12.所有这一切发生得多快呀，在宇宙中是事物本身消失，在时间中是它们的记忆消失。这就是一切可感知的事物，尤其是以快乐为诱饵或是以痛苦为恐吓的事物，或是那些如蒸汽般远播国外的浮名的性质。它们是多么无用、可鄙、肮脏、腐坏和易逝啊——所有这一切都是理智能力需要注意的。理智能力还需注意的是那些以发表意见和言论博取生命的人，注意死亡是什么，以及这样一个事实，即一个人观察死亡本身，通过反省的抽象力量将他想象中关于死亡的一切分解成各个部分，那么他就会把死亡视为只不过是自然运转的一个部分；如果一个人害怕自然的运转，那他就是个孩子。然而，这不仅仅是自然运转的一部分，而且是有益于实现自然目标的事情。理智能力还需注意人是如何接近神性的，运用人的哪一个部分去接近神性，以及这个部分是在什么时候这样做的。
13.没有什么比这更可悲的了：一个人旋转着穿越一切，就像诗人所说的那样，打听地下的事情，臆测邻居内心的想法，而不懂得只要专注于自己内心的神并真诚地尊崇它就足够了。尊崇自己的神包括避免激情、自私和对神明和别人的不满，保持内心的纯洁。因为来自神明的东西是具有优越性的、值得我们崇敬的；而来自人的东西，由于我们和他们存在血缘关系，我们也是应该珍重的；有时他们甚至在某种程度上因对善恶的无知而引起我们的怜悯；这一缺陷不亚于那些剥夺我们分清黑白是非的力量的东西。
14.尽管你希望活到三千年，甚至数万年，但你仍然要记住，任何人失去的不是什么其它的生活，而是他现在的生活；任何人过着的不是其它的生活，而是他现在过着的生活。因此，生命的长久或短暂都是一样的。尽管已经逝去的是不一样的，但现在对于所有人都是一样的。因而，逝去的东西看起来仅仅是一个瞬间。因为一个人既不能失去过去，也不能失去未来，因为如果一个人什么都没有，那么别人又怎么从他身上夺走这些东西呢？这两件事情你一定要牢记于心：第一，来自永恒的东西犹如形式，是在一个圆圈中打转轮回的，它决定了一个人在一百年、两百年或是无限的时间里是否看见相同的东西；第二，最长寿的人和最短命的人失去的东西都是一样的。因为现在是一个人唯一能够被人剥夺的东西，如果这真的是他唯一拥有的，那么一个人就不可能失去他没有的东西。
15.记住一切都是意见。因为犬儒派摩尼穆斯所说的话是很显然的，如果一个人注意从中汲取教益，这些真话的用途也是很明显的。
16.人的灵魂的确是会自我摧残的：首先是在当它成为或者可能成为一个脓疮、一个宇宙中的肿瘤的时候。因为对任何发生的事情感到愤怒就意味着我们与自然的分离；第二，灵魂的自我摧残发生在当它被从人身上移除，或是以伤害为目的靠近人的时候，比如那些愤怒的人的灵魂；第三，灵魂的自我摧残发生在它被快乐或痛苦战胜的时候；第四，当它扮演一个角色，言行不真诚的时候；第五，当它允许自己有任何无目标的行为，做任何不加考虑和不加辨别的事，因为甚至是最小的事情也需要一个参照才能做对，而理性动物的目标是遵循理性和最古老的城邦的法律。
17.人的一生只是一个时间点，物质处于一种流逝中，感知是迟钝的，整个身体的结构是容易腐烂的，灵魂是一个漩涡，命运是难以捉摸的，名声是不根据理性来判断的。总而言之，一切属于身体的东西只是一条溪流，一切属于灵魂的东西只是一个梦幻。生活是一场战争，一个过客的旅居，名声过后就会被遗忘。那么什么是能够主宰一个人的东西？只有一件而且是唯一的一件，那就是哲学。但这包括保护人内心的神，使之不自我摧残和受到伤害，超越一切痛苦和快乐，不做毫无目标的事；拒绝虚伪和欺瞒，漠视别人做或不做任何事情的需求；此外，接受所发生的一切、所分配给他的份额，不管它们是什么，不管它们来自哪里，都把它们当作从自己的地方来一样；最后，以愉快的心情等待死亡，就像与构成每一样生物的元素的分解一样。但如果在每一个事物的不断变化中元素本身并没有受到损害，那么人又何必对一切元素的改变和分解感到忧惧呢？这是按照本性进行的，而本性的东西是没有恶的。
作于卡农图姆。
1.Begin the morning by saying to thyself， I shall meet with the busy-body， the ungrateful， arrogant， deceitful， envious， unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful， and of the bad that it is ugly， and the nature of him who does wrong， that it is akin to me， not only of the same blood or seed， but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity， I can neither be injured by any of them， for no one can fix on me what is ugly， nor can I be angry with my kinsman， nor hate him， For we are made for co-operation， like feet， like hands， like eyelids， like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature； and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away.
2.Whatever this is that I am， it is a little flesh and breath， and the ruling part. Throw away thy books； no longer distract thyself： it is not allowed； but as if thou wast now dying， despise the flesh； it is blood and bones and a network， a contexture of nerves， veins， and arteries. See the breath also， what kind of a thing it is， air， and not always the same， but every moment sent out and again sucked in. The third then is the ruling part： consider thus： Thou art an old man； no longer let this be a slave， no longer be pulled by the strings like a puppet to unsocial movements， no longer either be dissatisfied with thy present lot， or shrink from the future.
3.All that is from the gods is full of Providence. That which is from fortune is not separated from nature or without an interweaving and involution with the things which are ordered by Providence. From thence all things flow； and there is besides necessity， and that which is for the advantage of the whole universe， of which thou art a part. But that is good for every part of nature which the nature of the whole brings， and what serves to maintain this nature. Now the universe is preserved， as by the changes of the elements so by the changes of things compounded of the elements. Let these principles be enough for thee， let them always be fixed opinions. But cast away the thirst after books， that thou mayest not die murmuring， but cheerfully， truly， and from thy heart thankful to the gods.
4.Remember how long thou hast been putting off these things， and how often thou hast received an opportunity from the gods， and yet dost not use it. Thou must now at last perceive of what universe thou art a part， and of what administrator of the universe thy existence is an efflux， and that a limit of time is fixed for thee， which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from thy mind， it will go and thou wilt go， and it will never return.
5.Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity， and feeling of affection， and freedom， and justice； and to give thyself relief from all other thoughts. And thou wilt give thyself relief， if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last， laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason， and all hypocrisy， and self-love， and discontent with the portion which has been given to thee. Thou seest how few the things are， the which if a man lays hold of， he is able to live a life which flows in quiet， and is like the existence of the gods； for the gods on their part will require nothing more from him who observes these things.
6.Do wrong to thyself， do wrong to thyself， my soul； but thou wilt no longer have the opportunity of honouring thyself. Every man"s life is sufficient. But thine is nearly finished， though thy soul reverences not itself but places thy felicity in the souls of others.
7.Do the things external which fall upon thee distract thee？ Give thyself time to learn something new and good， and cease to be whirled around. But then thou must also avoid being carried about the other way. For those too are triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity， and yet have no object to which to direct every movement， and， in a word， all their thoughts.
8.Through not observing what is in the mind of another a man has seldom been seen to be unhappy； but those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy.
