Category: Letters From A Stoic by Seneca

Required Reading: Letter 22: On The Fulity Of Half-Way Measures

“…a good man will not waste himself upon mean and discreditable work or be busy merely for the sake of being busy.”

“No one has anything finished, because we have kept putting off into the future all our undertakings…” And who can argue with that?! Hence, we fear leaving; we wish to keep living in hope that one day soon we can finish what we started. But who has the TIME? Is it ever enough? So why start something new? Why keep being busy? Why don’t you finish what you started ten years ago? Was it to finish a degree; buy a home; get marry; have children? What was that unfinished business; that half-way measure? Halt! Finish what you start!

Now, what is this longing to stay at it? To not depart prior to? Does the hope of being an active-busy-body keep you feeling you are living? Life should be tranquil; still from the day to day hustle. Yet, who is to blame? Not you of course; you happen to be born and rolled right into it; that magnificent hamster wheel; the one that noone has the free-time to analyze and ascertain “how did I get on this in the first place? My parents were on it prior to and even after I was born; perhaps their parents too…Well, it just the way it is.” Continue reading “Discourse 22: Regarding On The Futility Of Half-Way Measures”

Required Reading: Letter 21: On The Renown Which My Writings Will Bring You

“Your greatest difficulty is with yourself; for you are your own stumbling block…”

“It is your own studies that will make you shine and render you eminent”—Your own studies; for the study of the philosophy; of wisdom, has within it the power to make you eminent. The question is, is it public eminence you seek? Or the eminence that is privately adored by you; your own attainment of wisdom?

For wisdom does not parade itself in public; it is quiet; not boastful; yet powerful. This is the renown which “my writings will bring you”; these letters have within them the spiritual intelligence to change anyone from the inside-out. And this is what we seekers of wisdom desire; that light so bright in its own capacity, that it needs no approval to glow! It is self-reliant; self-assured; self-confident that it shines forth unimpeded; unhindered by whatever lies in front; behind, sideways, above or beneath; it just shines! Continue reading “Discourse 21: Regarding On The Renown Which My Writings Will Bring You”

Required Reading: Letter 20: On Practicing What You Preach

“…I do not say that the philosopher can always keep the same pace. But he can always travel the same path.“

The road of the philosopher is a narrow one; he or she must be the scapegoat; the sacrificial lamb; the captain of the ship; the pilot of the aircraft; he is the last to partake yet the first to serve; a hard calling isn’t it? But what did you sign up for? To be the herd or the sheperd?

Hope the latter; hence, you must journey on; assemble your life so that everything is in a cosmos; in tune; in harmony so says the teacher “the highest duty and highest proof of wisdom—that deed and word should be in accord.” Yes! You will crave wealth. Yes! You will crave luxury. Yes! You will crave to be a part of the crowd. But No! You are not the same! You must curb desire; trim the excess and live simply. Would you be celebrated? Not really; but is that bad? Continue reading “Discourse 20: Regarding On Practicing What You Preach”

Required Reading: Letter 19: On Worldliness and Retirement

“If you retreat to privacy; everything will be on a smaller scale, but you will be satisfied abundantly.”

I write this in my mid-forty’s; yet, I am convinced that the teacher was preparing me reservedly for old age and retirement; that time which could arrive and without me paying attention spend all of my years in the busyness of life! For desires and accomplishments are insatiable.

There is no end to the hopes and dreams which fill one’s soul; there’s always “when I become……(fill in the blank) then I will be hapy”; but that thing never comes; and if and when it does, it is not what we expected or wished to have afterall. Continue reading “Discourse 19: Regarding On Worldliness And Retirement”

Required Reading: Letter 18: On Festival and Fasting

“…a man’s peace of mind does not depend upon Fortune; for even when angry she grants enough for our needs.”

Some live in festivities every single day; it is like Christmas; some look forward to the holidays; wherein they for once have the freedom to languish in gross misconduct; the adage “work hard; play hard” is common in many a vocabularly that look towards pleasure as recompense for the struggles of life.

Can one be blamed for this? Is it not written somewhere in the good book perhaps in the proverbs “meaningless, meaningless, life is meaningless…eat drink and be merry.” But to what expense? To your health? What health you retort; “I’m perfectlyt fine!” Yes, you are but what of your soul? Is it? Is it sole purpose to live and dine? Is that the comfort you seek? Have you tried starving off the body? Making it crave yet refusing it what it desires so uncontrollably? Try it and see. Continue reading “Discourse 18: Regarding On Festival And Fasting”

Required Reading: Letter 17: On Philosophy And Riches

“If you wish to have leisure for your mind, either be a poor man, or resemble a poor man.”

That statement if read casually will miss the true meaning; for it states one should voluntarily choose to be poor in order to have leisure or peace of mind. I write this as one who to some degree is okay with the “things” I have managed to acquire thus far. Not so long ago, I had the desire to have a five-acre-estate, five luxury cars; five million dollar home with furnishings from the ends of the earth, a private ten-seater jet; and $100,000,000 million in the bank!

But as I pursued wisdom, all those desires slowly began to fade; I’m experiencing a rebirth of mind and spirit so glorious that nothing seems to matter anymore. Nothing meaning the wants and cares of life; the feeing of being so financially secure, that worry and fear do not exist anymore; yet all of this is not necessary for wisdom trumps it all! For with wisdom, the call is to live simply; to act as nature does; and living simply as the teacher states, is voluntary poverty. Continue reading “Discourse 17: Regarding On Philosophy And Riches”

Required Reading: Letter 16: On Philosophy, The Guide Of Life

“No man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of Wisdom.”

Damn it! Herein lies the answer to the questions of life! Read that quote again! Analyze it, memorize it, impute it in the core of your spirit! The Study of Wisdom is Supreme to any thing Chance; Fortune, the Universe throws at you! Without Philosophy, one is doomed to make decisions based on impulse; feelings that are often times misleading. We have a perfect Guide; a perfect tool to aid us on our every road!

As I read the Seneca’s letter, it reads so much like he was one of the authors of that great book; the Bible; the manner of speech; the writing style; the innuendos is akin to the glorious writer of the character Paul in many of his letters. Yet, I might be getting ahead of myself; for the literature of the Bible is so full of wisdom, it calls relentlessly on man’s search for living according to nature. Continue reading “Discourse 16: Regarding On Philosophy, The Guide Of Life”

Required Reading: Letter 15: On Brawn And Brains

“If you are studying Philosophy, it is well.”

Seneca’s fifteen letter is packed with proper physical wisdom; he goes right in to tell Lucilius (You) that it is best to train the soul than train the body. But how does one really go about training the mind versus training the physique? The mind has no outward display; there are no curves, no lean muscle to gain approval that are so numerous when it comes to the body.

But how many hours do we spend in the gym everyday? Sometimes twice a day for an hour a piece? We look beautiful don’t we? I have my lean muscle mass; I think it comes from genetics though; but may I say in thanks and appreciation to the teacher for mentioning, most is owed a great deal to Fasting. For the last twenty-five years, I have fasted every Friday til noon and once a year will do a full month and at other times a full week of fasting. Continue reading “Discourse 15: Regarding On Brawn And Brains”

Required Reading: Letter 14: On The Reasons For Withdrawing From The World

“…but Philosophy is peaceful and she minds her own business.“

Wow! How can I even begin this summary? The words; every sentence, is so potent with sagacity! Yet, one must take heed and absord the teaching for it is truly medicine for the soul!

Seneca cautions to limit the desires; the cravings of the body “we should conduct ourselves not as if we ought to live for the body, but as if we could not live without it.” Quite simply, the body is a vessel for the soul or spirit; the true being is within; it is that one we should live for. Adorn the body? Yes, of course; but don’t relish in it.

For if we consider the body supreme, we are led here and there to please it; to make it do our bidding wherein we expose ourselves to unnecessary fears; three of which Seneca retorts: first, the fear of want, second, the fear of sickness and third, the fear of persons, institutions overpowering us! Continue reading “Discourse 14: Regarding On The Reasons For Withdrawing From The World”

Required Reading: Letter 13: On Groundless Fears

“The fool with all his other faults, has this also, he is always getting ready to live.”

Aren’t we all? Aren’t there things we wish to do that we are always putting off; with the saying “I don’t have time right now; I’ll do it later.”? When? Is it when you have completed everything else; which somehow this particular moment seems more important? Is anything that important that we delay and not live to the purpose?

We are invaded by the news; fear reigns daily; from morning to night! A long time ago, perhaps over ten years; I’ve stopped watching and reading the news. I get my information; my daily dose, from the second hand informant; the one who makes it his duty to seek out first thing in the morning and last thing at night what another person has fabricated is the “news” for today! What absurdity!

This was a long time in the making; for I used to swallow the pill; eat the bread of the daily news and boy! How it filled me with sadness, anger and resentment! Everything was bleak; like chicken little, the world was falling daily. It cried “wolf!” daily! Wow! This should be a crime! Lock the war mongers’s up! Put the rumor-miller in the asylum! Please! Continue reading “Discourse 13: Regarding On Groundless Fears”