‘MEDITATIONS’

There is a saying in English.  ‘Truth is stranger than fiction’.  The book ‘Meditation’is both truth and fiction.  Strangely this book is not intended to be published or to be a book.  Roman emperor Marcus Aurellus wrote this book in 2^nd Century.  Emperor ever intended this writings to be published and the book has no official title.  These writings take the forms of quotations varying in length from one sentence to a long paragraph.  The book is written in Greek language.  ‘The Meditations is divided in to 12 books that chronicle different periods of Emperor’s life.  This writing is for Emperor’s self.

The greatness of the book lies in the fact that former Indian Governor General C Rajagopalachari who was very much impressed by this 2^nd century book and translated it into Tamil language.  This book is also a favourite book of former American president Bill Clinton who reads and rereads this every year. 

2^nd Century was the time even lay persons practiced philosophy.  The contents of the book were composed not as a record of Emperor’s thought or to enlighten others, but for his own use, a means of practicing and reinforcing his own philosophical convictions.  While ancient philosophy had its academic side, it was not merely a subject to write or argue about, but one that was expected to provide a ‘Design for living’.  A set of guidelines to live one’s life.

How to calm the mind?  Philosophy of Stoicism underlines the method and it is founded by Master Zeno, which trains us to achieve the calmness of mind.  This philosophy resembles eastern philosophy.

‘Time is a river, a violent current of events, glimpsed once and already carried past us and another follows and is gone’ says the Emperor in the ‘Meditations’. 

Emperor’s stoic involves avoiding indulgence in sensory affections, a skill which will free man from pain and pleasures of the material world. 

This allows one to rise above faulty perceptions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.