In the beginning of the original “Conan
the Barbarian” movie, the title character’s father is discussing what you can
trust and what you can’t trust in life.
In one of my favorite lines in movie history, he quips, “You must learn
its discipline. For no one, no one in
this world can you trust. Not men, not
women, not beasts” – and then he points to the sword he has just forged – “this
you can trust.”
I agree with Conan’s father in that I feel
the same way about philosophy (and I feel the same way about lifting weights –
the iron is always the same; it never lies).
To follow Epictetus’s way – and the way of the other Stoics – is to follow
a path that can be trusted. The ways of
the world are folly, but the way of philosophy is a sure path – not to success,
or power, or many of the other things that humankind too often puts its faith
in – but to peace of mind.
Let us return again to Epictetus’
Enchiridion, and see what other wisdom we can gain from its pages.
Epictetus
on Maintaining Equanimity and Accepting Life as It is:
Remember that you must behave in life as
at a dinner party. Is anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and
take your share with moderation. Does it pass by you? Don’t stop it. Is it not
yet come? Don’t stretch your desire towards it, but wait till it reaches you.
Do this with regard to children, to a wife, to public posts, to riches, and you
will eventually be a worthy partner of the feasts of the gods. And if you don’t
even take the things which are set before you, but are able even to reject
them, then you will not only be a partner at the feasts of the gods, but also
of their empire. For, by doing this, Diogenes, Heraclitus and others like them,
deservedly became, and were called, divine.
Remember that you are an actor in a drama,
of such a kind as the author pleases to make it. If short, of a short one; if
long, of a long one. If it is his pleasure you should act a poor man, a
cripple, a governor, or a private person, see that you act it naturally. For
this is your business, to act well the char-actor assigned you; to choose it is
another’s.
You may be unconquerable, if you enter
into no combat in which it is not in your own control to conquer. When,
there-fore, you see anyone eminent in honors, or power, or in high esteem on
any other account, take heed not to be hurried away with the appearance, and to
pronounce him happy; for, if the essence of good consists in things in our own
control, there will be no room for envy or emulation. But, for your part, don’t
wish to be a general, or a senator, or a consul, but to be free; and the only
way to this is a contempt of things not in our own control.[1]
My
Commentary:
We spend too much of our lives wishing it
was different than it is. Many people
seem to live in their minds, worrying about the future, or wallowing in the
past. They wish that their lives were
different, that they could be other people, or live in an entirely different
matter than they do. But the truth is
that if they had those lives, they would not be content either. The true secret to peace and
tranquility is to accept your life as it is and detach from the need for
it to be different. This is true with
working out the same as it is with other aspects of life. You have been given the body that you have –
you cannot change your genetic structure (which often determines just how big
and strong you get). So stop worrying
about things outside of your control.
You are “an actor in a drama, of such a
kind as the author pleases to make it.” The
author is God – he gives us our role to play.
We should not complain about what role we are given – the same way that
an actor in a play doesn’t complain if he is given the lead role or a minor
character. Whatever role he is
given, he simply performs it to the best of his ability.
What God decides to give to me or take
away from me, what He decides to do to others whether they are my family or
whether they are strangers, that is His business, not mine. Mine is simply to live my life to the best of
my ability.
Epictetus
on Death and That Which We View to be Terrible:
With regard to whatever objects give you
delight, are useful, or are deeply loved, remember to tell yourself of what
general nature they are, beginning from the most insignificant things. If, for
example, you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, remind yourself that it is
only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond. Then, if it breaks, you
will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say that you only
kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be disturbed if either of
them dies.
Let death and exile, and all other things
which appear terrible be daily before your eyes, but chiefly death, and you
will never entertain any abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything.[2]
My
Commentary:
A few years ago I decided to focus all of
my meditation – over the course of a few months – to death
meditation. It is considered a venerable
practice within the Buddhist tradition.
You generally meditate on all the different ways that people get ill, or
the different ways in which people die.
You meditate on the fact that everyone in the world will
die. (Of course, it’s much more in depth
than this, but that’s enough of the gist of it for this article.)
Something odd happened while I was
practicing these meditations. While my
most people find these things to be morbid subjects – we live in a very
death-denying culture, after all – I found that I was happier and in better
spirits than I have just about ever been in my life. Keeping death always before me, and
constantly in my mind, it no longer held any kind of “grip” on me. It ceased to be an issue, but rather just a
natural process that happens to all people.
Now, what does this have to do with
lifting weights? On the surface, not
much, I admit, but I find that keeping death, illness, and aging “daily before
your eyes” actually makes lifting weights more enjoyable too. You realize that one day you will not be able
to lift weights, one day you may get sick or injured, and you may not be
capable of lifting weights. And this
makes training all the more enjoyable because you recognize it is (ultimately)
fleeting, temporal, and impermanent.
Epictetus
on Behaving as if You Know More Than You Do:
If you have assumed any character above
your strength, you have both made an ill figure in that and quitted one which
you might have supported.[3]
My
Commentary:
Many people, when they first start
training, or after they have been training for a brief period of time, behave
as if they know more about training than they actually do. Or, perhaps even worse, they think
they actually know more about training than they do. But the truth is that it takes years to
acquire knowledge of training. And you
don’t gain this knowledge by just acquiring information. You gain this knowledge by training, and
using different programs for extended periods of time. If you just acquire “knowledge” through
reading or talking about training, then it could be that you will also decide
that certain forms of training aren’t any good.
But this could be one of the worst mistakes you could ever make with
your training. What doesn’t work for
others might be just the thing you need to grow larger and stronger than ever
before.
In Summary
Part Three – which I hope to post next
week – will include our final discussions of Epictetus. Until then, I would like to close our second
part with this passage from The Enchiridion which I think will stand better without
my commentary:
“Be assured that the essential property of
piety towards the gods is to form right opinions concerning them as existing and
as governing the universe with goodness and justice. And fix yourself in this
resolution, to obey them, and yield to them, and willingly follow them in all
events, as produced by the most perfect understanding. For thus you will never
find fault with the gods, nor accuse them as neglecting you. And it is not
possible for this to be effected any other way than by with-drawing yourself
from things not in our own control, and placing good or evil in those only
which are. For if you suppose any of the things not in our own control to be
either good or evil, when you are disappointed of what you wish, or incur what
you would avoid, you must necessarily find fault with and blame the authors.
For every animal is naturally formed to fly and abhor things that appear
hurtful, and the causes of them; and to pursue and admire those which appear
beneficial, and the causes of them. It is impractical, then, that one who
supposes himself to be hurt should be happy about the person who, he thinks,
hurts him, just as it is impossible to be happy about the hurt itself. Hence, also,
a father is reviled by a son, when he does not impart to him the things which
he takes to be good; and the supposing empire to be a good made Polynices and
Eteocles mutually enemies. On this account the husbandman, the sailor, the
merchant, on this account those who lose wives and children, revile the gods. For
where interest is, there too is piety placed. So that, whoever is careful to
regulate his desires and aversions as he ought, is, by the very same means,
careful of piety likewise. But it is also incumbent on everyone to offer
libations and sacrifices and first fruits, conformably to the customs of his
country, with purity, and not in a slovenly manner, nor negligently, nor
sparingly, nor beyond his ability.”[4]
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