Meditations: A New Translation PDF AZW3 EPUB MOBI TXT Download

Nearly two thousand years after it was written, Meditations remains profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to lead a meaningful life.Few ancient works have been as influential as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, philosopher and emperor of Rome (A.D. 161–180). A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, it remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus’s insights and advice—on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others—have made the Meditations required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. For anyone who struggles to reconcile the demands of leadership with a concern for personal integrity and spiritual well-being, the Meditations remains as relevant now as it was two thousand years ago. In Gregory Hays’s new translation—the first in thirty-five years—Marcus’s thoughts speak with a new immediacy. In fresh and unencumbered English, Hays vividly conveys the spareness and compression of the original Greek text. Never before have Marcus’s insights been so directly and powerfully presented. With an Introduction that outlines Marcus’s life and career, the essentials of Stoic doctrine, the style and construction of the Meditations, and the work’s ongoing influence, this edition makes it possible to fully rediscover the thoughts of one of the most enlightened and intelligent leaders of any era.

Marcus Aurelius
May 6, 2003
256 pages
English
978-0812968255

File Size: 83 MB
Available File Formats: PDF AZW3 DOCX EPUB MOBI TXT or Kindle audiobook Audio CD(Several files can be converted to each other)
Language: English, Francais, Italiano, Espanol, Deutsch, chinese

“Here, for our age, is [Marcus’s] great work presented in its entirety, strongly introduced and freshly, elegantly translated.” —Robert Fagles From the Back Cover A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus’s insights and advice–on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others–have made the “Meditations required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. In Gregory Hays’s new translation–the first in a generation–Marcus’s thoughts speak with a new immediacy: never before have they been so directly and powerfully presented. About the Author Gregory Hays is associate professor of classics at the University of Virginia. He maintains an annotated bibliography of Fulgentius the Mythmaker. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Book 1 Debts and Lessons 1. My grandfather Verus Character and self-control. 2. My father (from my own memories and his reputation) Integrity and manliness. 3. My mother Her reverence for the divine, her generosity, her inability not only to do wrong but even to conceive of doing it. And the simple way she lived-not in the least like the rich. 4. My great-grandfather To avoid the public schools, to hire good private teachers, and to accept the resulting costs as money well-spent. 5. My first teacher Not to support this side or that in chariot-racing, this fighter or that in the games. To put up with discomfort and not make demands. To do my own work, mind my own business, and have no time for slanderers. 6. Diognetus Not to waste time on nonsense. Not to be taken in by conjurors and hoodoo artists with their talk about incantations and exorcism and all the rest of it. Not to be obsessed with quail-fighting or other crazes like that. To hear unwelcome truths. To practice philosophy, and to study with Baccheius, and then with Tandasis and Marcianus. To write dialogues as a student. To choose the Greek lifestyle-the camp-bed and the cloak. 7. Rusticus The recognition that I needed to train and discipline my character. Not to be sidetracked by my interest in rhetoric. Not to write treatises on abstract questions, or deliver moralizing little sermons, or compose imaginary descriptions of The Simple Life or The Man Who Lives Only for Others. To steer clear of oratory, poetry and belles lettres. Not to dress up just to stroll around the house, or things like that. To write straightforward letters (like the one he sent my mother from Sinuessa). And to behave in a conciliatory way when people who have angered or annoyed us want to make up. To read attentively-not to be satisfied with “just getting the gist of it.” And not to fall for every smooth talker. And for introducing me to Epictetus’s lectures-and loaning me his own copy. 8. Apollonius Independence and unvarying reliability, and to pay attention to nothing, no matter how fleetingly, except the logos. And to be the same in all circumstances-intense pain, the loss of a child, chronic illness. And to see clearly, from his example, that a man can show both strength and flexibility. His patience in teaching. And to have seen someone who clearly viewed his expertise and ability as a teacher as the humblest of virtues. And to have learned how to accept favors from friends without losing your self-respect or appearing ungrateful. 9. Sextus Kindness. An example of fatherly authority in the home. What it means to live as nature requires. Gravity without airs. To show intuitive sympathy for friends, tolerance to amateurs and sloppy thinkers. His ability to get along with everyone: sharing his company was the highest of compliments, and the opportunity an honor for those around him. To investigate and analyze, with understanding and logic, the principles we ought to live by. Not to display anger or other emotions. To be free of passion and yet full of love. To praise without bombast; to display expertise without pretension. 10. The literary critic Alexander Not to be constantly correcting people, and in particular not to jump on them whenever they make an error of usage or a grammatical mistake or mispronounce something, but just answer their question or add another example, or debate the issue itself (not their phrasing), or make some other contribution to the discussion-and casually insert the correct expression. 11. Fronto To recognize the malice, cunning and hypocrisy that power produces, and the peculiar ruthlessness often shown by people from “good families.” 12. Alexander the Platonist Not to be constantly telling people (or writing them) that I’m too busy, unless I really am. Similarly, not to be always ducking my responsibilities to the people around me because of “pressing business.” 13. Catulus Not to shrug off a friend’s resentment-even unjustified resentment-but try to put things right. To show your teachers ungrudging respect (the Domitius and Athenodotus story), and your children unfeigned love. 14. [My brother] Severus To love my family, truth and justice. It was through him that I encountered Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dion and Brutus, and conceived of a society of equal laws, governed by equality of status and of speech, and of rulers who respect the liberty of their subjects above all else. And from him as well, to be steady and consistent in valuing philosophy. And to help others and be eager to share, not to be a pessimist, and never to doubt your friends’ affection for you. And that when people incurred his disapproval, they always knew it. And that his friends never had to speculate about his attitude to anything: it was always clear. 15. Maximus Self-control and resistance to distractions. Optimism in adversity-especially illness. A personality in balance: dignity and grace together. Doing your job without whining. Other people’s certainty that what he said was what he thought, and what he did was done without malice. Never taken aback or apprehensive. Neither rash nor hesitant-or bewildered, or at a loss. Not obsequious-but not aggressive or paranoid either. Generosity, charity, honesty. The sense he gave of staying on the path rather than being kept on it. That no one could ever have felt patronized by him-or in a position to patronize him. A sense of humor. 16. My adopted father Compassion. Unwavering adherence to decisions, once he’d reached them. Indifference to superficial honors. Hard work. Persistence. Listening to anyone who could contribute to the public good. His dogged determination to treat people as they deserved. A sense of when to push and when to back off. Putting a stop to the pursuit of boys. His altruism. Not expecting his friends to keep him entertained at dinner or to travel with him (unless they wanted to). And anyone who had to stay behind to take care of something always found him the same when he returned. His searching questions at meetings. A kind of single-mindedness, almost, never content with first impressions, or breaking off the discussion prematurely. His constancy to friends-never getting fed up with them, or playing favorites. Self-reliance, always. And cheerfulness. And his advance planning (well in advance) and his discreet attention to even minor things. His restrictions on acclamations-and all attempts to flatter him. His constant devotion to the empire’s needs. His stewardship of the treasury. His willingness to take responsibility-and blame-for both. His attitude to the gods: no superstitiousness. And his attitude to men: no demagoguery, no currying favor, no pandering. Always sober, always steady, and never vulgar or a prey to fads. The way he handled the material comforts that fortune had supplied him in such abundance-without arrogance and without apology. If they were there, he took advantage of them. If not, he didn’t miss them. No one ever called him glib, or shameless, or pedantic. They saw him for what he was: a man tested by life, accomplished, unswayed by flattery, qualified to govern both himself and them. His respect for people who practiced philosophy-at least, those who were sincere about it. But without denigrating the others-or listening to them. His ability to feel at ease with people-and put them at their ease, without being pushy. His willingness to take adequate care of himself. Not a hypochondriac or obsessed with his appearance, but not ignoring things either. With the result that he hardly ever needed medical attention, or drugs or any sort of salve or ointment. This, in particular: his willingness to yield the floor to experts-in oratory, law, psychology, whatever-and to support them energetically, so that each of them could fulfil his potential. That he respected tradition without needing to constantly congratulate himself for Safeguarding Our Traditional Values. Not prone to go off on tangents, or pulled in all directions, but sticking with the same old places and the same old things. The way he could have one of his migraines and then go right back to what he was doing-fresh and at the top of his game. That he had so few secrets-only state secrets, in fact, and not all that many of those. The way he kept public actions within reasonable bounds-games, building projects, distributions of money and so on-because he looked to what needed doing and not the credit to be gained from doing it. No bathing at strange hours, no self-indulgent building projects, no concern for food, or the cut and color of his clothes, or having attractive slaves. (The robe from his farm at Lorium, most of the things at Lanuvium, the way he accepted the customs agent’s apology at Tusculum, etc.) He never exhibited rudeness, lost control of himself, or turned violent. No one ever saw him sweat. Everything was to be approached logically and with due consideration, in a calm and orderly fashion but decisively, and with no loose ends. You could have said of him (as they say of Socrates) that he knew how to enjoy and abstain from things that most people find it hard to abstain from and all too easy to enjoy. Strength, perseverance, self-control in both areas: the mark of a soul in readiness-indomitable. (Maximus’s illness.) 17. The Gods That I had good grandparents, a good mother and father, a good sister, good teachers, good servants, relatives, friends-almost without exception. And that I never lost control of myself with any of them, although I had it in me to do that, and I might have, easily. But thanks to the gods, I was never put in that position, and so escaped the test. That I wasn’t raised by my grandfather’s girlfriend for longer than I was. That I didn’t lose my virginity too early, and didn’t enter adulthood until it was time-put it off, even. That I had someone-as a ruler and as a father-who could keep me from being arrogant and make me realize that even at court you can live without a troop of bodyguards, and gorgeous clothes, lamps, sculpture-the whole charade. That you can behave almost like an ordinary person without seeming slovenly or careless as a ruler or when carrying out official obligations. That I had the kind of brother I did. One whose character challenged me to improve my own. One whose love and affection enriched my life. That my children weren’t born stupid or physically deformed. That I wasn’t more talented in rhetoric or poetry, or other areas. If I’d felt that I was making better progress I might never have given them up. That I conferred on the people who brought me up the honors they seemed to want early on, instead of putting them off (since they were still young) with the hope that I’d do it later. That I knew Apollonius, and Rusticus, and Maximus. That I saw was shown clearly and often what it would be like to live as nature requires. The gods did all they could-through their gifts, their help, their inspiration-to ensure that I could live as nature demands. And if I’ve failed, it’s no one’s fault but mine. Because I didn’t pay attention to what they told me-to what they taught me, practically, step by step. That my body has held out, especially considering the life I’ve led. That I never laid a finger on Benedicta or on Theodotus. And that even later, when I was overcome by passion, I recovered from it. That even though I was often upset with Rusticus I never did anything I would have regretted later. That even though she died young, at least my mother spent her last years with me. That whenever I felt like helping someone who was short of money, or otherwise in need, I never had to be told that I had no resources to do it with. And that I was never put in that position myself-of having to take something from someone else. That I have the wife I do: obedient, loving, humble. That children had competent teachers. Remedies granted through dreams-when I was coughing blood, for instance, and having fits of dizziness. And the one at Caieta. That when I became interested in philosophy I didn’t fall into the hands of charlatans, and didn’t get bogged down in writing treatises, or become absorbed by logic-chopping, or preoccupied with physics. All things for which “we need the help of fortune and the gods.” Read more <div id="

My wife enjoys listening to me read to her while she is falling asleep. When I finally got to Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations on my reading list, I was excited to read it all the through instead of just a couple of excerpts every now and then. When I purchased one of the older translations I almost couldn’t understand what I was saying when reading it aloud to myself. I hoped she wouldn’t notice and just think I’m super smart for reading such profound text… But she didn’t. “What are we reading?” she exclaimed. I new at that time, for both me and her, I had to find a better translation.To no avail I only found more and more of either the same translation from years ago or even older. I’m sure they worked for their time, but was getting discouraged because I would have to take more time on an already heavy book.After taking a break, I was listening to Chris Fisher’s podcast called, “Traditional Stoicism,” he mentioned Gregory Hayes’ translation being much more accessible to the modern reader.I bought it instantly and devoured it. I’m on my second reading now highlighting even more text than before.SO MUCH EASIER!As a person who practices Stoicism daily, I highly recommend this edition for its smoothness and updated translation.

I don’t like to do this, but I just want to warn others like me. I’ve had five copies of the Meditations so far, because every time I get one I hand it out and it never comes back. So it goes.I won’t say this translation is technically bad, but I hate it. It’s not the original and it reads like something for a child. The word choice and translation style remove all of the soul I love about it.The author also includes an introduction almost half as long as the book itself. I’ll let that speak for itself.If you’re like me and you want the original translation, or just care about having the best experience with the book, do not get this version.

Sometimes Amazon bundles multiple translations under one product listing, so this is the Gregory Hays translation. Overall I give the translation 5/5 just from the perspective of being well-written and free of errors. This is my first reading so I can’t speak to “accuracy” per se, but overall the flow of the prose gives me a lot of assurance that it’s a faithful translation.This translation comes with a large opening section detailing Marcus Aurelius’ life and the geopolitical and social factors surrounding the work, as well as the history we know of how the work survived and was transmitted. This background is great because the Meditations were in part Marcus’ personal diary. Many lines were only meant as personal reminders – a sort of philosophical to-do list – and some lines are still such non-sequiturs that scholars can’t place them. Overall though, the Meditations is sort of a philosophical play book. Marcus is essentially coaching himself – how to act, what to think about, how to carry yourself. It makes for an incredibly actionable philosophical work.Overall, it’s precisely the fact that Meditations was never meant to be read which makes it such good reading! This isn’t a thorough treatise trying to explain why stoicism is the best philosophy, it’s more of a step-by-step guide for how to live and breathe this philosophy.Famously, this work constantly mentions death. Marcus Aurelius constantly reminded himself that he was mortal, and that he could die at any time. He clearly expresses that this belief helps him act honorably at all moments. If you believe you could die today, Aurelius believed you’d be much more likely to express yourself fully and to avoid saying anything which was dishonest or which would cause you to feel regret later. This doesn’t mean he ignored the future – preparing for a good life tomorrow, including diet and exercise, has benefits today as well as tomorrow.Meditations is rarely dry. It’s quick, aphoristic “to-do list” style means varied points are given one after another. If you don’t get something from one paragraph, the next might still be very important to you. It’s similar to Nietzsche in that regard. Unlike Nietzsche however, this book goes strongly against ego. Aurelius doesn’t say he is a genius, but that he is a human like any other.Overall this is a fairly unique work in terms of major philosophical books. Because this book wasn’t meant to be published, it’s one of the most brutally honest and effective works out there, especially because this ethos meshes with stoicism. One stoic principle might be, “write everything down – but write honestly, as though it will never get published”. Aurelius accidentally accomplished that in strong fashion, and the philosophical world is all the better for it.

“What am I doing with my soul?”This collection of sublime thoughts compiled as a book (originally titled as “Eis Heauton”, meaning: “To Himself”; original language was Greek) has never gone out of print since circa AD 161. The writer, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, was a Roman emperor and the most renowned stoic philosopher of antiquity. My review though is not about the book itself but about the various available translations of the book.There are three noted translations which are most readily available in market:1. A. S. L. Farquharson’s Everyman’s Library hardcover edition.2. Martin Hammond’s Penguin Classics edition.3. Gregory Hays’ Modern Library edition.The first one is the most revered edition published in 1944. Though the physical appearance of this edition is the most eye-catching with an elegantly produced hardcover binding and handsome printing, the translation seems dated and old-fashioned. If you want to exhibit your book collection in front of people, you may buy this edition. Though for reading pleasure and better understanding of the philosophy, I’ll not recommend it.The second edition by Penguin (2006) is better than the Farquharson’s as far as readability is concerned, but avoid this one too. This translation is more inclined to the exactness of the original text than the readability or understandability of the writing. As it seems, this is the bestselling edition of “Meditations” as far as the Amazon’s Indian website is concerned. Thanks to the Penguin Classics tag attached to it, perhaps. No matter what, this is NOT the best edition in comparison.The last edition which is by Hays (2002), in my opinion (and as per the general consensus as well), is the best edition available. This is the most comprehensible translation of “Meditations” for the modern readers. The language is fluid and contemporary. If you want to study the thoughts of Aurelius more profoundly then get this Gregory Hays edition, paperback published by Modern Library (snapshots attached).

I purchased this book following a recommendation from Ryan Holiday in his book “The Obstacle Is The Way”. Sadly Ryan lists the translators name as Hayes not Hays…. but that is a minor glitch. There are a few versions of Meditations around. I initially purchased the ‘Annotated’ version as it was cheaper. That version is awful. Non native English or possible automatically translated text surrounding an old style version of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations full of Thees and Thous and bad English. Having returned that book, I purchased the more expensive Modern Library version without Annotations. This is the original Gregory Hays book and is excellent in my opinion. It is basically a modern language interpretation of the classic. So if you are after a clear and understandable presentation of the Roman Emperor’s book then this is a good choice. If you want a King James style read there are many other translations, but I don’t recommend the ‘Annotated’ one. If you want pure unadulterated words from the Ancient Roman, learn Latin?

There are many translations available of meditation book, I would like to suggest everyone to buy the book Published by modern library edition which is written by Gregory hay, it has a great introduction and translation. Now coming to book, it’s actually not a book but a personal diary of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius who used to follow stoic philosophy. Paper quality is avg and can be improved but you can’t expect much in 300-400rs. To understand his views and ideas you should have basic idea of stoicism and for that i would suggest you to buy guide to good life by Irvine which gives overall view of stoicism and how to implement those ideas in your life. Also if you really like the idea of stoicism and want to read more i would suggest to read seneca letters and Epictetus discourse. I consider myself very lucky that i got introduced to stoicism and it really changed my whole perspective, it’s just like gita where you can find timeless wisdom, and I’m going to use it’s quote in daily life here are few which i liked most: 1)You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.2)Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.3)If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.4)When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …5)Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.Thank you for reading my review, I hope it gave you overview of the book and if you know any more great books then please suggest more books on stoic philosophy.

As numerous others have commented on the multiple editions of this book, the Gregory Hays translation is widely considered the best and I’m glad I did my research before pulling the pin on ordering. Something buyers should take careful note of is that if you select the Hardcover option on this item’s main product page you’ll be taken to an entirely different version that is not this book. I like my personal library in hardcover too ladies and gents, but in this case, don’t do that. Amazon doesn’t sell the Hays version in hardcover even though I’ve confirmed it exists.

Firstly, Meditations itself is fantastic. However, this translation is not. The choice of wording and structure used in many of the translations is complex and hard to make sense of. The penguin classics translation is by far the superior version. Sadly it doesnt have a kindle version available.

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