Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Quotes on Soul (6 Quotes)

In mans life, time is but a moment being, a flux sense is dim the material frame corruptible soul, an eddy of breath fortune a thing inscrutable, and fame precarious.

It is a shameful thing for the soul to faint while the body still perseveres.

To them that ask Where hast thou seen the Gods, or how knowest thou certainly that there be Gods, that thou art so devout in their worship I answer Neither have I seen my own soul, and yet I respect and honor it.

Is your cucumber bitter Throw it away. Are there briars in your path Turn aside. That is enough. Do not go on and say, 'Why were things of this sort ever brought into this world' neither intolerable nor everlasting if thou bearest in mind that it has its limits, and if thou addest nothing to it in imagination. Pain is either an evil to the body (then let the body say what it thinks of it)or to the soul. But it is in the power of the soul to maintain its own serenity and tranquility....

In every pain let this thought be present, that there is no dishonor in it, nor does it make the governing intelligence worse. Indeed, in the case of most pains, let this remark of Epicurus aid thee, that pain is neither intolerable nor everlasting if thou bearest in mind that it has its limits, and if thou addest nothing to it in imagination. Pain is either an evil to the body (then let the body say what it thinks of it)or to the soul. But it is in the power of the soul to maintain its own serenity and tranquility, and not to think that pain is an evil.... It will suffice thee to remember as concerning pain ... that the mind may, by stopping all manner of commerce and sympathy with the body, still retain its own tranquility.

Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy soul - for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.