Meditations From Marcus Aurelius - I

I recently read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a version translated by Gregory Hays.  Aurelius was a Roman emperor during the 2nd century AD.  He was probably the closest example to a "philosopher king" that the world has ever known.  Aurelius was a follower of stoic philosphy which in many ways is quite close to Taoism or Zen Buddhism.  I'm including some of my favorite quotes here:

"Things have no hold on the soul.  They stand there unmoving, outisde it.  Disturbance comes only from within—from our own perceptions."

"Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed.  Don’t feel harmed—and you haven’t been."

"Constant awareness that everything is born from change.  The knowledge that there is nothing nature loves more than to alter what exists and make new things like it.  All that exists is the seed of what will emerge from it.  You think the only seeds are the ones that make plants or children?  Go deeper."

A little wisp of soul carrying a corpse.  – Epictetus (One of Aurelius' favorite philosphers)

"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.  Nowhere you can go is more peaceful -- free of interruptions -- than your own soul."