯一拥有的,那么一个人就不可能失去他没有的东西。

15.记住一切都是意见。因为犬儒派摩尼穆斯所说的话是很显然的,如果一个人注意从中汲取教益,这些真话的用途也是很明显的。

16.人的灵魂的确是会自我摧残的:首先是在当它成为或者可能成为一个脓疮、一个宇宙中的肿瘤的时候。因为对任何发生的事情感到愤怒就意味着我们与自然的分离;第二,灵魂的自我摧残发生在当它被从人身上移除,或是以伤害为目的靠近人的时候,比如那些愤怒的人的灵魂;第三,灵魂的自我摧残发生在它被快乐或痛苦战胜的时候;第四,当它扮演一个角色,言行不真诚的时候;第五,当它允许自己有任何无目标的行为,做任何不加考虑和不加辨别的事,因为甚至是最小的事情也需要一个参照才能做对,而理性动物的目标是遵循理性和最古老的城邦的法律。

17.人的一生只是一个时间点,物质处于一种流逝中,感知是迟钝的,整个身体的结构是容易腐烂的,灵魂是一个漩涡,命运是难以捉摸的,名声是不根据理性来判断的。总而言之,一切属于身体的东西只是一条溪流,一切属于灵魂的东西只是一个梦幻。生活是一场战争,一个过客的旅居,名声过后就会被遗忘。那么什么是能够主宰一个人的东西?只有一件而且是唯一的一件,那就是哲学。但这包括保护人内心的神,使之不自我摧残和受到伤害,超越一切痛苦和快乐,不做毫无目标的事;拒绝虚伪和欺瞒,漠视别人做或不做任何事情的需求;此外,接受所发生的一切、所分配给他的份额,不管它们是什么,不管它们来自哪里,都把它们当作从自己的地方来一样;最后,以愉快的心情等待死亡,就像与构成每一样生物的元素的分解一样。但如果在每一个事物的不断变化中元素本身并没有受到损害,那么人又何必对一切元素的改变和分解感到忧惧呢?这是按照本性进行的,而本性的东西是没有。

1.Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him, For we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away.

2.Whatever this is that I am, it is a little flesh and breath, and the ruling part. Throw away thy books; no longer distract thyself: it is not allowed; but as if thou wast now dying, despise the flesh; it is blood and bones and a network, a contexture of nerves, veins, and arteries. See the breath also, what kind of a thing it is, air, and not always the same, but every moment sent out and again sucked in. The third then is the ruling part: consider thus: Thou art an old man; no longer let this be a slave, no longer be pulled by the strings like a puppet to unsocial movements, no longer either be dissatisfied with thy present lot, or shrink from the future.

3.All that is from the gods is full of Providence. That which is from fortune is not separated from nature or without an interweaving and involution with the things which are ordered by Providence. From thence all things flow; and there is besides necessity, and that which is for the advantage of the whole universe, of which thou art a part. But that is good for every part of nature which the nature of the whole brings, and what serves to maintain this nature. Now the universe is preserved, as by the changes of the elements so by the changes of things compounded of the elements. Let these principles be enough for thee, let them always be fixed opinions. But cast away the thirst after books, that thou mayest not die murmuring, but cheerfully, truly, and from thy heart thankful to the gods.

4.Remember how long thou hast been putting off these things, and how often thou hast received an opportunity from the gods, and yet dost not use it. Thou must now at last perceive of what universe thou art a part, and of what administrator of the universe thy existence is an efflux, and that a limit of time is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from thy mind, it will go and thou wilt go, and it will never return.

5.Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice; and to give thyself relief from all other thoughts. And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with the portion which has been given to thee. Thou seest how few the things are, the which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which flows in quiet, and is like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will require nothing more from him who observes these things.

6.Do wrong to thyself, do wrong to thyself, my soul; but thou wilt no longer have the opportunity of honouring thyself. Every man’s life is sufficient. But thine is nearly finished, though thy soul reverences not itself but places thy felicity in the souls of others.

7.Do the things external which fall upon thee distract thee. Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around. But then thou must also avoid being carried about the other way. For those too are triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity, and yet have no object to which to direct every movement, and, in a word, all their thoughts.

8.Through not observing what is in the mind of another a man has seldom been seen to be unhappy; but those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy.

9.This thou must always bear in mind, what is the nature of the whole, and what is my nature, and how this is related to that, and what kind of a part it is of what kind of a whole; and that there is no one who hinders thee from always doing and saying the things which are according to the nature of which thou art a part.

10.Theophrastus, in his comparison of bad acts- such a comparison as one would make in accordance with the common notions of mankind- says, like a true philosopher, that the offences which are committed through desire are more blameable than those which are committed through anger. For he who is excited by anger seems to turn away from reason with a certain pain and unconscious contraction; but he who offends through desire, being overpowered by pleasure, seems to be in a manner more intemperate and more womanish in his offences. Rightly then, and in a way worthy of philosophy, he said that the offence which is committed with pleasure is more blameable than that which is committed with pain; and on the whole the one is more like a person who has been first wronged and through pain is compelled to be angry; but the other is moved by his own impulse to do wrong, being carried towards doing something by desire.

11.Since it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly. But to go away from among men, if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods will not involve thee in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no concern about human affairs, what is it to me to live in a universe devoid of gods or devoid of Providence. But in truth they do exist, and they do care for human things, and they have put all the means in man’s power to enable him not to fall into real evils. And as to the rest, if there was anything evil, they would have provided for this also, that it should be alto- gether in a man’s power not to fall into it. Now that which does not make a man worse, how can it make a man’s life worse. But neither through ignorance, nor having the knowledge, but not the power to guard against or correct these things, is it possible that the nature of the universe has overlooked them; nor is it possible that it has made so great a mistake, either through want of power or want of skill, that good and evil should happen indiscriminately to the good and the bad. But death certainly, and life, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure, all these things equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil.

12.How quickly all things disappear, in the universe the bodies themselves, but in time the remembrance of them; what is the nature of all sensible things, and particularly those which attract with the bait of pleasure or terrify by pain, or are noised abroad by vapoury fame; how worthless, and contemptible, and sordid, and perishable, and dead they are- all this it is the part of the intellectual faculty to observe. To observe too who these are whose opinions and voices give reputation; what death is, and the fact that, if a man looks at it in itself, and by the abstractive power of reflection resolves into their parts all the things which present themselves to the imagination in it, he will then consider it to be nothing else than an operation of nature; and if any one is afraid of an operation of nature, he is a child. This, however, is not only an operation of nature, but it is also a thing which conduces to the purposes of nature. To observe too how man comes near to the deity, and by what part of him, and when this part of man is so disposed.

13.Nothing is more wretched than a man who traverses everything in a round, and pries into the things beneath the earth, as the poet says, and seeks by conjecture what is in the minds of his neighbours, without perceiving that it is sufficient to attend to the daemon within him, and to reverence it sincerely. And reverence of the daemon consists in keeping it pure from passion and thoughtlessness, and dissatisfaction with what comes from gods and men. For the things from the gods merit veneration for their excellence; and the things from men should be dear to us by reason of kinship; and sometimes even, in a manner, they move our pity by reason of men’s ignorance of good and bad; this defect being not less than that which deprives us of the power of distinguishing things that are white and black.

14.Though thou shouldst be going to live three thousand years, and as many times ten thousand years, still remember that no man loses any other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any other than this which he now loses. The longest and shortest are thus brought to the same. For the present is the same to all, though that which perishes is not the same; and so that which is lost appears to be a mere moment. For a man cannot lose either the past or the future: for what a man has not, how can any one take this from him. These two things then thou must bear in mind; the one, that all things from eternity are of like forms and come round in a circle, and that it makes no difference whether a man shall see the same things during a hundred years or two hundred, or an infinite time; and the second, that the longest liver and he who will die soonest lose just the same. For the present is the only thing of which a man can be deprived, if it is true that this is the only thing which he has, and that a man cannot lose a thing if he has it not.

15.Remember that all is opinion. For what was said by the Cynic Monimus is manifest: and manifest too is the use of what was said, if a man receives what may be got out of it as far as it is true.

16.The soul of man does violence to itself, first of all, when it becomes an abscess and, as it were, a tumour on the universe, so far as it can. For to be vexed at anything which happens is a separation of ourselves from nature, in some part of which the natures of all other things are contained. In the next place, the soul does violence to itself when it turns away from any man, or even moves towards him with the intention of injuring, such as are the souls of those who are angry. In the third place, the soul does violence to itself when it is overpowered by pleasure or by pain. Fourthly, when it plays a part, and does or says anything insincerely and untruly. Fifthly, when it allows any act of its own and any movement to be without an aim, and does anything thoughtlessly and without considering what it is, it being right that even the smallest things be done with reference to an end; and the end of rational animals is to follow the reason and the law of the most ancient city and polity.

17.Of human life the time is a point, and the substance is in a flux, and the perception dull, and the composition of the whole body subject to putrefaction, and the soul a whirl, and fortune hard to divine, and fame a thing devoid of judgement. And, to say all in a word, everything which belongs to the body is a stream, and what belongs to the soul is a dream and vapour, and life is a warfare and a stranger’s sojourn, and after-fame is oblivion. What then is that which is able to conduct a man. One thing and only one, philosophy. But this consists in keeping the daemon within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pains and pleasures, doing nothing without purpose, nor yet falsely and with hypocrisy, not feeling the need of another man’s doing or not doing anything; and besides, accepting all that happens, and all that is allotted, as coming from thence, wherever it is, from whence he himself came; and, finally, waiting for death with a cheerful mind, as being nothing else than a dissolution of the elements of which every living being is compounded. But if there is no harm to the elements themselves in each continually changing into another, why should a man have any apprehension about the change and dissolution of all the elements. For it is according to nature, and nothing is evil which is according to nature.

This in Carnuntum.

Book Three 卷三

别让肉体控制你的灵魂

1.我们需要担心的不只是我们的日子一天天地过去,剩下的时光越来越短,还有一件事我们也不得不去考虑,那就是,即使生命仍在继续,我们却不敢肯定我们对事物的理解力也会继续,我们是否仍旧可以思考关于上帝、关于人类的问题?因为,如果人逐渐衰老昏聩,他仍会出汗,仍然需要营养,仍会时不时地幻想一番,仍旧会觉得饥饿,诸如此类的一切活动依然在继续;但是有一种能力,那种可以使我们充分发挥自己的优势,恪尽职责,辨别是非,使我们明白一个人是否将不久于人世等诸如此类需要发挥理智作用的问题所必不可少的能力,却已不复存在。因此我们必须抓紧时间,不仅仅因为我们一天比一天接近死亡,还因为我们理解事物、思考事物的能力甚至会比生命更先一步停止。

2.我们还应该注意到,甚至是那些伴随着别的事物而生的东西,其本身也有令人愉快、吸引人的一面。比如,烤面包的时候面包的表皮会出现开裂,这些开裂的部分虽然有悖于面包师的初衷,从某种意义上来说却是美的,而且以其特有的方式使人垂涎欲滴。再比如无花果,当它熟到一定程度就裂开了口;还有橄榄,当其成熟几近腐烂的时候却给人一种特殊的美感。再如苞米低垂的穗,狮子的浓眉,野猪嘴里的涎水,以及其它许许多多的东西——虽然远远谈不上什么美,但如果认真审视一下——仍不失为一种装饰,让我们觉得愉快,因为它们本身就是自然事物的一部分;因此,如果人对宇宙中的一切事物都怀有一种情感,对事物有更深的了解,那么在他看来,几乎任何事物都有其令人愉快的一面。因此,哪怕是真的看到野兽龇咧的大嘴,其愉快感比起欣赏画家或雕刻家的模仿之作来说也会毫不逊色;在老人身上他能看到那种成熟从容的美;他可以用纯洁的目光欣赏青年人那充满魅力的可爱;许许多多诸如此类的事物,尽管并非在每个人看来都是那么赏心悦目,但是对那些,也只有对那些真正了解大自然及自然界一切事物的人来说却毋庸置疑。

3.希腊名医希波克拉底一生治病救人无数,但自己最后也为疾病所困命丧黄泉。东方的算命先生们曾预言无数人的生死,但最终谁都无法摆脱自己的命运。亚历山大大帝、罗马政治家兼军事将领庞培、尤利乌斯·恺撒大帝曾使一座座城池变成废墟,战场上让千千万万的士兵身首异处,却终究也没能免得一死。希腊哲学家赫拉克利特曾作过宇宙燃烧的无数次推断,最终却溺水而亡,死时身上泥泞斑驳。而希腊的另外两位哲学大师德谟克利特与苏格拉底最终都死于小人之手。所有这些意味着什么?你登上航船,驶过旅途,到达彼岸,上得岸来。如果这次旅行是通往来生,那么无须神的存在,不管今生还是来世。但如果是为了达到一种没有知觉的状态,那么从此将不再为痛苦或快乐所烦扰,不再是生活的奴隶:彼岸是智慧与神明,而此岸只有世俗与堕落。

4.即使当我们没有什么实际问题可以考虑的时候,也不要将我们剩余的生命浪费在猜测别人如何上,因为当我们在关注别人时,想他在做什么,为什么这么做,猜他说什么、想什么、搞什么鬼等诸如此类的事时,我们就无法再关注自己的能力,从而会失去很多做别的事情的机会。一切无用的思想都应该制止,尤其是那些过于好奇或恶意的情感倾向。人的思想应仅限于那些当别人问及你在想什么时,你可以毫不犹豫地坦诚所面对的问题。这样你的话语就能清楚地展现出你内心的简单与善意,展现出一个有益于社会的人,而不是一个只想着肉体快乐或享受的人,内心不含任何敌意、嫉妒、猜疑或其它什么如果说出来让自己感到脸红的思想。这样的人是首屈一指的人,就好比是诸神中的牧师,他们充分发挥了自己内心的神性,从而使自己不为快乐所扰,痛苦所困,面对别人的侮辱可以丝毫不受影响,没有任何的罪恶感,是神圣战争中的勇士,不会被激情淹没,永远正直无私,敞开心胸,打开灵魂,接受命运安排的一切;并非经常,但必要时为着公众利益,也会想象他人在说什么、做什么、想什么。他仅为着本来属于自己的东西而奋斗;不断地思索着命运分配给自己的一切,力求使自己的行为公平,坚信自己有一个好命运,因为一个人的命运会伴其一生,人终其一生都无法摆脱命运的安排。他牢记,一切理性动物皆是兄弟而且关心他人是人性的体现;人不应附和所有人的观点,但那些按自然法则生活的人,他们的观点却一定要尊重。对于那些不按自然法则生活的人,他时刻牢记他们在家是什么样的人,在外又是什么样的人,晚上什么样,白天又什么样,他们都干什么,又跟什么人在一起混。因而如果这些人甜言蜜语地来奉承,他也不会沾沾自喜,因为他明白这些人甚至对自己都不满意,又怎么可能会真心实意地夸赞别人呢。

5.如果行动就要心甘情愿,考虑过利害关系,经过深思熟虑之后,就要全心全意地去努力;切莫流于形式而不假思考,切莫只说大话,或样样通而样样不精。让我们内心的神性成为我们生命的守护神,守护我们长大、成熟,而我们则像政治家、像统治者一样,恪守着自己的职位,时刻等待着生命的信号,随时准备出发,无须向谁宣誓,也无须有谁作证。要满怀乐观,不要寻求外界的帮助,也不要期望别人能给我们宁静。人的确需要挺立在天地间,但不是在别人的帮助下。

6.如果你发现人生中能有什么比正义、真理、克己、坚毅更加美好,简而言之,有什么能比无须选择就自动促使你行动起来的思想的自我满足更加美好的事物,那就全身心地奔向它吧,享受你发现的最美好之物。如果没有什么比你内心的神性更加美好,它帮你一一过滤所有的欲望,一丝不苟地审视众多的印象,正如苏格拉底所说,它远离了直觉的干扰,服从神的意志,关注着人类;如果你没有发现什么比这更美好、更伟大、更有价值,那么就永远都不要放弃它至高无上的地位,一旦放弃,一旦偏离,就再不是全心全意地倾向于我们生命中拥有的那美好之物了;因为在理性上、理论上、情理上美好的事物,是任何其它事物,如他人的赞美、权力、享乐等都无法相媲美的。此类事物虽然看似是有那么一点在迎合我们的美好之物,却会趁机夺取它至高无上的地位,让我们迷失自己。那么照我说就直接选择美好的事物吧,并且要一直坚持这个选择——但什么有用什么就叫美好啊,你也许会说了——是有这一说的,如果某个东西在作为理性动物的你看来是有用的,那么它就是你的首选;但如果仅对于作为动物的你来说是有用的,还是相信你理性的判断吧:但要注意必须有合适的区分之法。

7.不管是什么东西,如果它迫使你背叛承诺、丧失自尊、憎恨他人、心生疑虑或诅咒、变得虚伪,让你产生见不得人的任何欲望,那么永远都不要将其视为有益之物:将智慧、守护神及守护神之崇拜视为至高无上之人,他不狡诈行动,也不暴跳如雷,将不会获得所有的尊敬和同情;简言之,他既无轻生之念,亦无惧于死亡;也不会在乎生命之长短:哪怕死亡就在眼前,他也会像对待任何其它事情一样,不失那份从容与高贵;终其一生只在乎一件事,那就是,只关注一个理性的人,一个文明社会的成员应该做的一切。

再宝贵的荣誉也不过是过眼烟云

8.纯洁干净的灵魂没有任何堕落、污秽,亦没有任何伤痛。即使生命突然间结束也不会有任何的遗憾,不像人们说某个演员突然离开舞台那样,“遗恨终生”。在他身上看不到任何奴颜婢膝或矫揉造作,对任何东西既不刻意追求亦不刻意疏远,没有任何可谴责之处,也没有任何见不得人的地方。

9.要尊重我们理性思维的器官。正是这一器官决定我们头脑中是否存在与自然和理性不相协调的因素;而且正是得益于这一器官,我们才得以避免做出草率的决定,才有人与人之间的友谊长存,才有对诸神的恭敬虔诚。

10.抛弃一切浮华,珍惜眼前的时光;时刻牢记,每个人所能把握的只有眼前看得见的短暂时光,过去的已经过去,未来的飘忽不定,均非我们力所能及。每个人的生命之光都是短暂的,生存之所是有限的;人死后名字还能流传多久呢?再显赫的人物,也会很快被人淡忘,更何况只有活人才有记忆,而活人也会很快死去,死后甚至连自己都不记得,又怎么可能还记得在他们之前就死了多少年的人呢!

11.除上述种种建议之外还需再添加一条:对任何呈现到眼前的事物都要下一个精确的定义或进行详尽的描述,因为只有这样才能从实质上、从整体上把握其本质;明确其名称,确定其由什么构成,又会分解成什么。因为对于思想的升华来说,还没有什么比对呈现到我们生命中的事物有条不紊地加以研究更加有效呢。看见什么都要想一想这是一种什么样的宇宙现象,其各个构成部分又是怎样运转,部分对于整体而言有什么价值,它对于最高级社会的成员——人类而言又有什么价值;弄清楚每一事物的本质,明确其构成,弄清其眼前的形态能维系多久,我们又为何会需要它,比如是因为我们渴望温柔、男性气概、真相、忠诚、简单、满足,等等,还是其它什么原因。面对任何事情我们都应说:这是上帝的旨意;这是命运的牵引,是机缘巧合;这是我们同伴的安排,而其之所以这样做纯粹是其天性使然;因此我们在处理与他人的关系时也要本着我们的天性,本着善意、公正的原则。然而与此同时,也要衡量一下其与那些无关事物之间的价值关系。

12.如果你能在理智、严格、冷静、客观的指引下全神贯注于眼前的事物而毫不分神,好像随时都可能有人将它带走那样;如果你能像这样坚持下去,无所期待亦无所恐惧,只有对于眼前的事物,对于自己所说的每一句话(没有一句谎言)都满足,那么你就是一个幸福的人,而且没有人可以阻止你的幸福。

13.就像医生身边总带着药具以备随时治病救人一样,我们也有自己的原则方法以备随时理解思考事情,而我们要做的事情无论再小,也不要忘记神圣与世俗之间的关系,因为,任何世俗的事情如果做好了就是一件神圣的事,反之亦然。

14.不要再漫无目的地徘徊,因为当你真的老了的时候,你不会读自己的自传,不会阅读希腊、罗马人的生活,也不会阅读年轻时为自己备下的名著选读。抓紧时间朝着命运规划的人生目标努力吧,如果是真的爱自己,就抛弃那些空洞的幻想,趁着自己还有能力的时候帮助自己去实现这一目标吧。

15.很多人不知道“偷窃”、“播种”、“购物”、“安静”、“明确自己该做什么”等究竟有多少种含义,这是因为它不是凭眼睛就能看得出来的,而是需要凭借另一种形式的“视力”。

16.对于肉体、灵魂和智慧而言,声色感觉属于肉体,欲望属于灵魂,而原则属于智慧。仅凭外表而定印象是动物的行为;受欲望牵引的则是野兽或受女人控制的男人;仅凭智慧去实现看似合理的目的是不信神的人的行为,是可能背叛自己国家、关起门来可能干坏事的人的行为,是像暴君法拉利斯和尼禄之类的人会做的事。如果说上面我提到的那些都是一个普通人所具有的话,有一样是只有好人所特有的,那就是满足于现有的一切,满足于命运的安排;崇拜内心的神性,不去打扰它,给它宁静,像对待真神一样地毕恭毕敬,言语不悖事实,行动不悖良心。即使没有人相信他简单、谦恭、怡然的生活,他也不愠不怒,更不会因此偏离了自己的人生路,而沿着这条路走下去的人会变得纯洁,宁静,超然于生死,让一切听从命运的安排。

1.We ught to consider not only that our life is daily wasting away and a smaller part of it is left, but another thing also must be taken into the account, that if a man should live longer, it is quite uncertain whether the understanding will still continue sufficient for the comprehension of things, and retain the power of contemplation which strives to acquire the knowledge of the divine and the human. For if he shall begin to fall into dotage, perspiration and nutrition and imagination and appetite, and whatever else there is of the kind, will not fail; but the power of making use of ourselves, and filling up the measure of our duty, and clearly separating all appearances, and considering whether a man should now depart from life, and whatever else of the kind absolutely requires a disciplined reason, all this is already extinguished. We must make haste then, not only because we are daily nearer to death, but also because the conception of things and the understanding of them cease first.

2.We ought to observe also that even the things which follow after the things which are produced according to nature contain something pleasing and attractive. For instance, when bread is baked some parts are split at the surface, and these parts which thus open, and have a certain fashion contrary to the purpose of the baker’s art, are beautiful in a manner, and in a peculiar way excite a desire for eating. And again, figs, when they are quite ripe, gape open; and in the ripe olives the very circumstance of their being near to rottenness adds a peculiar beauty to the fruit. And the ears of corn bending down, and the lion’s eyebrows, and the foam which flows from the mouth of wild boars, and many other things- though they are far from being beautiful, if a man should examine them severally- still, because they are consequent upon the things which are formed by nature, help to adorn them, and they please the mind; so that if a man should have a feeling and deeper insight with respect to the things which are produced in the universe, there is hardly one of those which follow by way of consequence which will not seem to him to be in a manner disposed so as to give pleasure. And so he will see even the real gaping jaws of wild beasts with no less pleasure than those which painters and sculptors show by imitation; and in an old woman and an old man he will be able to see a certain maturity and comeliness; and the attractive loveliness of young persons he will be able to look on with chaste eyes; and many such things will present themselves, not pleasing to every man, but to him only who has become truly familiar with nature and her works.

3.Hippocrates after curing many diseases himself fell sick and died. The Chaldaei foretold the deaths of many, and then fate caught them too. Alexander, and Pompeius, and Caius Caesar, after so often completely destroying whole cities, and in battle cutting to pieces many ten thousands of cavalry and infantry, themselves too at last departed from life. Heraclitus, after so many speculations on the conflagration of the universe, was filled with water internally and died smeared all over with mud. And lice destroyed Democritus; and other lice killed Socrates. What means all this. Thou hast embarked, thou hast made the voyage, thou art come to shore; get out. If indeed to another life, there is no want of gods, not even there. But if to a state without sensation, thou wilt cease to be held by pains and pleasures, and to be a slave to the vessel, which is as much inferior as that which serves it is superior: for the one is intelligence and deity; the other is earth and corruption.

4.Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility. For thou losest the opportunity of doing something else when thou hast such thoughts as these, What is such a person doing, and why, and what is he saying, and what is he thinking of, and what is he contriving, and whatever else of the kind makes us wander away from the observation of our own ruling power. We ought then to check in the se- ries of our thoughts everything that is without a purpose and useless, but most of all the over-curious feeling and the malignant; and a man should use himself to think of those things only about which if one should suddenly ask, What hast thou now in thy thoughts. With perfect openness thou mightest, immediately answer, This or That; so that from thy words it should be plain that everything in thee is simple and benevolent, and such as befits a social animal, and one that cares not for thoughts about pleasure or sensual enjoyments at all, nor has any rivalry or envy and suspicion, or anything else for which thou wouldst blush if thou shouldst say that thou hadst it in thy mind. For the man who is such and no longer delays being among the number of the best, is like a priest and minister of the gods, using too the deity which is planted within him, which makes the man uncontaminated by pleasure, unharmed by any pain, untouched by any insult, feeling no wrong, a fighter in the noblest fight, one who cannot be overpowered by any passion, dyed deep with justice, accepting with all his soul everything which happens and is assigned to him as his portion; and not often, nor yet without great necessity and for the general interest, imagining what another says, or does, or thinks. For it is only what belongs to himself that he makes the matter for his activity; and he constantly thinks of that which is allotted to himself out of the sum total of things, and he makes his own acts fair, and he is persuaded that his own portion is good. For the lot which is assigned to each man is carried along with him and carries him along with it. And he remembers also that every rational animal is his kinsman, and that to care for all men is according to man’s nature; and a man should hold on to the opinion not of all, but of those only who confessedly live according to nature. But as to those who live not so, he always bears in mind what kind of men they are both at home and from home, both by night and by day, and what they are, and with what men they live an impure life. Accordingly, he does not value at all the praise which comes from such men, since they are not even satisfied with themselves.

5.Labour not unwillingly, nor without regard to the common interest, nor without due consideration, nor with distraction; nor let studied ornament set off thy thoughts, and be not either a man of many words, or busy about too many things. And further, let the deity which is in thee be the guardian of a living being, manly and of ripe age, and engaged in matter political, and a Roman, and a ruler, who has taken his post like a man waiting for the signal which summons him from life, and ready to go, having need neither of oath nor of any man’s testimony. Be cheerful also, and seek not external help nor the tranquility which others give. A man then must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.

6.If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude, and, in a word, anything better than thy own mind’s self-satisfaction in the things which it enables thee to do according to right reason, and in the condition that is assigned to thee without thy own choice; if, I say, thou seest anything better than this, turn to it with all thy soul, and enjoy that which thou hast found to be the best. But if nothing appears to be better than the deity which is planted in thee, which has subjected to itself all thy appetites, and carefully examines all the impressions, and, as Socrates said, has detached itself from the persuasions of sense, and has submitted itself to the gods, and cares for mankind; if thou findest everything else smaller and of less value than this, give place to nothing else, for if thou dost once diverge and incline to it, thou wilt no longer without distraction be able to give the preference to that good thing which is thy proper possession and thy own; for it is not right that anything of any other kind, such as praise from the many, or power, or enjoyment of pleasure, should come into competition with that which is rationally and politically or practically good. All these things, even though they may seem to adapt themselves to the better things in a small degree, obtain the superiority all at once, and carry us away. But do thou, I say, simply and freely choose the better, and hold to it.- But that which is useful is the better.- Well then, if it is useful to thee as a rational being, keep to it; but if it is only useful to thee as an animal, say so, and maintain thy judgement without arrogance: only take care that thou makest the inquiry by a sure method.

7.Never value anything as profitable to thyself which shall compel thee to break thy promise, to lose thy self-respect, to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to act the hypocrite, to desire anything which needs walls and curtains: for he who has preferred to everything intelligence and daemon and the worship of its excellence, acts no tragic part, does not groan, will not need either solitude or much company; and, what is chief of all, he will live without either pursuing or flying from death; but whether for a longer or a shorter time he shall have the soul inclosed in the body, he cares not at all: for even if he must depart immediately, he will go as readily as if he were going to do anything else which can be done with decency and order; taking care of this only all through life, that his thoughts turn not away from anything which belongs to an intelligent animal and a member of a civil community.

8.In the mind of one who is chastened and purified thou wilt find no corrupt matter, nor impurity, nor any sore skinned over. Nor is his life incomplete when fate overtakes him, as one may say of an actor who leaves the stage before ending and finishing the play. Besides, there is in him nothing servile, nor affected, nor too closely bound to other things, nor yet detached from other things, nothing worthy of blame, nothing which seeks a hiding-place.

9.Reverence the faculty which produces opinion. On this faculty it entirely depends whether there shall exist in thy ruling part any opinion inconsistent with nature and the constitution of the rational animal. And this faculty promises freedom from hasty judgement, and friendship towards men, and obedience to the gods.

10.Throwing away then all things, hold to these only which are few; and besides bear in mind that every man lives only this present time, which is an indivisible point, and that all the rest of his life is either past or it is uncertain. Short then is the time which every man lives, and small the nook of the earth where he lives; and short too the longest posthumous fame, and even this only continued by a succession of poor human beings, who will very soon die, and who know not even themselves, much less him who died long ago.

11.To the aids which have been mentioned let this one still be added:- Make for thyself a definition or description of the thing which is presented to thee, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in its substance, in its nudity, in its complete entirety, and tell thyself its proper name, and the names of the things of which it has been compounded, and into which it will be resolved. For nothing is so productive of elevation of mind as to be able to examine methodically and truly every object which is presented to thee in life, and always to look at things so as to see at the same time what kind of universe this is, and what kind of use everything performs in it, and what value everything has with reference to the whole, and what with reference to man, who is a citizen of the highest city, of which all other cities are like families; what each thing is, and of what it is composed, and how long it is the nature of this thing to endure which now makes an impression on me, and what virtue I have need of with respect to it, such as gentleness, manliness, truth, fidelity, simplicity, contentment, and the rest. Wherefore, on every occasion a man should say: this comes from God; and this is according to the apportionment and spinning of the thread of destiny, and such-like coincidence and chance; and this is from one of the same stock, and a kinsman and partner, one who knows not however what is according to his nature. But I know; for this reason I behave towards him according to the natural law of fellowship with benevolence and justice. At the same time however in things indifferent I attempt to ascertain the value of each.

12.If thou workest at that which is before thee, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract thee, but keeping thy divine part pure, as if thou shouldst be bound to give it back immediately; if thou holdest to this, expecting nothing, fearing nothing, but satisfied with thy present activity according to nature, and with heroic truth in every word and sound which thou utterest, thou wilt live happy. And there is no man who is able to prevent this.

13.As physicians have always their instruments and knives ready for cases which suddenly require their skill, so do thou have principles ready for the understanding of things divine and human, and for doing everything, even the smallest, with a recollection of the bond which unites the divine and human to one another. For neither wilt thou do anything well which pertains to man without at the same time having a reference to things divine; nor the contrary.

14.No longer wander at hazard; for neither wilt thou read thy own memoirs, nor the acts of the ancient Romans and Hellenes, and the selections from books which thou wast reserving for thy old age. Hasten then to the end which thou hast before thee, and throwing away idle hopes, come to thy own aid, if thou carest at all for thyself, while it is in thy power.

15.They know not how many things are signified by the words stealing, sowing, buying, keeping quiet, seeing what ought to be done; for this is not effected by the eyes, but by another kind of vision.

16.Body, soul, intelligence: to the body belong sensations, to the soul appetites, to the intelligence principles. To receive the impressions of forms by means of appearances belongs even to animals; to be pulled by the strings of desire belongs both to wild beasts and to men who have made themselves into women, and to a Phalaris and a Nero: and to have the intelligence that guides to the things which appear suitable belongs also to those who do not believe in the gods, and who betray their country, and do their impure deeds when they have shut the doors. If then everything else is common to all that I have mentioned, there remains that which is peculiar to the good man, to be pleased and content with what happens, and with the thread which is spun for him; and not to defile the divinity which is planted in his breast, nor disturb it by a crowd of images, but to preserve it tranquil, following it obediently as a god, neither saying anything contrary to the truth, nor doing anything contrary to justice. And if all men refuse to believe that he lives a simple, modest, and contented life, he is neither angry with any of them, nor does he deviate from the way which leads to the end of life, to which a man ought to come pure, tranquil, ready to depart, and without any compulsion perfectly reconciled to his lot.

Book Four 卷四

不要没有目的地盲目行动

1.当支配内心的力量符合本性时,对所发生的事情就十分敏感,以至于心灵总是很容易就使自己适应了所要面对的情况。因为它并不需要确定的方式,只是努力靠近目标,无论处于什么样的情况之下;它甚至从相对的事物中获得素材,就好像火焰总会裹挟掉落其中的东西一样,倘若只是星星火苗,很可能就被这掉落的东西熄灭了,但如果火焰熊熊,就会迅速地将掉落的物体燃烧尽,并会借此使得火势愈加旺盛。

2.不可无目的地盲目行动,而要遵循技能的完善原则。

3.人类为自己寻觅着僻静的隐居地,他们住在乡间、海滨和山野之中;你也非常渴望居住在这样的地方。但渴望这些正是凡夫俗子的标记,因为无论你何时想选择隐居,你都有能力找到隐居的地方。因为无论隐居到什么地方都没有比退居到灵魂深处更能获得安宁,更能摆脱苦恼,尤其是如果他心里是这么想的,并对此展开思考时,他就能立刻进入宁静祥和的境界之中;我要申明的一点是:宁静不过是内心秩序的井井有条。那么就让自己隐退在灵魂深处吧,让自己焕发新的活力;让你的原则简约而深切,这样,只要你的脑海里浮现该原则,就足以彻底地净化灵魂,并使你摆脱所有的不满,重返乐土。而你究竟为何事感到不满呢?是因为人类的罪恶吗?让你的心灵回顾这个结论吧,那就是,理性生物是互相依存的,忍受是公正的一部分,人类行恶并非自发性的;想一想已经有多少人在经受了相互仇恨、猜疑、敌对之后还是难逃一死,化作灰烬;想到这,你最后得到了真正的宁静。然而,也许你是因大自然分配给你的东西而不满。那不妨回忆回忆这两个选择:要么是天意要么是原子(即事物的偶然性);或者想想那些争论,它们证实了世界是一种政治社团,想到这些,你最后得到了真正的宁静。可是也许身体上的疼痛仍然缠着你不放。那就考虑得更深远些,想一想心灵和呼吸不同,不管是平缓还是强烈的呼吸,当心灵孑然独立,就会发现自身的力量,也想一想你关于苦乐的见闻和看法,这样,你就得到了最终的宁静了。也许对所谓的声誉的渴求正折磨着你。那就看看一切是那么快就被遗忘,再看一看现在无限时间各个方面的紊乱,赞美背后的空虚,还有那些假装说一些溢美之词的人评价的多变和贫乏,以及被限定了的空间的狭窄,这样,你就会最终得到宁静了。因为整个地球就是宇宙里的一个小点,而你居住的地方又是多小的一隅啊,在那里存在的事物多么贫乏,而那些将要赞扬你的人又是什么样的人啊。

铭记一点:退居在你自身的小小的角落,尤其是不要让自己分心或是紧张,而是要自由自在不受拘束的,以一个人、一个存在体、一个公民、一个凡人的角度去观察这些事物。然而,对于那些你伸手可及的东西,就让它们存在于那里吧,无非是两类事物:一类是不会触及灵魂的事物,因为它们都是外在的、不可变更的;不过我们的不安也正是来自内心对这些事物的看法;另一类是所有的这些事物,你看到它们迅速地改变并消失;始终要记住一点:你已目睹了多少的改变。宇宙是一种转变,而生命是一种看法。

4.如果我们拥有共同的思维,那么我们作为理性存在体,理性也是共同的:如果真是这样,知道我们该做什么、不该做什么的理智也就是共同的了;如果真是这样,那就也存在一个共同的法则;如果真是这样,我们便是同伴关系的公民;如果真是这样,我们便是同一个政治社团的成员;如果真是这样,我们的世界在某种意义上来讲便是一个国家。因为有谁会说人类是其他共同政治社团的成员呢?因此,从这个共同的政治社团里,我们得到了思维能力、推理能力以及守法能力;要不然这些才能是从何而来的呢?因为正是大地赐予了我身体里土性的一部分,从别的元素中得到水性的部分,从某种特殊的来源里获得了热情暴躁的部分(从虚无中只能得到虚无,虚无也只能回归到虚无),因此,理性的部分也是从某个来源处获取的。

5.死亡和生殖一样,都是大自然的奥秘;从相同的元素中组成,又分解为那个元素。总之这并不是人类应该羞愧的事,因为这并不违背理性动物的本性,也不违背我们自身结构的理智。

6.由某种人做这些事是很自然的,这是必然的事情;如果一个人不能容忍这样的事,他也就无法容忍无花果树产生树液,可是不管怎样都要记住这一点:那就是你和他都要在不久的将来死去,而你的名字甚至也会很快被人们遗忘。

7.抛开你的看法,那样你也就抛开了烦恼,诸如“我被伤害了”之类的烦恼。当你抛开这一烦恼——“我被伤害了”,该伤害也就随之消失了。

8.不会使人变坏的事物也不会破坏他的生活,更不会从外界或是内心伤害到他。

9.普遍有用的事物是因被本性驱使而去做有用之事的。

10.把发生了的事都当成是理所应当的,如果你仔细观察,你就会发现事实真是如此。我并不是说,只有一系列事情的连续性是这样,而是在讨论什么是应当发生的,就仿佛是指派了万物价值的人做的一样。那么再像你刚刚开始时那样观察,不管你做什么,都要结合到这一点——行善事上,并且要有为大众认可的行善意识。在一言一行中都要注意这一点。

11.对万事万物都要真实地看待,切不可像那些误解你的人那样看待万物,也不可如他们所愿的那样对事物存有偏见。

12.一个人应当随时随地把这两条规则铭记心里:其一,只做道德和法律建议的对人类有益的事情;其二,如果有人矫正你的看法,或是想要移除你的看法,那就是在改变你的主张。然而,这里所说的改变自己的主张必须是由于别人的劝说,就像是对于正义的外延以及共同利益或者相似的问题的劝说一样,而不是因为改变自己的主张会带来愉悦和声誉。

13.你有理智吗?我有。那么,为什么你不运用它呢?因为如果你开始运用理智了,那你还想要别的什么呢?

14.你是作为一个部分而存在的。你也将会消失在创造你的物质中;但是更准确地说,你将通过嬗变回归到繁衍原则中去。

15.同一张圣餐桌上的大量乳香,一滴先滴落下,另一滴而后滴落下,但是它们并没有什么不同。

16.十天之内,在那些现在视你为野兽或是野猿的人将会把你奉为神灵,只要你回归自己的原则以及对理性的崇拜。

17.不要像是能活一万年地生活。死神正窥视着你。当你还活着,当你还有能力时,还是多多行善吧。

18.那些不在意邻居所说、所做和所想的人避免了多少麻烦,这些人只是关注自己的所作所为是否正义廉洁的;正如阿加松所说的那样,不要东张西望看其他人的道德沦丧,而是要沿着正义的轨迹笔直地前行,不可偏离。

19.急切追求生后名声的人不会想到,其实那些记住他的人很快也会死去;接着他们的子孙后代也死去了,所有关于他的记忆都随着那些愚昧崇拜的人们的死去而最终消失了。然而不妨假设一下,那些将会记住他的人永远都不会死,关于他的记忆永远都不会消失,即使这样,对于他来说又有什么意义呢?我并不是说这对死者有何意义,而是想说,这对活着的人有什么样的意义呢?称赞确实有某种功用,可除此以外又能带来什么呢?因为现在你不合时宜地拒绝了大自然的这份恩赐,而坚持其他的某种观点……

20.在某种意义上看,美丽的事物其本身就是美丽的,它的美丽是来源于自身,不需要称赞作为自身的一部分。那么即使被称赞了,也不会使某事物变好或者变坏。我坚持认为这同样适用于凡夫俗子眼里的所谓的美丽事物,比如物质的事物或是艺术作品。真正美丽的事物并不需要任何附属品,除了法则、真理、仁爱以及谦逊。这些事物难道是因为被称赞了所以才美丽的吗?或者因被责骂了而被损坏了吗?像祖母绿之类的事物难道因没被称赞而贬值了吗?比如黄金、象牙、紫袍、七弦琴、匕首、鲜花还有灌木。

21.如果灵魂仍然存在,大气怎样才能无穷无尽地容纳下它们呢?可是大地又是如何容纳下自古以来被埋葬的死者的躯体的呢?因为这些尸体在经过一段时间以后发生了改变,不管变成了什么,它们的分解都为其他死者的尸体提供了空间;而那些在土地里保存了一段时间之后,经过分解扩散到大气中的灵魂也是这样,它们在融入宇宙的繁衍智慧后获得了烈焰般的天性,然后以这样的方式为到那里的新的灵魂提供空间。而这便是一个人对灵魂仍然存在的假设可能给出的答案。但是我们必须不仅仅考虑到被埋葬的尸体的数量,同时也要考虑到我们和其他动物每天吃掉的动物的数量。因为被消费掉的动物的数量是多么大的数目啊,而在某种意义上来讲,它们都是被埋葬在食用它们的动物的体内!不过,大地还是以将尸体转变为血液、气体以及火焰般的元素而接受了它们。

在这件事上,对于真理的探究到底是怎样的呢?那就是区分形式的因和果。

22.不要左顾右盼,而要在一言一行中尊崇正义,并且每次对某个事物形成印象时都要保持良好的理解能力。

23.哦,宇宙啊,一切与你和谐相伴的事物也都与我和谐相伴。于我而言,没有什么是过早或者过晚的,一切都是在正合适的时间到来的。哦,大自然啊,一切于我都是四季带来的丰硕的果实:万物都来源于你,万物都存在于其中,万物都要回归到你的怀抱。诗人说,亲爱的塞克洛普斯城;而你不是要说,亲爱的宙斯之城?

24.哲人说,如果你想要得到安宁,那就少让纷繁的事物侵占你的心灵。然而不妨考虑一下这样说是否更好:做必要的事,做符合社会利益以及动物理性的事,并且还要像所要求的那样做。因为这样带来的安宁不仅仅是由于很好地完成了工作,还因为做了较少的事。因为我们的所说所做大部分并不是必要的,倘若一个人抛开这些,他将获得更多的休闲时光、更少不安的情绪。因此每次要做一件事时,都应该问问自己,这是没有必要做的事吗?现在每个人都应当不仅抛开那些不必要的行为,还要抛开不必要的想法,因为这样就不会有多余的事了。

25.试一试,怎样适应做一个好人的生活?所谓的做好人的生活就是要对于他从整体中分得的那一部分感到满足,还要对自身正义的行为以及仁爱的天性予以满足。

26.你曾看到过那些事吗?也要看看这些。不要使自己烦恼。使自己孑然一身。有人做错事了吗?即使有也是对自己犯的错。你发生什么事了吗?好吧,自古以来,宇宙间发生的所有的事就是分配好了,注定要发生在你身上的。总而言之,生命如白驹过隙。你必须以理性和正义的名义充分利用现在的时光。即使放松的时候也要保持头脑清醒。

27.这要么就是秩序井然的宇宙,要么就是挤作一团的混沌空间,但这仍然是一个宇宙。然而,你自身是否能存在一种秩序、而万物却处于无序混沌(乱)的状态呢?当万物都被隔离、扩散、产生共鸣时,你同样要保持这样的秩序。

28.性格是多种多样的:邪恶的、唯唯诺诺的、顽固的,又或是粗野的、幼稚的、野蛮的、愚昧的、虚伪的、粗俗的、欺骗的、暴虐的。

29.倘若他不了解宇宙里有些什么,那么他也就不能知晓宇宙间发生了些什么。他是一个背离社会理性的逃亡者;他是一个拒绝睁开理解双眸的盲人;他还是一个可怜虫,和别人一样有需求,却不能为自己创造有用的东西。他是宇宙间的一个脓肿,不满于发生的一切,脱离了我们共同的大自然的理性,因为是通过一个大自然创造了这些,也创造了你:他是从国家统一体里分离出来的一个碎片,他还把自己的灵魂从理性生物的统一体中分离出来。

30.两个哲人,一个没有穿束腰外衣,另一个没有随身携带书籍的。而这里还有一个半身赤裸的哲人:他说,我没有面包,我遵从理性。我还未从学识中顿悟生存之道,但我遵从理性。

31.热爱艺术吧,即使是贫乏的艺术,你已经得知了这一点,但要满足于此;像是一个已将全身心投入到对神灵的信仰的人那样度过余生,使你自己既不变成暴君又不变成任何人的奴隶。

不断观察万物的变迁

32.比如不妨想一想维斯帕先时代。你将会看到所有这些事情,人们婚丧嫁娶、养育后代、生老病死、战争、宗教节日、买卖、耕种、阿谀奉承、自负、猜疑、阴谋、诅咒、抱怨、爱情、聚敛钱财、渴求法老国王的权势。然而这些人现在早已不复存在了。我们再来到图拉真(Trajan)时代。情况也是一样。而他们也已离开这个世界了。相似的,再来看看历史上的其他阶段以及各个民族,看一看有多少人付出巨大的努力之后不久就倒下了,分解成了不同的元素。不过你主要还是应当想想那些你熟悉的人们,他们因为琐碎的事情而分心,他们疏忽了要去做符合自身结构的事,坚持做合适的事情,并以此感到满足。在此就有必要记住一点:对万物的关注有自身的价值和比例。因此你就不会不再满足了,只要你恰如其分地关注琐碎之事。

33.曾经很熟悉的词语现在已经过时了:同样的,那些过去拥有盛名的人的声名在某种程度上来说也已被遗忘了,比如卡密鲁斯,恺撒,沃勒塞斯,里奥纳图斯,以及稍后的希皮欧,加图,以及后来的奥古斯都,哈德良(Hadrain),和安东尼(Antoninus)。因为一切都已随风而逝,仅仅变成传说,而它们都被彻底遗忘了,已被淹没在历史的长河之中。我说的这种情况也适用于那些以完美的方式发出耀眼光芒的人群。而对于其他的人,一旦停止了呼吸也就消失了,不再有人谈论起他们。总之,究竟何为永恒的记念?其实什么也不是。那么我们应该为之呕心沥血的事业又是什么呢?它就是公正的判断、社会化的行为、不说谎言、乐于接受发生的所有事情的乐观性格,把这些事都当作是必然要发生的、寻常的、本于原则的事情。

34.愿意把自己献给命运女神之一的克罗梭,就让她随心所欲地纺织你的命运之线吧。

35.一切都只存在一天的时间而已,不管是记住的还是被记住的。

36.不断观察万物的变迁,养成思考的习惯,思考宇宙本性是那么热爱改变已然存在的事物并创造出与它们相似的新的事物。因为存在着的万物在某种程度上来说都是未来新事物的种子。然而你只想得到孕育在土壤里或是子宫里的种子,但这是一个非常庸俗的想法。

37.你不久就是要死去的,然而你并不朴实,也没有摆脱烦恼,没有摆脱可能要为外界事物伤害的猜疑,更没有学会善待万物,你并没有将自己的智慧运用于正义地作为中去。

38.考察人们主要的原则,就连那些充满智慧的人也要考察,他们在回避什么,又在追求什么呢?

39.对你而言的罪恶并不存在于别人的原则之中,也不存在身体的转变中。那么罪恶究竟在哪里呢?其实它是你的一部分,它就存在于你对于罪恶形成个人看法的能力之中。那就不要让这种能力形成对恶的看法,相信一切都是善良的。而如果最接近它的可怜的肉体被灼伤、腐蚀,也不要让那个形成看法的部分保持冷静,也就是说,要让它判断公平地发生在恶人或是好人身上的事没有好坏之分。因为同样发生在违背本性和依从本性生活的人身上的事情既非遵从宇宙本性,也并非有悖于本性的。

40.始终要把宇宙当作是一个有生命的存在体,有灵也有肉;还要观察万物是如何与感知能力,有生命的存在体的感知力发生关联的;万物又是如何与运动和谐存在的;如何与存在着的万物的因相互合作的;同样也要观察命运之线不断纠缠以及交际网络各部分的关联。

41.彼特图斯曾经说过,你是一个裹挟着肉体的微不足道的灵魂。

42.事物的改变并不是罪恶,而事物经历变化继续存在也并非不是什么好事。

43.时间就像是一条由发生的一连串事件组成的河流,一条湍急的河流;因为一被看见的事物立即就被河水裹挟走了,而立刻就有另一个事物取代了它的位置,而它也会很快被取代。

44.发生的所有事情都如春天里的玫瑰、夏天里的果实一样为人所熟知,而疾病、死亡、诽谤、背叛还有其他让愚蠢的人开心或烦恼的事也同样为人所熟悉。

45.在一系列事情中,后发生的总是和先发生的相契合;因为这一系列的事情并非仅仅像是脱节的事的列举,也并非仅仅是必然发生的一连串事情,而是理性的关联:就像一切存在的事物被安排和谐相处一样,因此这些事物表现出的不仅仅是连续的序列,更是某种精彩的联系。

46.永远都要记住赫拉克利特的一句话,土死即变为水,水死即变为气,气死即变为火,然后再倒转过来。也要想想那些忘记了前方道路通向何方的人们,想想他们与其常常接触的人争吵,统治宇宙的理性,每天遇到的似乎是陌生的事情:想想我们不应该像以睡眠状态去行动、说话,因为我们即便在睡眠中也会行为和说话;我们也不应该像孩子般,从家长那里学到如何行为和说话,只是简单地像被教导着那样行为和说话。

47.如果有神灵告诉你你明天就要死去了,或者是后天,你不应该在意死神究竟是在第三天还是明天,因为这其中的区别是多么小啊。因此不要把死亡当作是件大事,多年之后死去和明天就死去并没有什么大的区别。

48.接着再想想有多少医生在常常对病患者紧皱眉头后死去了;有多少占星家在自命不凡地预告别人的死亡后自己也死去了;多少哲人在无休止地讨论死亡或永生的问题后死去了;多少英雄在斩杀数万敌人之后还是死去了;多少暴君肆无忌惮地使用他们操纵子民性命的人,以为自己是永生的,可最后还是死去了;再说多少的城市已彻底毁灭了,例如赫里斯、庞培和赫库兰尼姆还有其他数不尽的城市。把你知道的人加起来,一个接着一个。一个人埋葬了另一个人,接着又有人掩埋了他:这一切都发生在很短的时间里。总而言之,始终要观察人类是多么短暂的存在,多么渺小,而昨日只是一点点粘液的东西明天就变成木乃伊或是灰烬。那么就根据本性自然地通过该时间空间,在满足里结束旅程,就好像一棵橄榄在成熟之后掉落下来,这都靠大自然创造了它,也要归功于它生长的那棵树。

49.就像是海浪不断拍打的海崖,但是海崖依旧坚定地挺立在那里,驯服着四周怒吼的海浪。

我并不快乐,因为此事正发生在我的身上。不要这样想,而是要想我是快乐的,尽管这事发生在我身上了,因为我依旧置身于痛苦之外,既不因现在而受创伤,也不因未来而忧心忡忡。因为诸如此事的这一类事情也许已发生在每个人身上了;然而不是每个人在遭遇这事时都能置身痛苦之外的。那么为什么这不是一件好事而是一件不幸的事呢?难道只要是遭遇了偏离了人类本性的事,你才称之为不幸吗?如果违背了人类原本意愿的事情,你就认为是偏离了人类本性的事吗?哦,你理解本性的意愿!那么发生的这件事会阻碍你成为一个正直、有气度的、审慎的、体贴的人吗?它会阻止你成为一个谦逊的、自由的以及拥有其他美好品质的人吗?而事实上,人类的本性就是通过这些美好品质来获取属于自己的东西的。请记住:要在每一次遭遇烦恼的时候都运用这条原则,那就是,这烦恼并不是什么不幸,而高贵地承受这烦恼就是一大幸事。

50.想一想那些坚定地守护生命的人,就会知道蔑视死亡对于消除对死亡的恐惧是一个通俗却很有用的方法。他们得到的是不是比那些早早死去的人要多呢?当然,他们最后都躺在他们的坟墓里了,卡迪贤努斯(Cadicianus),法比尔斯(Fabius),朱利安努斯(Julianus),莱皮杜斯(Lepidus),或者像他们一样的人们,他们都曾埋葬了许多人,但后来自己又被人埋葬了。总之,生与死之间的距离是如此短暂,想想生命中裹挟着多少烦恼,与什么样的人作伴,肉体又是多么脆弱,多么艰难地走过人生旅程,那就不要把生命看得太重。因为看看你生后的无限的时间,再看看你出生之前的无限的时间,你看,无论是你死后还是出生以前的时间都是如此漫长的,那么活三天和活到孙辈都出生的年纪又有什么区别呢?

51.路总是短暂的;短暂的道路都是极其自然的;根据健全的理性说话和做事。因为这样的言行使人摆脱烦恼、战乱、诡计以及夸耀。

1.That which rules within, when it is according to nature, is so affected with respect to the events which happen, that it always easily adapts itself to that which is and is presented to it. For it requires no definite material, but it moves towards its purpose, under certain conditions however; and it makes a material for itself out of that which opposes it, as fire lays hold of what falls into it, by which a small light would have been extinguished: but when the fire is strong, it soon appropriates to itself the matter which is heaped on it, and consumes it, and rises higher by means of this very material.

2.Let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according to the perfect principles of art.

3.Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much. But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself. For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquility; and I affirm that tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself; and let thy principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as thou shalt recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely, and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which thou returnest. For with what art thou discontented. With the badness of men. Recall to thy mind this conclusion, that rational animals exist for one another, and that to endure is a part of justice, and that men do wrong involuntarily; and consider how many already, after mutual enmity, suspicion, hatred, and fighting, have been stretched dead, reduced to ashes; and be quiet at last.- But perhaps thou art dissatisfied with that which is assigned to thee out of the universe.- Recall to thy recollection this alternative; either there is providence or atoms, fortuitous concurrence of things; or remember the arguments by which it has been proved that the world is a kind of political community, and be quiet at last.- But perhaps corporeal things will still fasten upon thee.- Consider then further that the mind mingles not with the breath, whether moving gently or violently, when it has once drawn itself apart and discovered its own power, and think also of all that thou hast heard and assented to about pain and pleasure, and be quiet at last.- But perhaps the desire of the thing called fame will torment thee.- See how soon everything is forgotten, and look at the chaos of infinite time on each side of the present, and the emptiness of applause, and the changeableness and want of judgement in those who pretend to give praise, and the narrowness of the space within which it is circumscribed, and be quiet at last. For the whole earth is a point, and how small a nook in it is this thy dwelling, and how few are there in it, and what kind of people are they who will praise thee.

This then remains: Remember to retire into this little territory of thy own, and above all do not distract or strain thyself, but be free, and look at things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen, as a mortal. But among the things readiest to thy hand to which thou shalt turn, let there be these, which are two. One is that things do not touch the soul, for they are external and remain immovable; but our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within. The other is that all these things, which thou seest, change immediately and will no longer be; and constantly bear in mind how many of these changes thou hast already witnessed. The universe is transformation: life is opinion.

4.If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of which we are rational beings, is common: if this is so, common also is the reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do; if this is so, there is a common law also; if this is so, we are fellow-citizens; if this is so, we are members of some political community; if this is so, the world is in a manner a state. For of what other common political community will any one say that the whole human race are members. And from thence, from this common political community comes also our very intellectual faculty and reasoning faculty and our capacity for law; or whence do they come. For as my earthly part is a portion given to me from certain earth, and that which is watery from another element, and that which is hot and fiery from some peculiar source (for nothing comes out of that which is nothing, as nothing also returns to non-existence), so also the intellectual part comes from some source.

5.Death is such as generation is, a mystery of nature; a composition out of the same elements, and a decomposition into the same; and altogether not a thing of which any man should be ashamed, for it is not contrary to the nature of a reasonable animal, and not contrary to the reason of our constitution.

6.It is natural that these things should be done by such persons, it is a matter of necessity; and if a man will not have it so, he will not allow the fig-tree to have juice. But by all means bear this in mind, that within a very short time both thou and he will be dead; and soon not even your names will be left behind.

7.Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint, “I have been harmed.” Take away the complaint, “I have been harmed,” and the harm is taken away.

8.That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.

9.The nature of that which is universally useful has been compelled to do this.

10.Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. I do not say only with respect to the continuity of the series of things, but with respect to what is just, and as if it were done by one who assigns to each thing its value. Observe then as thou hast begun; and whatever thou doest, do it in conjunction with this, the being good, and in the sense in which a man is properly understood to be good. Keep to this in every action.

11.Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong, or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in truth.

12.A man should always have these two rules in readiness; the one, to do only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty may suggest for the use of men; the other, to change thy opinion, if there is any one at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from any opinion. But this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain persuasion, as of what is just or of common advantage, and the like, not because it appears pleasant or brings reputation.

13.Hast thou reason. I have.- Why then dost not thou use it. For if this does its own work, what else dost thou wish.

14.Thou hast existed as a part. Thou shalt disappear in that which produced thee; but rather thou shalt be received back into its seminal principle by transmutation.

15.Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before, another falls after; but it makes no difference.

16.Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now a beast and an ape, if thou wilt return to thy principles and the worship of reason.

17.Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

18.How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure; or as Agathon says, look not round at the depraved morals of others, but run straight along the line without deviating from it.

19.He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very soon; then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through men who foolishly admire and perish. But suppose that those who will remember are even immortal, and that the remembrance will be immortal, what then is this to thee. And I say not what is it to the dead, but what is it to the living. What is praise except indeed so far as it has a certain utility. For thou now rejectest unseasonably the gift of nature, clinging to something else...

20.Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm this also of the things which are called beautiful by the vulgar, for example, material things and works of art. That which is really beautiful has no need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more than benevolence or modesty. Which of these things is beautiful because it is praised, or spoiled by being blamed. Is such a thing as an emerald made worse than it was, if it is not praised. Or gold, ivory, purple, a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a shrub.

21.If souls continue to exist, how does the air contain them from eternity.-But how does the earth contain the bodies of those who have been buried from time so remote. For as here the mutation of these bodies after a certain continuance, whatever it may be, and their dissolution make room for other dead bodies; so the souls which are removed into the air after subsisting for some time are transmuted and diffused, and assume a fiery nature by being received into the seminal intelligence of the universe, and in this way make room for the fresh souls which come to dwell there. And this is the answer which a man might give on the hypothesis of souls continuing to exist. But we must not only think of the number of bodies which are thus buried, but also of the number of animals which are daily eaten by us and the other animals. For what a number is consumed, and thus in a manner buried in the bodies of those who feed on them! And nevertheless this earth receives them by reason of the changes of these bodies into blood, and the transformations into the aerial or the fiery element.

What is the investigation into the truth in this matter. The division into that which is material and that which is the cause of form, the formal.

22.Do not be whirled about, but in every movement have respect to justice, and on the occasion of every impression maintain the faculty of comprehension or understanding.

23.Everything harmonizes with me, which is harmonious to thee, O Universe. Nothing for me is too early nor too late, which is in due time for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O Nature: from thee are all things, in thee are all things, to thee all things return. The poet says, Dear city of Cecrops; and wilt not thou say, Dear city of Zeus.

24.Occupy thyself with few things, says the philosopher, if thou wouldst be tranquil.- But consider if it would not be better to say, Do what is necessary, and whatever the reason of the animal which is naturally social requires, and as it requires. For this brings not only the tranquility which comes from doing well, but also that which comes from doing few things. For the greatest part of what we say and do being unnecessary, if a man takes this away, he will have more leisure and less uneasiness. Accordingly on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things. Now a man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also, unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after.

25.Try how the life of the good man suits thee, the life of him who is satisfied with his portion out of the whole, and satisfied with his own just acts and benevo-lent disposition.

26.Hast thou seen those things. Look also at these. Do not disturb thyself. Make thyself all simplicity. Does any one do wrong. It is to himself that he does the wrong. Has anything happened to thee. Well; out of the universe from the beginning everything which happens has been apportioned and spun out to thee. In a word, thy life is short. Thou must turn to profit the present by the aid of reason and justice. Be sober in thy relaxation.

27.Either it is a well-arranged universe or a chaos huddled together, but still a universe. But can a certain order subsist in thee, and disorder in the All. And this too when all things are so separated and diffused and sympathetic.

28.A black character, a womanish character, a stubborn character, bestial, childish, animal, stupid, counterfeit, scurrilous, fraudulent, tyrannical.

29.If he is a stranger to the universe who does not know what is in it, no less is he a stranger who does not know what is going on in it. He is a runaway, who flies from social reason; he is blind, who shuts the eyes of the understanding; he is poor, who has need of another, and has not from himself all things which are useful for life. He is an abscess on the universe who withdraws and separates himself from the reason of our common nature through being displeased with the things which happen, for the same nature produces this, and has produced thee too: he is a piece rent asunder from the state, who tears his own soul from that of reasonable animals, which is one.

30.The one is a philosopher without a tunic, and the other without a book: here is another half naked: Bread I have not, he says, and I abide by reason.- And I do not get the means of living out of my learning, and I abide by my reason.

31.Love the art, poor as it may be, which thou hast learned, and be content with it; and pass through the rest of life like one who has intrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has, making thyself neither the tyrant nor the slave of any man.

32.Consider, for example, the times of Vespasian. Thou wilt see all these things, people marrying, bringing up children, sick, dying, warring, feasting, trafficking, cultivating the ground, flattering, obstinately arrogant, suspecting, plotting, wishing for some to die, grumbling about the present, loving, heaping up treasure, desiring counsulship, kingly power. Well then, that life of these people no longer exists at all. Again, remove to the times of Trajan. Again, all is the same. Their life too is gone. In like manner view also the other epochs of time and of whole nations, and see how many after great efforts soon fell and were resolved into the elements. But chiefly thou shouldst think of those whom thou hast thyself known distracting themselves about idle things, neglecting to do what was in accordance with their proper constitution, and to hold firmly to this and to be content with it. And herein it is necessary to remember that the attention given to everything has its proper value and proportion. For thus thou wilt not be dissatisfied, if thou appliest thyself to smaller matters no further than is fit.

33.The words which were formerly familiar are now antiquated: so also the names of those who were famed of old, are now in a manner antiquated, Camillus, Caeso, Volesus, Leonnatus, and a little after also Scipio and Cato, then Augustus, then also Hadrian and Antoninus. For all things soon pass away and become a mere tale, and complete oblivion soon buries them. And I say this of those who have shone in a wondrous way. For the rest, as soon as they have breathed out their breath, they are gone, and no man speaks of them. And, to conclude the matter, what is even an eternal remembrance. A mere nothing. What then is that about which we ought to employ our serious pains. This one thing, thoughts just, and acts social, and words which never lie, and a disposition which gladly accepts all that happens, as necessary, as usual, as flowing from a principle and source of the same kind.

34.Willingly give thyself up to Clotho, one of the Fates, allowing her to spin thy thread into whatever things she pleases.

35.Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered.

36.Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be. But thou art thinking only of seeds which are cast into the earth or into a womb: but this is a very vulgar notion.

37.Thou wilt soon die, and thou art not yet simple, not free from perturbations, nor without suspicion of being hurt by external things, nor kindly disposed towards all; nor dost thou yet place wisdom only in acting justly.

38.Examine men’s ruling principles, even those of the wise, what kind of things they avoid, and what kind they pursue.

39.What is evil to thee does not subsist in the ruling principle of another; nor yet in any turning and mutation of thy corporeal covering. Where is it then. It is in that part of thee in which subsists the power of forming opinions about evils. Let this power then not form such opinions, and all is well. And if that which is nearest to it, the poor body, is burnt, filled with matter and rottenness, nevertheless let the part which forms opinions about these things be quiet, that is, let it judge that nothing is either bad or good which can happen equally to the bad man and the good. For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to nature and to him who lives according to nature, is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature.

40.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.

41.Thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse, as Epictetus used to say.

42.It is no evil for things to undergo change, and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change.

43.Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.

44.Everything which happens is as familiar and well known as the rose in spring and the fruit in summer; for such is disease, and death, and calumny, and treachery, and whatever else delights fools or vexes them.

45.In the series of things those which follow are always aptly fitted to those which have gone before; for this series is not like a mere enumeration of disjointed things, which has only a necessary sequence, but it is a rational connection: and as all existing things are arranged together harmoniously, so the things which come into existence exhibit no mere succession, but a certain wonderful relationship.

46.Always remember the saying of Heraclitus, that the death of earth is to become water, and the death of water is to become air, and the death of air is to become fire, and reversely. And think too of him who forgets whither the way leads, and that men quarrel with that with which they are most constantly in communion, the reason which governs the universe; and the things which daily meet with seem to them strange: and consider that we ought not to act and speak as if we were asleep, for even in sleep we seem to act and speak; and that we ought not, like children who learn from their parents, simply to act and speak as we have been taught.

47.If any god told thee that thou shalt die to-morrow, or certainly on the day after to-morrow, thou wouldst not care much whether it was on the third day or on the morrow, unless thou wast in the highest degree mean-spirited- for how small is the difference.- So think it no great thing to die after as many years as thou canst name rather than to-morrow.

48.Think continually how many physicians are dead after often contracting their eyebrows over the sick; and how many astrologers after predicting with great pretensions the deaths of others; and how many philosophers after endless discourses on death or immortality; how many heroes after killing thousands; and how many tyrants who have used their power over men’s lives with terrible insolence as if they were immortal; and how many cities are entirely dead, so to speak, Helice and Pompeii and Herculaneum, and others innumerable. Add to the reckoning all whom thou hast known, one after another. One man after burying another has been laid out dead, and another buries him: and all this in a short time. To conclude, always observe how ephemeral and worthless human things are, and what was yesterday a little mucus to-morrow will be a mummy or ashes. Pass then through this little space of time conformably to nature, and end thy journey in content, just as an olive falls off when it is ripe, blessing nature who produced it, and thanking the tree on which it grew.

49.Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.

Unhappy am I because this has happened to me.- Not so, but happy am I, though this has happened to me, because I continue free from pain, neither crushed by the present nor fearing the future. For such a thing as this might have happened to every man; but every man would not have continued free from pain on such an occasion. Why then is that rather a misfortune than this a good fortune. And dost thou in all cases call that a man’s misfortune, which is not a deviation from man’s nature. And does a thing seem to thee to be a deviation from man’s nature, when it is not contrary to the will of man’s nature. Well, thou knowest the will of nature. Will then this which has happened prevent thee from being just, magnanimous, temperate, prudent, secure against inconsiderate opinions and falsehood; will it prevent thee from having modesty, freedom, and everything else, by the presence of which man’s nature obtains all that is its own. Remember too on every occasion which leads thee to vexation to apply this principle: not that this is a misfortune, but that to bear it nobly is good fortune.

50.It is a vulgar, but still a useful help towards contempt of death, to pass in review those who have tenaciously stuck to life. What more then have they gained than those who have died early. Certainly they lie in their tombs somewhere at last, Cadicianus, Fabius, Julianus, Lepidus, or any one else like them, who have carried out many to be buried, and then were carried out themselves. Altogether the interval is small between birth and death; and consider with how much trouble, and in company with what sort of people and in what a feeble body this interval is laboriously passed. Do not then consider life a thing of any value. For look to the immensity of time behind thee, and to the time which is before thee, another boundless space. In this infinity then what is the difference between him who lives three days and him who lives three generations.

51.Always run to the short way; and the short way is the natural: accordingly say and do everything in conformity with the soundest reason. For such a purpose frees a man from trouble, and warfare, and all artifice and ostentatious display.

Book Five 卷五

用思想滋养你的心灵

1.在早晨,当你不情愿地起床时,请这样想:我起来是去做一个人的工作。我们因为这些工作而存在,我们因为这些工作而来到这个世界,那么我们去做这些工作为什么会不乐意呢?难道我是为了躲在温暖的被子里睡觉而生的吗?——这的确更舒服——但你存在就只是为了获取快乐,你存在的意义完全与行动和努力无关吗?你没有看到小小的植物、小鸟、蚂蚁、蜘蛛、蜜蜂都在一起工作、履行着自己在宇宙中的职责吗?难道你不愿意去做一个人的工作,不感到急切去做那与本性一致的事吗?——但休息也是必要的——是,休息是必要的,但自然也为这划定了界限,她为吃喝规定了界限,但你还是超出了这些限制,超出了足够的范围;而在行动上,你却恰恰相反,还没做够你就停止了,所以你不爱自己。若你爱自己的话,你就会爱你的本性及其意志。那些热爱自己技能的人都因工作而精疲力竭,顾不上洗澡,也忘记了饥饿;杂耍艺人会尊重他的杂耍技艺,舞蹈家尊重自己的舞蹈技艺,守财奴尊重他的金钱,哪怕是自负者也会尊重他小小的荣誉,而你对自己本性的尊重却还不如他们。这些人,当他们对一件事有着强烈的喜爱时,废寝忘食也要在这件他们所在乎的事情上精益求精。而在你眼里,难道有益于社会的行为是邪恶的,是不值得你去为之努力的吗?

2.清除一切令人苦恼或不适的想法,迅速地进入彻底的宁静之中,这是多么容易啊。

3.根据本性来判断自己的一言一行是否合适,不要受到他人的谴责或言语的影响,但是如果你能做的某件事或说的某句话对他人有益,不要觉得它对你没有价值。因为别人有自己独特的指导原则,他们遵循着这些原则一步步地行动;你无需理会那些事情,只管迈步向前,遵从你自己的本性和事物共同的本性;你自己的本性和事物共同的本性的道路其实是同一条。

4.根据本性,我经历该发生的事情,直到我倒下安息,我呼出的气息转化为我每日吸入的元素,直到我倒在这块土地上。在这片土地上,我的父亲收集种子,我的母亲得到血液,我的奶妈获取奶汁,许多年来,这片土地给了我食物与水;当我践踏它时,当我因很多目的滥用它时,它依旧承担着我的重量、支撑着我。

5.你说,人们欣赏不了你的智慧——暂且认为你是对的吧。但是,有许多别的事情,你不能说这些事你先天就不适合。展示那些完全在你力量范围内的品质吧:真诚,严肃,吃苦耐劳,不贪图享乐,满足于自己应得的份额,知足常乐,乐善好施,坦白,不贪婪,适时适度的慷慨。你难道没有看到你身上能立即展示出来的那么多品质吗?你没有借口说你天生无能不具备这些品质,你甘愿使自己停留在标准之下吗?还是你先天就不健全以至于无法自控,必须要抱怨、吝啬、谄媚、对自己的健康不满、逢迎他人、哗众取宠和内心焦虑不安吗?不,绝对不是,你原本可以很早就从这些事情中解脱出来,除非你的理解力的确天生就相当迟钝,但即便如此,你也必须在这方面训练自己,不忽视你的迟钝也不能以迟钝为乐。

6.有一个人,当他为别人做了一件好事时,他就准备把这件好事当作恩惠记到自己账上。还有一个人他不会这样做,但他还是会认为这个人欠了他什么,而且他记着自己曾给予的恩惠。第三个人甚至不知道他自己做了什么,他就像一株结出葡萄的葡萄藤一样,在结出了应有的果实之后就别无所求了。就像马奔腾、狗追寻猎物、蜜蜂酿蜜一样,一个人做了一件好事之后,不需要呼喊着叫他们来观看,而是继续去做另一件好事,就像葡萄藤在下一个季节继续结出果实一样。只去行动,却不会刻意留心自己的行动,人是否也要成为这样一类人呢?是的,但留心自己的行动也是必要的,也就是观察一个人正在做的事情。因为可以说,感知到自己正以社会一分子的方式在工作,同时确实希望他的社会同伴也感知到了他的举动,这是社会动物的一个特征。——你说的没错, 但是你却没有正确地理解现在我在说的事情。因此,你就成了我以前说到过的那类人,他们被理性的表象所误导。但是如果你愿意理解我现在说的话,你不用害怕你会遗漏任何的社会行动。

7.雅典人有一个祈祷是:降雨吧,降雨吧,亲爱的宙斯,请降雨在雅典人耕种的土地上,请降雨在平原上。我们其实不应当祈祷,但是如若要祈祷的话,我们应以这种简单和高贵的方式来祈祷。

8.爱斯库拉皮厄斯(注:爱斯库拉皮厄斯,罗马神话里的医神,专司医疗及医药)给人开药方,让人们练习骑马、洗冷水浴或赤足行走,我们理解了爱斯库拉皮厄斯的话。同样地,我们也一定要理解这样的话:宇宙的本质是给人开药方,让他经历生病、残疾、损失或之类的事情。因为在第一种情况里,开药方的意思是这样的:他为这个人开药方以使他获得健康;但在第二种情况里,它的意思则是:根据命运,每个人经历那些注定要发生(或适合于他)的事情。因为,这就是我们说“某些事情对我们合适”时所表达的含义,正如工匠们将方形石头一块块地连接起来时,说这些方形石头在墙壁或金字塔上合适一样。因为这个整体是那么适合、那么和谐。所有的成分将宇宙组成了一个整体,就是宇宙现在的样子,在所有存在的原因之中,必然性(命运)就成为了这样一个原因。即使那些完全无知的人也明白我的意思,因为他们说:是它(必然性、命运)使这样一个人明白了这件事情。于是,这些话被带到了他的生命中,成为了他的一剂药方。那么,让我们如同接受爱斯库拉皮厄斯的药方一般接受这些事情吧!在他的开方中,当然也有许多令人不悦的地方,但由于渴望健康,我们都接受了。各样事情的完满与完成,共同的本性断定它是有益的,将它视为与你的健康同类的事情吧!接受发生的每一件事,即使它看来令人不悦,因为是这些事促成了宇宙的健全与宙斯(宇宙)的成功和幸福。因为宙斯带给任何人的任何事情,都是对整体有用的,否则当初他就不会那样做了。不论是任何事物的本性,都不可能引起任何与它所支配的事物不相宜的事情。有两个理由,你应当对发生在你身上的事情感到满意:第一,它是为你而发生的,是给你开的药方,并且在某种程度上它与你有关联,是源于那些与你的命运相关的最古老的原因;第二个原因是,即使那些单独地发生于每个人身上的事情,对于支配宇宙的力量来说也是幸福和圆满的一个诱因,更不用说是继续存在的原因了。如果你拿走一些事物从而将部分或原因的连贯性打断,整体的完整性就被破坏了。而当你感到不满,你试图将你控制力内的某件事情破坏时,其实你的确破坏了整体的连贯性。

9.如果你根据正确的原则去做事,却没有成功,请不要厌恶,不

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