Quotes About Meditation

things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.

Do you have reason? I have. Why then do you not use it? For if reason does its own work, what else could you wish for?

Look in, let not either the proper quality, or the true worth of anything pass thee, before thou hast fully it.

Throw away thy books. No longer distract thyself.

Casting therefore all other things aside, keep thyself to these few, and remember withal that no man properly can be said to live more than that which is now present, which is but a moment of time.

30. A philosopher without clothes and one without books. "I have nothing to eat," says he, as he stands there half-naked, "but I subsist on the logos." And with nothing to read, I subsist on it too.

Do the things external which fall upon thee distract thee? Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around. But then thou must also avoid being carried about the other way; for those too are triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity, and yet have no object to which to direct every movement, and, in a word, all their thoughts.

Fancy not to thyself things future, as though they were present but of those that are present, take some aside, that thou takest most benefit of, and consider of them particularly, how wonderfully thou wouldst want them, if they were not present.

Manage all your actions, words, and thoughts accordingly, since you may at any moment quit life.

Continually, and, if possible, in the case of every mental image, consider its nature, realize its emotional content, and judge it rationally.

Do, soul, do; abuse and contemn thyself; yet a while and the time for thee to respect thyself, will be at an end.

Consider how quickly all things are dissolved and resolved: the bodies and substances themselves, into the matter and substance of the world: and their memories into the general age and time of the world.

For there is no retreat that is quieter or freer from trouble than a man's own soul, especially when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquillity; and tranquillity is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind.

Wipe out imagination; check desire: extinguish appetite: keep the ruling faculty in its own power.

Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul

thereby gain much leisure, and save much trouble, and therefore at every action a man must privately by way of admonition suggest unto himself, What? may not this that now I go about

At what time soever thou wilt, it is in thy power to retire into thyself, and to be at rest, and free from all businesses.

To read with diligence; not to rest satisfied with a light and superficial knowledge, nor quickly to assent to things commonly spoken of: whom

If you apply yourself to the task before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract you, but keeping your divine part pure, as if you might be bound to give it back immediately; if you hold to this, expecting nothing, fearing nothing, but satisfied with your present activities according to nature, and with heroic truth in every word and sound which you utter, you will live happily. And there is no man who is able to prevent this.

This then remains: Remember to retire into this little territory of thy own, and, above all, do not distract or strain thyself, but be free, at look and things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen, as a mortal.

Consider yourself to be dead, and to have completed your life up to the present time; and now live according to nature the remainder which is allowed you.

3. People try to get away from it all—to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish that you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like. By going within.

The character of thy mind will be such as is the character of thy frequent thoughts, for the soul takes its dye from the thoughts.

Do external things distract you? Then make time for yourself to learn something worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled in all directions.