Meditations #22

 Life is short, and this earthly existence has but a single fruit to yield - holiness within, and selfless action without.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book Six

Lately I've been thinking about this passage quite a bit for a number of reasons. First off, you can see why so many people of faith, no matter the faith, have been drawn to Marcus Aurelius over the centuries. Secondly, and most importantly, what an extraordinarily beautiful and essential message. Truthfully, is this not humans at their absolute best? That is, when we assiduously strive for that peace of green fields inside us all, while also living a life in service to others, aren't we living that "best life" (a term that people throw around so effortlessly without a shred of self-reflection)? Finally, and more personally, this is a passage that I've read countless times over the decades and it never resonated with me the way it does now. As I've grown into a person of faith, and found myself devoting more and more of my time to giving back through volunteering, the natural marriage between "holiness within, and selfless action without" became glaringly apparent. What is the point of any of this if this is not your goal? The point of this can't be to make money or become famous or to impose your will on others religiously. In Islam we are reminded that every act of kindness is charity, keeping in mind that charity is one of the requirements of the faith, one example among many of our attempt to emphasize the same thing that Marcus Aurelius is saying. Once again, MA nails it.