EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book iii. §13. ¶1.
Monday
February 20
YOU see that Caesar hath procured us a profound peace; there are neither wars nor
battles, nor great robberies nor piracies, but we
may travel at all hours, and sail from east to
west. But can Caesar procure us peace from a
fever too? From a shipwreck ? From a fire?
From an earthquake? From a thunderstorm?
Nay, even from love? He cannot. From grief?
From envy? No, not from any one of these.
But the doctrine of philosophers promises to
procure us peace from these too. And what doth it say?
"If you will attend to me, O mortals,
wherever you are, and whatever you are doing,
you shall neither grieve nor be angry, nor be
compelled nor restrained ; but you shall live
impassive, and free from all." Shall not he who
enjoys this peace, proclaimed, not by Cresar (for
how should he have it to proclaim?) but by God,
through reason, be contented, when he is alone
reflecting and considering:
"To me there can now
no ill happen; there is no thief, no earthquake.
All is full of peace, all full of tranquillity; every
road, every city, every assembly. My neighbour,
my companion, unable to hurt me."
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This could sound like the path to the island of the Lotus Eaters, if it were taken in isolation. To me the real purpose of this freedom is to allow one to do the community level work that we should be doing, and acting as virtuous members of our families, and societies. If we succumb to the opium of complete detachment, we become 'so heavenly minded as to be no earthly good.'
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