DioLiu/Test1 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 78
into fish-ponds, labourings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings
about of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings- all alike.
It is thy duty then in the midst of such things to show good humour
and not a proud air; to understand however that every man is worth
just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.

In discourse thou must attend to what is said, and in every movement
thou must observe what is doing. And in the one thou shouldst see
immediately to what end it refers, but in the other watch carefully
what is the thing signified.

Is my understanding sufficient for this or not? If it is sufficient,
I use it for the work as an instrument given by the universal nature.
But if it is not sufficient, then either I retire from the work and
give way to him who is able to do it better, unless there be some
reason why I ought not to do so; or I do it as well as I can, taking
to help me the man who with the aid of my ruling principle can do
what is now fit and useful for the general good. For whatsoever either
by myself or with another I can do, ought to be directed to this only,
to that which is useful and well suited to society.

How many after being celebrated by fame have been given up to oblivion;
and how many who have celebrated the fame of others have long been
dead.

Be not ashamed to be helped; for it is thy business to do thy duty
like a soldier in the assault on a town. How then, if being lame thou
canst not mount up on the battlements alone, but with the help of
another it is possible?

Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if
it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now
thou usest for present things.

All things are implicated with one another, and the bond is holy;
and there is hardly anything unconnected with any other thing. For
things have been co-ordinated, and they combine to form the same universe
(order). For there is one universe made up of all things, and one
God who pervades all things, and one substance, and one law, one common
reason in all intelligent animals, and one truth; if indeed there
is also one perfection for all animals which are of the same stock
and participate in the same reason.

Everything material soon disappears in the substance of the whole;
and everything formal (causal) is very soon taken back into the universal
reason; and the memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.

To the rational animal the same act is according to nature and according
to reason.

Be thou erect, or be made erect.
Just as it is with the members in those bodies which are united in
one, so it is with rational beings which exist separate, for they
have been constituted for one co-operation. And the perception of
this will be more apparent to thee, if thou often sayest to thyself
that I am a member (melos) of the system of rational beings. But if
(using the letter r) thou sayest that thou art a part (meros) thou
dost not yet love men from thy heart; beneficence does not yet delight
thee for its own sake; thou still doest it barely as a thing of propriety,
and not yet as doing good to thyself.

Let there fall externally what will on the parts which can feel the
effects of this fall. For those parts which have felt will complain,
if they choose. But I, unless I think that what has happened is an
evil, am not injured. And it is in my power not to think so.

Whatever any one does or says, I must be good, just as if the gold,
or the emerald, or the purple were always saying this, Whatever any
one does or says, I must be emerald and keep my colour.

The ruling faculty does not disturb itself; I mean, does not frighten
itself or cause itself pain. But if any one else can frighten or pain
it, let him do so. For the faculty itself will not by its own opinion
turn itself into such ways. Let the body itself take care, if it can,
that is suffer nothing, and let it speak, if it suffers. But the soul
itself, that which is subject to fear, to pain, which has completely
the power of forming an opinion about these things, will suffer nothing,
for it will never deviate into such a judgement. The leading principle
in itself wants nothing, unless it makes a want for itself; and therefore
it is both free from perturbation and unimpeded, if it does not disturb
and impede itself.

Eudaemonia (happiness) is a good daemon, or a good thing. What then
art thou doing here, O imagination? Go away, I entreat thee by the
gods, as thou didst come, for I want thee not. But thou art come according
to thy old fashion. I am not angry with thee: only go away.

Is any man afraid of change? Why what can take place without change?
What then is more pleasing or more suitable to the universal nature?
And canst thou take a bath unless the wood undergoes a change? And
canst thou be nourished, unless the food undergoes a change? And can
anything else that is useful be accomplished without change? Dost
thou not see then that for thyself also to change is just the same,
and equally necessary for the universal nature?

Through the universal substance as through a furious torrent all bodies
are carried, being by their nature united with and cooperating with
the whole, as the parts of our body with one another. How many a Chrysippus,
how many a Socrates, how many an Epictetus has time already swallowed
up? And let the same thought occur to thee with reference to every

into fish-ponds, labourings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings

about of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings- all alike.

It is thy duty then in the midst of such things to show good humour

and not a proud air; to understand however that every man is worth

just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.

In discourse thou must attend to what is said, and in every movement

thou must observe what is doing. And in the one thou shouldst see

immediately to what end it refers, but in the other watch carefully

what is the thing signified.

Is my understanding sufficient for this or not? If it is sufficient,

I use it for the work as an instrument given by the universal nature.

But if it is not sufficient, then either I retire from the work and

give way to him who is able to do it better, unless there be some

reason why I ought not to do so; or I do it as well as I can, taking

to help me the man who with the aid of my ruling principle can do

what is now fit and useful for the general good. For whatsoever either

by myself or with another I can do, ought to be directed to this only,

to that which is useful and well suited to society.

How many after being celebrated by fame have been given up to oblivion;

and how many who have celebrated the fame of others have long been

dead.

Be not ashamed to be helped; for it is thy business to do thy duty

like a soldier in the assault on a town. How then, if being lame thou

canst not mount up on the battlements alone, but with the help of

another it is possible?

Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if

it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now

thou usest for present things.

All things are implicated with one another, and the bond is holy;

and there is hardly anything unconnected with any other thing. For

things have been co-ordinated, and they combine to form the same universe

(order). For there is one universe made up of all things, and one

God who pervades all things, and one substance, and one law, one common

reason in all intelligent animals, and one truth; if indeed there

is also one perfection for all animals which are of the same stock

and participate in the same reason.

Everything material soon disappears in the substance of the whole;

and everything formal (causal) is very soon taken back into the universal

reason; and the memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.

To the rational animal the same act is according to nature and according

to reason.

Be thou erect, or be made erect.

Just as it is with the members in those bodies which are united in

one, so it is with rational beings which exist separate, for they

have been constituted for one co-operation. And the perception of

this will be more apparent to thee, if thou often sayest to thyself

that I am a member (melos) of the system of rational beings. But if

(using the letter r) thou sayest that thou art a part (meros) thou

dost not yet love men from thy heart; beneficence does not yet delight

thee for its own sake; thou still doest it barely as a thing of propriety,

and not yet as doing good to thyself.

Let there fall externally what will on the parts which can feel the

effects of this fall. For those parts which have felt will complain,

if they choose. But I, unless I think that what has happened is an

evil, am not injured. And it is in my power not to think so.

Whatever any one does or says, I must be good, just as if the gold,

or the emerald, or the purple were always saying this, Whatever any

one does or says, I must be emerald and keep my colour.

The ruling faculty does not disturb itself; I mean, does not frighten

itself or cause itself pain. But if any one else can frighten or pain

it, let him do so. For the faculty itself will not by its own opinion

turn itself into such ways. Let the body itself take care, if it can,

that is suffer nothing, and let it speak, if it suffers. But the soul

itself, that which is subject to fear, to pain, which has completely

the power of forming an opinion about these things, will suffer nothing,

for it will never deviate into such a judgement. The leading principle

in itself wants nothing, unless it makes a want for itself; and therefore

it is both free from perturbation and unimpeded, if it does not disturb

and impede itself.

Eudaemonia (happiness) is a good daemon, or a good thing. What then

art thou doing here, O imagination? Go away, I entreat thee by the

gods, as thou didst come, for I want thee not. But thou art come according

to thy old fashion. I am not angry with thee: only go away.

Is any man afraid of change? Why what can take place without change?

What then is more pleasing or more suitable to the universal nature?

And canst thou take a bath unless the wood undergoes a change? And

canst thou be nourished, unless the food undergoes a change? And can

anything else that is useful be accomplished without change? Dost

thou not see then that for thyself also to change is just the same,

and equally necessary for the universal nature?

Through the universal substance as through a furious torrent all bodies

are carried, being by their nature united with and cooperating with

the whole, as the parts of our body with one another. How many a Chrysippus,

how many a Socrates, how many an Epictetus has time already swallowed

up? And let the same thought occur to thee with reference to every