Seneca,

Your letter about noise, and the trials of city life bring to mind something I’ve been chewing on lately.  That is the retreating from the city life.  Your letters seem to often suggest one retires to focus on philosophy, and I’m slowly being convinced you may be correct.  yet this passage of Marcus sticks out at me as a blaring counter-example.

“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much. But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself. For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquility; and I affirm that tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself; and let thy principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as thou shalt recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely, and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which thou returnest.”

— Marcus, Meditations, Book IV.

Marcus’ ‘inner citadel’ seems at odds with both your suggestions, and my inclinations.  Thus far, in my own Stoic journey, I’ve found that those ideas which lie at odd with my instinct tend to have been borne out.

I’ve been tossing around the idea lately of an “extended Cynic holiday” as you suggest as a monthly venture in other letters.  However, I’m thinking on the scale of weeks and months.  Maybe six or nine months all together.  I would use this time to meditate, reflect, and simplify.

As I’m currently living in a metro-area of some ten million or so people, you can imagine, I’m sure, the bucolic fantasy of a small woodland cabin, a simple iron stove, and the slow mornings watching the mountain fog descend into the hollers.

I would take the time to read, to write, to reflect.  I would do the things that you say we should, to throw ourselves into philosophy here and now, not as a mere holiday.

But, Marcus’ advice begs the question, am I running from things to which I’m averse without an eye to true goods and evils?  Am I ignoring the retreat of the soul which is available at all times, and searching for an excuse to dodge some indifferents?  I don’t think this is the case, but a good understanding of myself and the situation warrants a close examination.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

Your letter touched on several topics, a couple of which I’ve been thinking on myself.  The first is the keen and sharp difference between leisure and idleness.  This moved smoothly into a discussion on how our surroundings do not determine our state of mind.  In fact, the state of mind we cultivate has primacy in importance.  We can find happiness in any place.

This issue is one which is on my heart these days.  Still in exile, doing many things which are instrumental to my exile, but which bring me no joy.  My heart is tired from it.

But, it is within my purview to look and find some happiness… even in exile.  I’m going to concentrate on that today.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

I disagree, that there is not virtue for one expelled as one who goes willingly.  Even in expulsion, one has the ability to accept and assent.  To note what’s up to us, and what’s not.  Despite the fact that one’s light might be snuffed out rather than running out of wick, there is still the opportunity for virtue there.

Your letter provides much food for thought today.  Thanks.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

The comparison of how an illness of the body commands all of our attention, that we set aside, business, pleasure, and all other things to remedy the problem; with that of the illnesses of the soul is well-taken.

However, it’s the case that the common man does not do this, nor even does a goodly portion of those who would call themselves philosophers.

Thank you for the letter, today.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

“Why do you take pleasure in being praised by men whom you yourself cannot praise?”

It’s a good question.  The answer is that we must mistake praise for a good.  We seek it, we find it validating.  It supports what we do.  But, most of the time we don’t consider the source.

A careful application of praise from a good man is one thing, but we mistake a popular sort of praise which is base.  One has but to look at the internet, the never-ending stream of selfies, tweets, and updates.  Lots of people crying out for validation.

It’s a poor stand-in for the surety and confidence that comes from within.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

You have noted three classes of men:

1. Those who achieved wisdom by themselves.
2. Those who require a teacher to achieve wisdom, and want it.
3. Those who can achieve wisdom but must be driven towards it by another.

All three of these, you say, Epicurus praises.  I vaguely recall there being three divisions in Buddhism of people who are in one of several states of progress, but it’s not really my wheelhouse, and I can’t recall them specifically.

The thing I take from this letter, is that it should be okay for us to need, ask for, and receive help in our learning and our progress.  Chance are *very* high that we’re not the first class of folks above.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

Whew.  There’s a lot here.  I’ve never been to Baiae, but I have spent some time on an Adriatic island called Olib.  That sort of Mediterranean island life certainly is pleasant.  Time moves differently in place like that.

You mention that a wise man might choose to wear certain colors, as befits the simple life.  That reminds me of Cato (IIRC), choosing to wear the darkest dyed fabric he could find when light purple and red were the fashion.

EDIT:  Found it.

“And in general Cato esteemed the customs and manners of men at that time so corrupt, and a reformation in them so necessary, that he thought it requisite, in many things, to go contrary to the ordinary way of the world. Seeing the lightest and gayest purple was then most in fashion, he would always wear that which was the nearest black; and he would often go out of doors, after his morning meal, without either shoes or tunic; not that he sought vain-glory from such novelties, but he would accustom himself to be ashamed only of what deserves shame, and to despise all other sorts of disgrace.”

— http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/cato_you.html

The fact that these material things, such as the place we live, the colors we might adorn ourselves, the furnishing of our homes, etc., are all indifferents might seem confusing to some.  That these material things themselves are indifferents is not questioned; but how we handle them most certainly is not.

Thank you for the letter.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

“…[Ye]t the first steps in the approach to [virtue] are toilsome, because it is characteristic of a weak and diseased mind to fear that which is unfamiliar. The mind must, therefore, be forced to make a beginning; from then on, the medicine is not bitter; for just as soon as it is curing us it begins to give pleasure. One enjoys other cures only after health is restored, but a draught of philosophy is at the same moment wholesome and pleasant.”

My own practice seemed to have plateaued a few months back.  More than a few, now maybe.  And in the last couple weeks, even begun to slip.  This is a good call to action.  Thank you for it.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

“You are mistaken if you think that only on an ocean voyage there is a very slight space a between life and death. No, the distance between is just as narrow everywhere. It is not everywhere that death shows himself so near at hand.”

This letter, as Friday’s was, is full of parable and analogy.  The call to simple writing is a good one for philosophers.  While we might baffle the crowd with bullshit, if we have something of value which can be stated simply, simply put, we should.

The image of the city preparing for the invaders, the men at arms preparing for battle, the old men and women heaping up fortifications, … and us, positing a riddle, or helping?

Thank you for the letter.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

Seneca,

The swiftness of time is all the more reason to delimit the present.  To circumscribe it with attention, we focus and make better use of this short allotment of ours.

This letter has several quote-worthy passages.  I’m enjoying it and looking forward to its conclusion on Monday.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.