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"A bitter cucumber throw it away. Brambles in the
path, go around them. That is all you need without
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going on to ask 'so why are these things in the
world anyway?'. That question would be laughable
00:00:19
to a student of nature, just as a carpenter or
cobbler would laugh if you objected to the sight
00:00:24
of shavings from their work on the shop floor,
yet they have somewhere to throw their rubbish,
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whereas the nature of the Whole has nothing
outside itself. The Marvel of its craft is
00:00:34
that it sets its own confines and recycles
into itself, everything which seems to be
00:00:38
decaying growing old or losing its use and then
creates a fresh from the same material. In this
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way it requires no substance other than its
own and has no need for a rubbish dump so it
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is complete in its own space its own material
and its own craftsmanship." Marcus Aurelius was
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emperor of Rome at the end of the Roman golden
age from 161 to 180 AD. He was Notorious for
00:01:02
being a humble leader and stoic philosopher.
His meditations, originally written in Greek,
00:01:07
have been translated into nearly every language
and serve as a source of inspiration to Millions,
00:01:13
yet he never intended for his writing to be
published. It was never meant to be read by
00:01:17
anyone. In fact, he wanted his writing burned
after he died there was no motive or agenda behind
00:01:22
this work other than to serve as an internal
dialogue of wisdom from his higher self to his
00:01:27
lower self. Each and every one of us has has
this internal split the higher self being the
00:01:32
conscious rational mind and the lower self being
the subconscious programs Behavior patterns and
00:01:37
impulses .Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful
man on Earth for 19 years. He could have satisfied
00:01:45
every desire of his lower impulses - sex with
anyone, wine by the boatload, mountains of gold,
00:01:51
unlimited Temptation, and yet he did not disgrace
himself. He did not live scandalously like almost
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every other ruler we know about in history.
Marcus concerned himself with virtue, honor,
00:02:03
philosophy and serving the common good. He stands
as history's shining example that absolute power
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does not always corrupt absolutely, which is why
meditations is still relevant nearly 2,000 years
00:02:14
later. This video will focus on one of the
essential teachings of Marcus Aurelius - the
00:02:20
power of indifference. Marcus Aurelius emphasizes
that we must be indifferent about things that make
00:02:25
no difference. This may seem like an obvious
statement, but the power depth underlying this
00:02:31
idea cannot be overstated. Indifference is not
the same as not caring. It is not about being
00:02:37
numb to life nor is it about ignoring our emotions
indifference is a separation of your higher self
00:02:43
from physical reality emotions and thoughts it is
Detachment from the outcomes so the rational mind
00:02:48
can observe events from a clear distance much
of our time is spent worrying about the small
00:02:54
stuff we find things to complain about or obsess
over not knowing that these things bear no impact
00:02:59
on our life in the greater context. Change is
the only constant. Change is inevitable. Our
00:03:05
attachment to things that change is what causes
us suffering it is our resistance to change that
00:03:10
causes us stress Marcus Aurelius writes, "They
kill they cut in pieces they hunt with curses
00:03:18
what relevance does this have to keeping your mind
pure sane sober just as if a man were to come to a
00:03:24
spring of clear Sweet Water and curse it it would
still continue to Bubble Up water good to drink
00:03:30
he could throw in mud or dung and in no time
the spring will break it down wash it away and
00:03:35
take no color from it how then can you secure an
everlasting spring and not a sistern by keeping
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yourself at all times intent on freedom and
staying kind simple and decent how do we keep
00:03:47
our mind pure and sane by being indifferent to
everything that doesn't matter by letting go of
00:03:53
everything we can't control by understanding the
temporary fleeting nature of the material world
00:03:57
and focusing your mind on things that are Eternal
in this way you will see your place in the greater
00:04:03
Cosmos you will see that on the highest level
everything is part of a balanced order within
00:04:09
our bodies right now there is a war happening
between our immune system and parasites yet
00:04:14
we sit here breathing functioning and taking it
all for granted on a psychological level there's
00:04:19
a mental health crisis an addiction epidemic
depression anxiety loneliness and hopelessness
00:04:26
on a cultural level there's political division
collapse of Empires Wars riots protests civil
00:04:31
unrest environmental destruction and a plummeting
birth rate but on a cosmic level the world is
00:04:36
spinning and all the planets are orbiting about in
Perfect Harmony. it's like in nature when a giant
00:04:43
Redwood falls. some would call it a tragedy but it
also creates space for sunlight to hit the forest
00:04:48
floor and seeds which had been laying dormant
are now able to burst into life all is part of
00:04:54
a greater hole all is part of a higher order if
only we had eyes to see it like Confucius wrote,
00:05:01
'everything has beauty, but not everyone can see
it.' When you detach from the outcomes you will
00:05:07
discover An Invisible Thread that connects the
microcosm to the macrocosm and you will see a
00:05:12
beauty in everything Marcus Aurelius writes, "We
should attend to things like these observing that
00:05:18
the incidental effect of the process of Nature has
their own charm and attraction take the baking of
00:05:24
bread the loaf splits open here and there and
those very cracks in one way a failure of the
00:05:28
baker's profession somehow catch the eye and
give a particular stimulus to our appetite figs
00:05:34
likewise burst open at full maturity and an olive
ripened on the tree to the very proximity of decay
00:05:40
lends his special beauty to the fruit, so any man
with a feeling and deeper insight for the workings
00:05:45
of the hole will find some pleasure in almost
any aspect of their disposition. He will see a
00:05:50
kind of Bloom and fresh Beauty in an old woman
or old man." Marcus Aurelius took this attitude
00:05:56
of indifference one step further and reflected it
inward he used it to change the way he perceived
00:06:01
adversity in his own life he saw that all the
hardship he faced was training him for a higher
00:06:06
purpose all the pain you've endured has made you
uniquely you and in retrospect looking back on my
00:06:13
life the times I've struggled the most strike
me as the most beautiful and meaningful Marcus
00:06:18
Aurelius writes, "Why see more misfortune in
the event than fortune in your ability to bear
00:06:24
it this is no misfortune but to bear it true to
yourself is good fortune." He goes on to write,
00:06:30
"whatever happens to you was being prepared for
you from Everlasting and the mesh of causes was
00:06:35
ever spinning from Eternity for both your own
existence and the incidence of this particular
00:06:40
happening." "Love the hand that fate deals you
and play it as your own." It's easy to look back
00:06:46
and see the times of hardship as a meaningful
experience it's much more difficult to see the
00:06:51
Beauty and the adversity we face in the present
moment but it can be done and it's an amazingly
00:06:56
powerful tool. It allows you to see clearly and
make decisions using your conscious rational mind.
00:07:02
Instead of being dragged by your fears and
impulses you can lead with your higher self,
00:07:06
which will ultimately lead you to what you want
most in life not what you want now but what you
00:07:11
want most Marcus writes you can strip away many
unnecessary troubles which lie wholly in your
00:07:18
own judgment and you will immediately make
large and wide room for yourself by grasping
00:07:22
the whole universe in your thought contemplating
The Eternity of time and reflecting on the rapid
00:07:28
change of each thing in every every part how brief
the Gap from birth to death how vast the Gulf of
00:07:34
time before your birth and an equal Infinity after
your death with this widened perspective we can be
00:07:41
indifferent to the never-ending Peaks and valleys
of the material world we can be indifferent to
00:07:45
the weather, other people's opinions, cultural
Trends, our own physical ailments and even our
00:07:51
death. This indifference will free us from the
burden of suffering. Discomfort is inevitable,
00:07:57
but suffering is the choice. But does this mean we
should be indifferent about everything? Absolutely
00:08:03
not. Marcus Aurelius saw it was our duty as
humans to reach our Highest Potential. He
00:08:09
observed how everything in nature - the birds,
bees and plants all have a role to fulfill. A
00:08:14
Tree Grows big and powerful, not for fame or
praise, but because that is what it was put
00:08:19
on Earth to do. In order to live in accordance
with nature we must focus our energy on being
00:08:24
the kindest wisest and most virtuous person we
can be. We cannot control what happens to us,
00:08:30
but we can control how we react and therefore
as long as we use our rational mind we get to
00:08:36
decide who we become. fate is what you were given
Destiny is what you make of it. on the highest
00:08:43
level one strives for the Perfection of the Soul
- an accumulation of all the qualities you admire
00:08:49
most infinite Integrity honor love purpose Justice
and service. the word Perfection has many negative
00:08:56
connotations and that is because Perfection is
impossible to attain, at least in any permanent
00:09:01
way. it is not the attainment of perfect that we
wish to possess but the never-ending pursuit of
00:09:07
it that keeps us moving in the right direction
this is what fulfills our soul to reach for the
00:09:13
highest form of the self it is not ego Worship
in fact it is the exact opposite the ego wants
00:09:19
to control a situation while indifference is a
process of Letting Go it is a complete shedding
00:09:24
of everything that the ego has so vigorously
manufactured the ego gets attached to material
00:09:30
objects our true self our soul is attached to
nothing yet connected to everything we must reach
00:09:37
for this Divine ideal and although we will always
fall short as long as we Orient ourselves toward
00:09:42
it and use our free will to pursue it we will live
in accordance with nature and the universe Fyodor
00:09:48
Dostoevsky summed up this sentiment beautifully
with this quote the one essential condition of
00:09:54
human existence is that man should always be able
to bow down before something infinitely great if
00:09:59
men are deprived of the infinitely great they will
not go on living and will die of Despair let go of
00:10:06
what you can't control do not concern yourself
with drama or doubt or Temptation do not worry
00:10:12
yourself by imagining your whole life at once
pick your head up and aim yourself towards the
00:10:16
highest ideal without an ideal there is nothing
to Aspire to Joy comes from making progress toward
00:10:22
an ideal the greater the ideal the greater
The Joy understand the power of indifference
00:10:29
there is beauty to be seen in all things in the
world and within yourself there is nothing to
00:10:34
run from Death Smiles at us all all we can do is
smile back remember that the integrity and purity
00:10:41
of the soul is what matters no matter what fate
deals you you have the power to keep your mind
00:10:46
and soul pure free intent and everlasting
everything else does not matter [Music]
00:11:05
we are living in a time where thinking critically
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00:11:09
pushes narratives that are intended to manipulate
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the future timeline of robotaxi while the left
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[Music]
