《沉思录·卷七·痛苦与忍受》第19条
Through the universal substance as through a furious torrent all bodies are carried, being by their nature united with and co-operating with the whole, as the parts of our body with one another. How many a Chrysippus, how many a Socrates, how many an Epictetus has time already swallowed up! And let the same thought occur to thee with reference to every man and thing (v. 23; vi. 15).
注释摘要
这条札记是奥勒留对宇宙运行法则的一次激烈而冷酷的凝望。他把“宇宙实体”比作一道狂暴的洪流，这个比喻不是在赞美自然的壮美，而是在强调一种不可抗拒的裹挟力。在斯多葛派的物理观里，整个宇宙是一个有生命的统一体，由一个主动的、理性的原则贯穿并驱动。这股洪流就是那个生生不息、不断聚合又不断分解万物的力量本身。所有个体的身体，都只是这股洪流暂时泛起的浪花，还没来得及定…