By Dr. Mike Watson, founder of divineteachers.com
When you think of a Roman Emperor does your mind jump to a tyrant, power hungry,
dominant, merciless ruler intent on expansion of the empire at any cost? Mine does.
But spiritual wisdom has a way of surprising us – it feels fresh and new. It can jump out of nowhere and unexpectedly gift us a new insight or flash of inspiration, having a profound and lasting impact on us.
Given the creativity of spirit perhaps the appearance of a spiritually gifted Roman Emperor isn’t as surprising as it at first sounds. I’m talking about Marcus Aurelius, who ruled as Emperor from 161 to 180 (almost 2,000 years ago).
Two thousand years is a long time, and the world is changing quickly. Life today is very different to life in Marcus Aurelius’ time (I wonder what he’d make of a smartphone or Starship launch?).
But in spite of the vast changes, there’s something from Marcus’ time that to this very day remains consistent. The consciousness, the inner knowing, wisdom and guidance sitting at the core of who we are.
It’s evident from Marcus Aurelius’ texts that he was deeply involved in a profound inner spiritual transformation, even as he sought to preside over the largest Empire of the time; his book Meditations is packed full of evidence of this via his inspiring insights.
Below I’ve picked just one phrase from that text that might be used to live a happier, more fulfilled and more contributing life.
There are many different English translations of the original text, and I’ve studied a few of them. Here’s my own version of Book 3, paragraph 10, which I hope makes the message clear and uses more modern language than some of the translations:
Remember this one thing and forget everything else: our lives unfold now, in the instantaneous present moment.
The past is gone, and the future is unknowable.
Our lives are short, and we constitute a tiny fragment of the entirety of life on earth and beyond.
Even the most famous people are remembered only for a short time after passing away, by others who will also shortly pass and forget themselves forever.
Profound words Marcus! You might recognise echoes of similar principles by many modern-day spiritual teachers, such as Eckhart Tolle, Gangaji or Alan Watts. This is a reflection of the universal and everlasting nature of spirit (the Self, God, Consciousness etc.)
If I were to try to convert the passage above into principals that I could live by, I think they would look something like this:
Marcus Aurelius Tips and living a fulfilled life:
- Live fully in the present moment: Give all your energy to each passing tiny moment. Be present, pay attention and participate fully in your present situation.
- Life will pass quickly. Appreciate it completely in the here and now, while you can!
- Stay humble. Relax. Though our lives seem big to us, they only form a tiny part of the
whole.
- Fame will not endure and is not worth chasing after. Find fulfilment in the simplicity of
each individual moment.
This is just from one paragraph of his book. There are hundreds more gems of wisdom spread throughout Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, which I highly recommend.
I wonder if this Emperor would have contemplated that his written words would endure and impact the lives of people thousands of years into the future, long after the fall of the Empire itself?
Wishing you a day of inner peace and joy.
You can learn more about Marcus Aurelius at: divineteachers.com/spiritual-teachers/marcus-aurelius