The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus Aurelius - Hardcover

Forstater, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340766727 ISBN 13: 9780340766729

Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks, 2000

Synopsis

Of all wisdom through the ages, that contained in the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius' meditations must be amongst the most profound. So much so that his writings were to influence millions of readers for centuries afterwards. Today, these meditations have lost none of their power or relevance.
In this new interpretation, the Emperor's timeless reflections on life, death and happiness are brought to life once again. In 230 meditations, we contemplate such themes as self-improvement and the difficulties of living a virtuous life; how to deal with the many emotions we experience, from anger to greed to courage; and the beauty of nature and the nature of the mind. We all seek a reason for living, an understanding of our role. Marcus Aurelius can assist us with this quest, and he does so with great beauty, insight and warmth.

About this title

Review:

Abraham Lincoln claimed that the best way to test a man's character is to give him power. Surely Marcus Aurelius' golden reign over the Roman Empire from 161 to 180 AD was such a test. Although this highly educated pagan despised wars and battles, "barbarian" tribes constantly besieged his empire on the Asian and German borders. As a result, he spent eight miserable winters camped by the frozen Danube River acting as commander-in-chief over his triumphant armies. During those gloomy nights he penned many of the meditations that appear in this excellent translation.

The lack of arrogance or self-pity in his ruminations offers proof that Aurelius passed the test of character with flying colours. Furthermore, the best way to test a person's writing is to give it time. Once again, Aurelius demolished the test. For example, contemporary world leaders would do well to heed the advice under the heading "Talking and Being" where he writes, "Stop talking about what the good person should be, and just be that person." Most of these quotes are similarly brief as he extols the virtues of working hard, not acting impulsively, and living in communion with the natural world. Like Thich Nhat Hanh or Kahlil Gibran, this is an accessible writer of lasting spiritual integrity. --Gail Hudson

Review:

"This is a book savor to and return to, like a friend."-- "Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0340766727
• ISBN 13: 9780340766729
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176