Размышления
Book 12
Howisitthatthegodsarrangedeverythingwithsuchskill,suchcareforourwell-being,andsomehowoverlookedonething:thatcertainpeople—infact,thebestofthem,thegods’ownpartners,theoneswhosepietyandgoodworksbroughtthemclosesttothedivine—thatthesepeople,whentheydie,shouldceasetoexistforever?Utterlyvanished.
Well,assumingthat’sreallytrue,youcanbesuretheywouldhavearrangedthingsdifferently,ifthathadbeenappropriate.Ifitweretherightthingtodo,theycouldhavedoneit,andifitwerenatural,naturewouldhavedemandedit.Sofromthefactthattheydidn’t—ifthat’sthecase—wecanconcludethatitwasinappropriate.
Surelyyoucanseeyourselfthattoaskthequestionistochallengethegods’fairness.Andwhywouldyoubebringinginfairnessunlessthegodsare,infact,fair—andabsolutelyso?
Andiftheyare,howcouldtheyhavecarelesslyoverlookedsomethingsounfair—soillogical—insettinguptheworld?
6.Practiceevenwhatseemsimpossible.
Thelefthandisuselessatalmosteverything,forlackofpractice.Butitguidesthereinsbetterthantheright.Frompractice.
7.Theconditionofsoulandbodywhendeathcomesforus.
Shortnessoflife.
Vastnessoftimebeforeandafter.
Fragilityofmatter.
8.Toseethecausesofthingsstrippedbare.Theaimofactions.