《沉思录·卷九·不义与虚妄》第28条
The periodic movements of the universe are the same, up and down from age to age. And either the universal intelligence puts itself in motion for every separate effect, and if this is so, be thou content with that which is the result of its activity; or it puts itself in motion once, and everything else comes by way of sequence in a manner; or indivisible elements are the origin of all things.--In a word, if there is a god, all is well; and if chance rules, do not thou also be governed by it (vi. 44; vii. 75). Soon will the earth cover us all: then the earth, too, will change, and the things also which result from change will continue to change forever, and these again forever. For if a man reflects on the changes and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable (xii. 21).
注释摘要
这一条用一种近乎冷静到残酷的递进，把宇宙的周期性运动、对终极原因的多种解释，以及由此该持有的态度，一次推到极限。奥勒留不是在做形而上学的推测，而是在解构困扰人心的畏惧感和占有欲。 他先摆出宇宙运动的宏观视野——上下起伏，周而复始。这不是浪漫的感叹，而是斯多葛物理学的一条根本认识：宇宙由元素构成，按照永恒的周期循环，膨胀与消解、生成与毁灭是同样的节律。在这样…