The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus Aurelius
Mark Forstater2000

In the life of man, his time is but an instant, his substance ceaselessly changing, his senses degraded, the flesh of his body subject to decay, his soul turbulent, his fortune difficult to predict, and his fame a question mark. In a word, his body is like a rushing stream, his soul an insubstantial dream, life is warfare, he is a stranger in a foreign land, and even after fame comes oblivion.

How can a man find a sensible way to live? One way and one only — philosophy. And my philosophy means keeping that vital spark within you free from damage and degradation, using it to transcend pain and pleasure, doing everything with a purpose, avoiding lies and hypocrisy, not relying on another person's actions or failings. To accept everything that comes, and everything that is given, as coming from that same spiritual source.

—— Marcus Aurelius