Fire

آری، آری ، زندگی زیباست زندگی آتشگهی دیرنده پا برجاست گر بیفروزیش، رقص شعله اش در هر کران پیداست ورنه، خاموش است وخاموشی گناه ماست سیاوش کسرایی / / / / / Life is like fire, can burns forever. If we turn it on we can see flame dances from far away, other wise its dark and thats our fault.

Principle of predetermination can be explained by example of a dog pulled by wagon. Dog’s faith is to be pulled by wagon, regardless of dog’s resentments, dog can not change what is happening to him. In this case if dog, “try to enjoy the ride” or “accept what happens to him,” then there would be no problem or struggle. But if dog tries to go to the other direction, or don’t want to move with the wagon, dog won’t have the ability to change the situation and dog would only suffer while nothing will change.

This was part of my paper about stoic philosophy, which was developed in Greece around 200A.C

Paper on Stoic and brief description of Marcus Aurelius:

In stoic study there is no manual for every day life. Stoic believes that what is right for some one at some specific time, may not necessarily work at other time for another person.

Human, nature and god are parts of rational universe therefore they have to be rational agents. Universal cause indicates all incidents have reasons and all reasons are predetermined, some incidents can be caused through series of predetermined logos.

The only unambiguous good is virtue and vice is unambiguously bad. Everything else are indifference and don’t make any significant contribution to ones being. However there is no indifference good or indifference bad by nature.

There are two ways of understanding events happening in life: Universal or rational view point and Partial view point. Partial view point is based on limited experience and knowledge one gains through life which can’t be complete. According to rational view point what one might call it devil or suffering, have reasons and causes. Suffering could be seen as a path to reach harmony with nature, and it is one’s own mind that categorizing events as good or bad while every thing is in harmony with nature. Even if one is unable to understand the reasons behind events. To be in harmony one should not resist against nature or rational reasoning. Resentment against nature and trying to change faith become the biggest problem of human.

Human have inner freedom to decide on attitude and actions they choose to make but one do not have freedom to choose the events or situation that he will be involve with. Human have logos and capacity to decide and that’s how one has room for change. People own their characters and attitude and that makes one responsible for the way he responds to situations.

Good intention is much more important than the out come. The outcome is predetermined but how it happens is not. However being stoic does not mean one can not desire a specific outcome because some event might feel more preferable, But a stoic is not suppose to exposed to overwhelm emotions or regret in situation he find him self.

Happiness comes with living in accordance with nature. Normal and healthy way of living with nature is having rational justification. Behaving in accordance with emotion and feeling would be against acting rational, so Pathea or Passion should be removed from life. Harmony will be gone when one become selfish and think very high of himself. If ones performance is rational, one should not be ashamed of it or try to hide it. “Wise man never regret, never is mistaken, never change his mind.”

Virtue is valuable because it is in accordance with nature. Virtue is good for its own sake, and one will know it by comparing and analogy. Human by born have the possibility of virtue, seeds of knowledge and capacity of going in the correct direction.

Principle of predetermination, will and being in harmony with faith and nature can be explained by example of a dog pulled by wagon. Dog’s faith is to be pulled by wagon, regardless of dog’s resentments or not and dog can not change what is happening to him.
In this case if dog, “try to enjoy the ride” or “accept what happens to him,” then there would be no problem or struggle. But if dog tries to go to the other direction, or don’t want to move with the wagon, dog won’t have the ability to change the situation and dog would only suffer while nothing will change.



Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor (AD 121-180) and a strong believer in stoic philosophy. His book “Meditations” is series of personal notes seeking a way toward self love and attempts to record passing thought to find answers for personal struggles.

The way one relates to the world is base on: Sense data, Phantosia and hypolysis perception. One’s understanding from life can be described as a picture: Where sense data is like nature, is not good or bad by itself. Phantosia is a memory card of camera and perception is final print of the picture. One gets the sense data and adds his own judgment to it at phantosia, the same way one can take picture but save it as black and white on memory card.

There are three ways of organizing behaviour: Discipline of perception, Discipline of action, Discipline of will.
Discipline of perception: Universe is in accordance with rationality and every thing happens are parts of this universe and has logos. Thus one should Sees things as they are, and not add judgment, that means the organizing part of human soul which has logos and reasons “Hegemonikon” should not be involve with judgmental point of view.
Power within is about finding a way to deal with one’s struggles and imperfections in life by self love and taking difficulties as light of success, and problem as part of solutions. One can never escape from himself, but by practice can become free from judgment in Phantosia by using Hegemonikon. One can look inside to find a way to go within and renew himself by shaping his though and bringing himself in accordance with nature.
Discipline of action: All human have logos and they should actively cooperate with world and other people. Discipline of action is about the way one treats others. One’s behaviour toward others should be just and accompanied with gravity and reasons, not randomly and frivolously. One can enjoy simple pleasure of life but not go through frivolous behaviour which would base on destruction of Hegemonikon. People are not perfect and one should understand and try not to change others but to help, because all human are connected to the same logos and nature. One should assume every body is part of his own family ”Oikeiosis”, and treat them with respect and caring attitude. Universe is ordered with hierarchy so people should also be treated with respect to hierarchy. Discipline of action is related to attitude that is up to us and can be changed ”Sunkathesis”.
Discipline of will: It’s about events that are not in one’s control and can not be changed. Discipline of will would help one accepts his faith and try not to violate the harmony with nature. Love of faith for stoic is state of joyful acceptance toward every mystery of predetermination, state of feeling oneness with universe and intimacy with nature and god.

Believing in Transience means every thing will pass and nothing is permanent. Past and future are indifferent. Every moment is a gift that will not last long. Human belong to nature and death is also part of nature. Accepting this view makes each moment of life more precious and intense and would diminish any reason to be vicious. Death can be viewed as resolution of life or an exchange to environment.