September 27, 2012
‘Unfortunate am I that this has befallen me.’ No, quite the contrary: ‘Fortunate am I, that when such a thing has befallen me, I remain undisturbed, neither crushed by the present nor afraid of what is to come’. For such a thing could have happened to anyone, but not everyone would have remained undisturbed in the face of such a blow. So why is this a misfortune rather than something fortunate? Or do you generally say that human misfortune can lie in something other than a deviation from man’s true nature? And do you suppose anything to be a deviation from man’s nature if it does not conflict with the will of nature? Well then, you have learned to know what that will is. Can what has happened to you prevent you in any way from being just, high-minded, self-controlled, prudent, deliberate in your judgment, empty of deceit, self-respecting, free, or prevent you from possessing any of the qualities that, by their presence, make it possible for man’s nature to come into its own? So henceforth, in the face of every difficulty that leads you to feel distress, remember to apply this principle: this is no misfortune, but to fear it with a noble spirit is good fortune.
The Meditations
Posted by amin at September 27, 2012 12:19 PM