Aurelius - Meditations 4:14-15: Just Passing On By ... Out of Existence

4:14 – You came into the world as a part. You will vanish into that which gave you birth, or rather you will be taken up into its generative reason by the process of change.

4:15 – Many grains of incense upon the same altar; one falls first, another later, but difference there is none.
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Rambam – Moreh ha’Nevuchim 3:12
We have already shown that, in accordance with the divine wisdom, genesis can only take place through destruction, and without the destruction of the individual members of the species the species themselves would not exist permanently … He who thinks that he can have flesh and bones without being subject to any external influence, or any of the accidents of matter, unconsciously wishes to reconcile two opposites, namely, to be at the same time subject and not subject to change.
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Ibn Ezra – Intro to Koheles
Every act done by a created being is impermanent, for all created beings exhaust [themselves trying] to create a completely new existence or to completely negate its existence. Rather, all of their actions are but an imitation, an image, and an accident – separating that which is combined, and combining that which is separate; moving that which is at rest, and bringing to rest that which is moving. Therefore, the actions of human beings are nothingness and emptiness – except for fear of Hashem.
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Albert Einstein
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
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If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
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Stoic texts:
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Letters from a Stoic Master (Seneca)
The Discourses of Epictetus
The Enchiridion (Handbook) of Epictetus
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