Wait upon God, ye men. When He calls you, and releases you from [pg 056] service, then go to Him; but for the present remain quietly in the position in which He has placed you. You carry a god about with you, and do not know it, unhappy one! You have him within yourself, and do not notice it when you defile him with unclean thoughts or foul deeds. Cultivate the will to satisfy yourself, and to stand right before God. Strive to become pure, one with yourself and one with God. Think silence best; say only what is necessary, and say it shortly. Above all, do not talk about thy fellow-men, either to praise them, or to blame them, or to compare them with others. Do not swear; never, if possible, or at any rate as seldom as possible. Your bodily wants—food, drink, clothing, housing, service—satisfy in the simplest way. Avoid unseemly joking, for there is always a danger of becoming vulgar, and joking away the respect of your fellow-men. As you are careful when walking not to tread on a nail or to sprain your ankle, so take care not to let your soul get hurt. Moral Sayings from the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Everything that happens, happens right, and if you can observe things carefully, you will recognize that it is so. I do not mean only in accordance with the course of nature, but much more that they happen in accordance with the law of righteousness, and as if controlled by a Being who orders all things according to merit. If I am active, I am so with due regard to the general welfare. If anything happens to me, I accept it and consider it in relation to the gods and the universal source from which, in close connection, come all our happenings. He who commits unrighteousness is godless, for universal nature created rational beings for one another; to help each other where there is need, but never to injure one another. Love mankind; obey the godhead. If thou art unwilling to get up in the morning, reflect thus: I am waking in order to go and work as one of mankind. Seek all thy joy and contentment in advancing, mindful always of God, from one generally useful deed to another. The best way to avenge oneself on anyone is to avoid returning evil for evil. It is a privilege of man to love even those who do him wrong. One can reach this level by reflecting that all men are of one family with oneself; that their shortcomings are due to ignorance, and against their will; that in a short time both of you will be dead. What is good is necessarily useful, and that is why the good and noble man must be concerned about it. Nobody gets tired of seeking his own advantage. But doing so procures us an activity which is natural. Never get tired, then, of seeking thine own advantage, provided thou procurest thus the advantage of others also. [pg 057]