Размышления

           Lookatthingslikeaman,likeahumanbeing,likeacitizen,likeamortal.Andamongthethingsyouturnto,thesetwo:

           I.Thatthingshavenoholdonthesoul.Theystandthereunmoving,outsideit.Disturbancecomesonlyfromwithin—fromourownperceptions.

           II.Thateverythingyouseewillsoonalterandceasetoexist.Thinkofhowmanychangesyou’vealreadyseen.

           "Theworldisnothingbutchange.Ourlifeisonlyperception."

           4.Ifthoughtissomethingweshare,thensoisreason—whatmakesusreasoningbeings.

           Ifso,thenthereasonthattellsuswhattodoandwhatnottodoisalsoshared.

           Andifso,weshareacommonlaw.

           Andthus,arefellowcitizens.

           Andfellowcitizensofsomething.

           Andinthatcase,ourstatemustbetheworld.Whatotherentitycouldallofhumanitybelongto?Andfromit—fromthisstatethatweshare—comethoughtandreasonandlaw.

           Whereelsecouldtheycomefrom?Theearththatcomposesmederivesfromearth,thewaterfromsomeotherelement,theairfromitsownsource,theheatandfirefromtheirs—sincenothingcomesfromnothing,orreturnstoit.

           Sothoughtmustderivefromsomewhereelseaswell.

           5.Death:somethinglikebirth,anaturalmystery,elementsthatsplitandrecombine.

           Notanembarrassingthing.Notanoffensetoreason,orournature.