Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

Someone asked Epictetus, "How can a person eat in a way that pleases the gods?" He answered: "If you eat justly and contentedly, with balance and self-control and in an orderly way, won't that please the gods? But here's the real test: when you ask for warm water and your servant doesn't hear you, or brings lukewarm water instead, or isn't even in the house — if you don't get angry or explode with rage, isn't that what really pleases the gods?"

Discourses, How Everything May Be Done Acceptably to the Gods 37 of 388
Calm Your Mind Doing The Right Thing
Epictetus — The Slave Original

When some one asked, How may a man eat acceptably to the gods, he answered: If he can eat justly and contentedly, and with equanimity, and temperately, and orderly, will it not be also acceptable to the gods? But when you have asked for warm water and the slave has not heard, or if he did hear has brought only tepid water, or he is not even found to be in the house, then not to be vexed or to burst with passion, is not this acceptable to the gods?

Discourses, How Everything May Be Done Acceptably to the Gods 37 of 388
Epictetus — The Slave

Must your leg be injured? You fool, will you blame the entire world because of one bad leg? Won't you willingly give it up for the sake of everything else? Won't you let it go? Won't you gladly give it back to the one who gave it to you? And will you get angry and upset with the way Zeus set things up — the way he and the Fates planned and ordered your life when they were spinning the thread of your birth? Don't you know how tiny you are compared to the whole universe? I mean when it comes to your body. But when it comes to your mind, you're not worse than the gods. Intelligence isn't measured by length or height. It's measured by your thoughts.

Discourses, Of Contentment 36 of 388
Facing Hardship Freedom & Control
Epictetus — The Slave Original

Must my leg then be lamed? Wretch, do you then on account of one poor leg find fault with the world? Will you not willingly surrender it for the whole? Will you not withdraw from it? Will you not gladly part with it to him who gave it? And will you be vexed and discontented with the things established by Zeus, which he, with the Moirae (fates) who were present and spinning the thread of your generation, defined and put in order? Know you not how small a part you are compared with the whole. I mean with respect to the body, for as to intelligence you are not inferior to the gods nor less; for the magnitude of intelligence is not measured by length nor yet by height, but by thoughts.

Discourses, Of Contentment 36 of 388
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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