Nice post.
Justnintime for when I'm reading Hadot's "Inner Citadel" chapter where it explains that Marcus's Meditations were done as a therapy to permanently have in mind and act accordingly to Epictetus teachings.
"The obstacle is the way" - Marcus Aurelius
Did you know that https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy is basically (at it's core and in a simplistic way) repeating mantras that make us embrace the challenges that the world has brought us?
Repeating mantras really works for me when negative thoughts come into my mind.
So yes, try it out. Whenever you feel a negative (hatred, depression, delusion, etc) thought, i.e "this was so unfair", "why did this happen to me?", "I'm not good", etc, etc, etc
Just put it in a:
"The obstacle is the way" by Marcus Aurelius
"I cannot control the waves, but I can learn to surf."
"This too shall pass."
"Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional."
"I am in control of my response."
"Everything will be alright."
Have a great day and remember the obstacle is the way. We're all going through it. That's the way.
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Discussion
Awesome stuff.
That book looks very interesting indeed. Thanks very much for the comment and book.
I'm definitely going to be adding more mantras from Marcus Aurelius to my mantra list. I was just going through that book and here's one of the ideas there:
"If you are annoyed at something, it is because you have forgotten:
(1) that everything happens in accordance with universal Nature;
(2) that whatever fault was committed is not your concern;
(3) and, moreover, that everything that happens has always happened thus and will always happen thus, and is, at this very moment, happening thus everywhere;
(4)how close is the relationship between man and the whole
human race: for this is no community of blood or of seed, but of the
intellect.
You have also forgotten:
(s)that the intellect of each person is God, and that it has flowed
down here from above;
(6) and that nothing belongs to any of us in the strict sense, but
that our child, our body and our soul come from above;
(7)and that everything is a judgment-value;
(8) and the only thing each of us lives and loses is the present. "
Marcus Aurelius was using his notes to reprogram is brain basically.
From the book you shared it seems like Marcus Aurelius didn't have time to read books and neither he wanted to read more books. He just wanted the gist of the gist, what he called dogmas.
He was really focused in reprogramming his brain.
Great stuff!