Размышления
Book 9
Whileifyoupursuepleasure,youcanhardlyavoidwrongdoing—whichismanifestlyblasphemous.
Somethingsnatureisindifferentto;ifitprivilegedoneovertheotheritwouldhardlyhavecreatedboth.Andifwewanttofollownature,tobeofonemindwithit,weneedtoshareitsindifference.Toprivilegepleasureoverpain—lifeoverdeath,fameoveranonymity—isclearlyblasphemous.Naturecertainlydoesn’t.
AndwhenIsaythatnatureisindifferenttothem,Imeanthattheyhappenindifferently,atdifferenttimes,tothethingsthatexistandthethingsthatcomeintobeingafterthem,throughsomeancientdecreeofProvidence—thedecreebywhichfromsomeinitialstartingpointitembarkedonthecreationthatweknow,bylayingdowntheprinciplesofwhatwastocomeanddeterminingthegenerativeforces:existenceandchange,andtheirsuccessivestages.
2.Realgoodluckwouldbetoabandonlifewithouteverencounteringdishonesty,orhypocrisy,orself-indulgence,orpride.Butthe"nextbestvoyage"istodiewhenyou’vehadenough.Orareyoudeterminedtoliedownwithevil?Hasn’texperienceeventaughtyouthat—toavoiditliketheplague?Becauseitisaplague—amentalcancer—worsethananythingcausedbytaintedairoranunhealthyclimate.Diseaseslikethatcanonlythreatenyourlife;thisoneattacksyourhumanity.
3.Don’tlookdownondeath,butwelcomeit.Ittooisoneofthethingsrequiredbynature.Likeyouthandoldage.
