One-Minute Meditation
Making right use of impressions
Welcome to the first one-minute meditation from Stoicism for Humans!
I invite you to take a few deep breaths as you play the music, enjoy the stunning natural scenery, and reflect on the following words of wisdom from Epictetus:
You must begin, then, by purifying your own ruling center, and adopting this as your plan in life: "From this time forth, the material that I work upon is my own mind, just as that of a carpenter is wood, and that of a cobbler is leather; for my work lies in making right use of my impressions.
Epictetus, Discourses, 3.22, 19-20
I wonder what Epictetus means exactly by 'purify?' Adopting a plan seems to me like a rational action to take, but I view 'purifying' as more of a release of negativity or distraction, in preparation for the work in the plan. Would the ancient Stoics have used meditation as we know it today, more similar to the Buddhist tradition? Aurelius's book is Meditations, but it is more about focused thought than letting go of thought.
That’s nice. Good to take a breath to refocus. 😊