Marcus Aurelius: Old Stoic & New Age Sage

Marcus Aurelius: Old Stoic & New Age Sage

What art are you doing here, O imagination? Go away, I entreat you by the Gods, as you did come, for I want you not. But you are come as you have been used to do. I am not angry with you; only go away. − Marcus Aurelius

In the Fourth Way, we find the obstacle of imagination as one of the principal barriers to being present. If you cannot control your imagination, then you cannot be present. Knowledge of uncontrolled mind activity is so important to my work.

Knowledge and understanding of the human condition are not unique to our modern era. The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, arguably the most brilliant of the ancient emperors, recorded his personal feelings and observations in a memoir work known as The Meditations.

These personal reflections of a conscious being provide a unique insight into the universality and objectivity of self-work. At the very end of what we might call ancient times, Marcus Aurelius captured the truth about the human condition, drawing upon and applying hundreds of years, if not, thousands of years of ancient practice and wisdom that was available to him. Many refer to him as a stoic philosopher, but he was much more than an idle thinker. He understood and employed the idea of self-remembering or being present.

Make the present time a gift to yourself. − Marcus Aurelius

I am profoundly grateful to my teacher who first made me aware of this text because its application helps me live my life more consciously. Marcus Aurelius’ words of wisdom have helped me better understand that working on oneself is an ancient pursuit and not just a modern artifice of our New Age. This system is anything but new.

I read The Meditations after reading the primary books on the Fourth Way and was awestruck by the common themes. The high concentration of deep, meaningful content immediately impacted me. I had to put away the yellow highlighter because if I were to highlight all the crucial text I would have highlighted the entire work. It would have been a yellow book. His voice transcended time and spoke to me as a modern writer might do. He somehow knew me and my world well. I remember thinking, “How is this possible? A man from a different station and time knows my very foibles and hopes. He knows me better than I do.”

As I learned, Marcus Aurelius‘ understandings were not limited to man’s limitations and shortcomings for which we are familiar. He was also well aware of the existence of Higher Centers and of the latent potentialities within the human machine. He indicated that we have many obstacles to address and overcome, but we have a vast frontier of new possibilities, and unbelievable opportunities to wake up to the Divine Moment. With the right preparation, we can experience a different and much higher level of consciousness.

Realize at long last that you have within you something stronger and more Numinous than those agents of emotion which make you a mere puppet on their strings. − Marcus Aurelius

Join the discussion

Relief from Honorary Monument to Marcus Aurelius, 176-180 C.E., Capitoline Museums, Rome