Acceptance of Folly & Death

LL and I do a short breathing meditation, then a zoom out contemplation. After checking in about recent challenges, we discuss Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, Book 12, Entry 36, the last in the book, seemingly shortly before his own death, which discusses one’s place in the cosmos and the relation to death.

Man, thou hast been a citizen in this great state [the world];121 what difference does it make to thee whether for five years [or three]? for that which is conformable to the laws is just for all. Where is the hardship then, if no tyrant nor yet an unjust judge sends thee away from the state, but nature who brought thee into it? the same as if a prætor who has employed an actor dismisses him from the stage.122⁠—“But I have not finished the five acts, but only three of them.”⁠—Thou sayest well, but in life the three acts are the whole drama; for what shall be a complete drama is determined by him who was once the cause of its composition, and now of its dissolution: but thou art the cause of neither. Depart then satisfied, for he also who releases thee is satisfied.

Gratitude to Standard eBooks for the translation: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/marcus-aurelius/meditations/george-long/text/single-page#book-12

00:00 Introduction

00:47 Invitation to do an Exercise Snack

01:23 Brief Breathing Meditation

08:07 Zoom Out Contemplation

16:02 Reflection on Zooming Out

18:10 Spirituality Without Dogma?

22:23 Daily Spirituality Despite Bad Decisions

33:20 Anger is Usually a Secondary Emotion

35:17 Magical Thinking in Difficult Situations

40:50 Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations,” Last Entry: “The god who lets you go is at peace with you.”

48:27 Coming to Terms with Death & Chuang-Tzu’s Dialogue with a Skull

53:37 Near-Death Experiences (NDE) & Acceptance

The full video episode:

https://youtu.be/Vz5ZMbFuMZ0

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I plan to conduct more interviews with various guests, so please check back later for those.

Clip Intro Music “A Baroque Letter” - Aaron Kenny

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