1 00:00:00,533 --> 00:00:02,933 "Meditations" I figured it out 2,000 years ago 2 00:00:03,566 --> 00:00:05,766 But there was one thing about Marcus Aurelius 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:06,633 Never did 4 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:08,200 alone 5 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,133 Dominion over an area of about five million square kilometers 6 00:00:11,133 --> 00:00:12,966 Controls hundreds of thousands of troops 7 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,833 The most powerful person in the world 8 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,100 He lived to be 59. 9 00:00:17,833 --> 00:00:19,466 During his fifty-nine years of life 10 00:00:19,466 --> 00:00:21,066 He has fourteen children 11 00:00:21,100 --> 00:00:23,033 Most of them died before him 12 00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:25,733 He fought all his life. 13 00:00:25,733 --> 00:00:28,333 In the barracks in the north all year round 14 00:00:28,366 --> 00:00:29,566 Feet on ice and snow 15 00:00:29,566 --> 00:00:33,366 With his back to a corrupt capital and a group of people he can't trust 16 00:00:33,533 --> 00:00:35,833 He devoted all his life to his inner monologue 17 00:00:35,833 --> 00:00:37,066 Written in a notebook 18 00:00:37,933 --> 00:00:38,966 After writing 19 00:00:38,966 --> 00:00:40,900 Never intended for anyone to see 20 00:00:41,533 --> 00:00:42,466 That notebook 21 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:43,666 It's Meditations. 22 00:00:44,066 --> 00:00:47,166 You open any book list video now. 23 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,200 Books that changed my life 24 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:50,866 Entrepreneur pillow book 25 00:00:50,900 --> 00:00:52,666 Books Read by Successful People 26 00:00:52,666 --> 00:00:56,100 "Meditations" is almost certain to appear in the top three 27 00:00:57,066 --> 00:00:59,433 Bill Gates has publicly recommended it many times 28 00:00:59,666 --> 00:01:02,366 It has been on the books of many US presidents 29 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,800 Silicon Valley founders collectively use it as a spiritual playbook 30 00:01:05,700 --> 00:01:06,566 This Book 31 00:01:06,566 --> 00:01:08,266 It's not a book anymore 32 00:01:08,266 --> 00:01:09,366 It's a symbol. 33 00:01:09,700 --> 00:01:11,666 Symbolizes rational self-control 34 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:12,900 Calm and restrained 35 00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:13,566 Elite temperament 36 00:01:14,166 --> 00:01:16,166 But today I'm going to tell you something. 37 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,100 The vast majority of people read Meditations. 38 00:01:19,100 --> 00:01:21,366 I only read the surface 39 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,700 And they put that surface 40 00:01:23,733 --> 00:01:25,133 The misunderstanding became the whole point of this book 41 00:01:25,966 --> 00:01:27,166 But here's the thing. 42 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:28,833 Marcus Aurelius himself 43 00:01:28,833 --> 00:01:31,533 One of the things I do over and over again in this book 44 00:01:31,533 --> 00:01:34,566 Exactly what he has never been able to do in his life 45 00:01:35,100 --> 00:01:35,733 Hello 46 00:01:35,766 --> 00:01:36,566 Hello. 47 00:01:36,566 --> 00:01:37,166 I am Wang Lijie 48 00:01:38,066 --> 00:01:40,633 This is the sixth installment of the series Deconstructing Classics with Buddhism 49 00:01:41,666 --> 00:01:42,466 The first five issues 50 00:01:42,500 --> 00:01:45,233 We've been dismantling classical Chinese 51 00:01:45,233 --> 00:01:47,866 Seeds and Seasons of Mirror Flower Edge 52 00:01:47,866 --> 00:01:50,200 The Dream of Red Mansions 53 00:01:50,233 --> 00:01:51,966 Journey to the West 54 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,766 The love of the peony pavilion 55 00:01:53,766 --> 00:01:56,466 The Five Ladders of Moral Benevolence and Righteousness in Su Shu 56 00:01:57,500 --> 00:01:59,233 Today we cross civilization 57 00:01:59,233 --> 00:02:01,433 Spanning more than 10,000 kilometers 58 00:02:01,433 --> 00:02:03,666 Come to ancient Rome two thousand years ago 59 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:05,400 Take a look at a Roman emperor 60 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,833 How to use the language of Greek philosophy 61 00:02:07,833 --> 00:02:10,866 Wrote a personal notebook that was strikingly similar to Buddhism 62 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:12,766 and 63 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,066 Which step is he at? 64 00:02:14,066 --> 00:02:16,966 You come to a very different fork in Buddhism. 65 00:02:17,633 --> 00:02:19,033 Make the basic information clear first 66 00:02:19,866 --> 00:02:21,066 Marcus Aurelius 67 00:02:21,100 --> 00:02:22,933 Born in 121AD 68 00:02:22,933 --> 00:02:24,466 Died in 1800 69 00:02:24,466 --> 00:02:26,600 Emperor of the ancient Roman Empire 70 00:02:26,633 --> 00:02:30,233 He is also one of the most important representatives in the history of Stoic philosophy 71 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,900 He spent almost all of his imperial life in war 72 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:38,766 There are Germanic tribes who continue to invade by the Danube 73 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,766 There were rebellions and plagues throughout the empire 74 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:45,633 "Meditations" is not a philosophical treatise he wrote leisurely in his study 75 00:02:45,633 --> 00:02:47,000 It was him in the barracks 76 00:02:47,033 --> 00:02:48,066 On the battlefield 77 00:02:48,100 --> 00:02:50,033 A private diary kept bit by bit 78 00:02:50,933 --> 00:02:53,066 The book is written in Greek 79 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:54,833 There's almost no structure. 80 00:02:54,833 --> 00:02:56,133 repeatedly 81 00:02:56,133 --> 00:02:57,300 contradiction 82 00:02:57,300 --> 00:03:00,700 Sometimes the same meaning is said seven or eight times 83 00:03:01,666 --> 00:03:03,066 It wasn't even written for publication. 84 00:03:03,966 --> 00:03:05,566 This is a person. 85 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:06,266 Talk to yourself 86 00:03:06,966 --> 00:03:08,366 And what this guy said 87 00:03:08,366 --> 00:03:09,066 Sometimes 88 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:13,966 And what Sakyamuni figured out 2,500 years ago under the Bodhi tree 89 00:03:13,966 --> 00:03:15,200 So close that it gives me goosebumps. 90 00:03:16,066 --> 00:03:18,833 We're going to start with the core skeleton of the book. 91 00:03:19,633 --> 00:03:22,233 Stoic philosophy makes a fundamental distinction 92 00:03:22,233 --> 00:03:24,066 It can be said to be the foundation of the entire building 93 00:03:25,033 --> 00:03:26,833 Marcus Aurelius in Meditations. 94 00:03:27,366 --> 00:03:30,333 I repeated it countless times: something 95 00:03:30,333 --> 00:03:31,233 Within your control 96 00:03:32,033 --> 00:03:33,000 Something. 97 00:03:33,033 --> 00:03:33,433 not in 98 00:03:34,233 --> 00:03:35,700 Within your control 99 00:03:35,733 --> 00:03:36,833 It's your judgment. 100 00:03:36,833 --> 00:03:37,866 Your desire 101 00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:39,133 Your disgust 102 00:03:39,133 --> 00:03:41,066 How do you choose to respond to the world? 103 00:03:42,133 --> 00:03:43,866 Out of your control 104 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:45,166 Everything that happens outside 105 00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:48,133 How do others treat you? 106 00:03:48,133 --> 00:03:49,533 Is the body sick? 107 00:03:49,533 --> 00:03:51,266 Is war coming? 108 00:03:51,300 --> 00:03:53,100 Did the child die? 109 00:03:53,133 --> 00:03:54,733 Is the empire corrupt in your hands? 110 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,766 The wisdom of the Stoics began here 111 00:03:58,266 --> 00:04:00,633 Only work hard on things within your control 112 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,300 The rest. 113 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:02,566 let go 114 00:04:03,066 --> 00:04:03,933 Hear here 115 00:04:03,966 --> 00:04:06,533 Do you feel strangely familiar? 116 00:04:06,666 --> 00:04:08,666 This is what our channel talked about 117 00:04:08,666 --> 00:04:10,133 It has a very precise parallel structure. 118 00:04:11,300 --> 00:04:11,866 stop 119 00:04:11,866 --> 00:04:15,200 Is to reduce the accuracy and weight of that narrative machine 120 00:04:15,233 --> 00:04:18,933 Don't let it keep making up stories about uncontrollable external events 121 00:04:18,966 --> 00:04:19,500 superimposed meaning 122 00:04:20,466 --> 00:04:20,900 view 123 00:04:20,900 --> 00:04:24,100 It's seeing the data flow as it really is. 124 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:26,433 Don't twist it with your prior beliefs 125 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,233 Marcus Aurelius did it over and over again. 126 00:04:29,266 --> 00:04:33,500 It's the same thing: paying attention to the uncontrollable external 127 00:04:33,533 --> 00:04:35,033 Back into a controlled interior 128 00:04:35,866 --> 00:04:37,233 It's not about changing the world. 129 00:04:37,266 --> 00:04:40,033 Is to change the relationship between you and the world 130 00:04:40,066 --> 00:04:41,700 It's called the judgment interface. 131 00:04:42,833 --> 00:04:44,266 In the words of consciousness-only learning 132 00:04:44,266 --> 00:04:45,300 What he's doing. 133 00:04:45,333 --> 00:04:47,366 It is to reduce the weight of the whole system 134 00:04:47,966 --> 00:04:50,733 He wrote this in "Meditations" 135 00:04:50,733 --> 00:04:52,066 I am paraphrasing here. 136 00:04:52,066 --> 00:04:55,166 It is not a direct quote from the original text: Why people suffer 137 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,066 Not because of the thing itself 138 00:04:57,066 --> 00:04:58,500 But because of the judgment of the matter 139 00:04:59,366 --> 00:05:00,700 Obstacles become the way forward 140 00:05:01,533 --> 00:05:03,166 Something that blocks action 141 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:04,433 It drives action. 142 00:05:05,233 --> 00:05:07,933 Everything that is external can disappear immediately 143 00:05:08,833 --> 00:05:09,866 These sentences 144 00:05:09,866 --> 00:05:12,000 If translated into the language of consciousness-only 145 00:05:12,033 --> 00:05:16,266 And it goes something like this: it's not the flow of data that's generated by him that's bothering you. 146 00:05:16,266 --> 00:05:18,333 It's what you superimpose on it. 147 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,566 Obstacles are neutral in nature. 148 00:05:21,566 --> 00:05:22,966 Let it be bitter 149 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,700 It's the judgment label you put on 150 00:05:26,133 --> 00:05:29,200 All external phenomena are based on him 151 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:30,033 Selflessness 152 00:05:30,033 --> 00:05:30,933 impermanence 153 00:05:30,966 --> 00:05:31,833 Can dissipate at any time 154 00:05:32,700 --> 00:05:34,733 Stoic and Conscious 155 00:05:34,766 --> 00:05:36,400 In a completely different language 156 00:05:36,433 --> 00:05:38,433 Draw nearly identical diagnostic maps 157 00:05:39,233 --> 00:05:43,333 This is what blows me away the most every time I read Meditations 158 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,666 With little direct cultural exchange 159 00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:49,533 An ancient Roman emperor 160 00:05:49,533 --> 00:05:51,833 And a group of ancient Indian practitioners 161 00:05:51,833 --> 00:05:54,400 Facing the same source of human suffering 162 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,033 Made highly similar diagnoses 163 00:05:56,766 --> 00:05:57,566 It's no coincidence. 164 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,333 It's the structure of consciousness itself. 165 00:06:00,333 --> 00:06:02,866 The same fingerprints in different civilizations 166 00:06:04,133 --> 00:06:05,000 But that's just the surface. 167 00:06:05,833 --> 00:06:07,000 More interesting 168 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:07,566 Is a fork 169 00:06:08,433 --> 00:06:10,766 The Stoics of Marcus Aurelius 170 00:06:10,766 --> 00:06:12,200 Buddhism 171 00:06:12,233 --> 00:06:14,900 After walking about halfway down the same road 172 00:06:14,900 --> 00:06:16,833 Going in two completely different directions 173 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:19,333 Where is the fork? 174 00:06:19,533 --> 00:06:21,566 On the question of who is judging? 175 00:06:22,433 --> 00:06:24,066 Stoic philosophy tells you 176 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:25,500 You can control your judgment 177 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:27,600 You've got to be rational. 178 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,500 To censor every thought that comes rushing in 179 00:06:30,533 --> 00:06:33,666 Determine whether it is real or fictional 180 00:06:33,666 --> 00:06:36,766 Is it within your control or outside your control? 181 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,266 Then make the correct response 182 00:06:39,166 --> 00:06:40,466 This logic has a premise 183 00:06:40,466 --> 00:06:44,466 There is a stable and reliable psychological agent 184 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:45,866 Able to perform this review task 185 00:06:46,666 --> 00:06:47,700 This subject 186 00:06:47,733 --> 00:06:48,033 It's "you." 187 00:06:48,966 --> 00:06:50,166 Buddhism asks the next question 188 00:06:50,833 --> 00:06:52,133 The "you" who makes the judgment. 189 00:06:52,133 --> 00:06:53,166 Who is it again? 190 00:06:53,333 --> 00:06:58,133 The one who censors the thought, exercises reason, decides whether to let go or push. 191 00:06:58,133 --> 00:07:00,000 How is it formed? 192 00:07:00,133 --> 00:07:01,333 Is it reliable? 193 00:07:01,466 --> 00:07:03,066 Does it have its own biases? 194 00:07:03,100 --> 00:07:04,400 own persistence 195 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,066 Own prior weight 196 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:09,833 And in the shadows, it influences every rational decision it makes. 197 00:07:10,866 --> 00:07:12,966 From the Perspective of Consciousness-Only 198 00:07:12,966 --> 00:07:16,333 Stoics saw the plans made by Mornah 199 00:07:16,366 --> 00:07:17,766 Then say 200 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,400 We use the rationality of the first six senses to manage the output of the last consciousness 201 00:07:22,300 --> 00:07:23,233 Buddhism 202 00:07:23,266 --> 00:07:23,466 And so forth. 203 00:07:24,500 --> 00:07:26,100 The operation of the first six senses itself 204 00:07:26,133 --> 00:07:27,333 Also infiltrated by the end of consciousness 205 00:07:28,066 --> 00:07:31,600 The subject who thinks he is doing rational review 206 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:33,133 Its bottom layer 207 00:07:33,133 --> 00:07:33,866 It's Mornah 208 00:07:34,833 --> 00:07:37,366 You use Mornah to manage Mornah 209 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,500 It's like you're trying to grab the right hand with your right hand. 210 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:42,566 You are always so close 211 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:43,966 Certainly. 212 00:07:43,966 --> 00:07:46,066 If you take the stoic position 213 00:07:46,100 --> 00:07:48,933 The premises of Consciousness-Only can also be questioned in the same way 214 00:07:49,866 --> 00:07:51,700 But that's exactly the problem 215 00:07:51,733 --> 00:07:55,033 Constitutes the dilemma of Marcus Aurelius's life 216 00:07:55,033 --> 00:07:57,333 It is also the deepest contradiction in < Meditations > 217 00:07:58,300 --> 00:07:59,833 You read this book carefully 218 00:07:59,833 --> 00:08:01,700 You will find something that makes your heart tighten 219 00:08:02,466 --> 00:08:03,400 He keeps repeating 220 00:08:04,333 --> 00:08:05,633 Same admonition 221 00:08:05,633 --> 00:08:07,133 The same reminder 222 00:08:07,166 --> 00:08:08,566 The same self-persuasion 223 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:10,633 Not once 224 00:08:10,633 --> 00:08:11,733 Not twice 225 00:08:11,766 --> 00:08:12,866 Dozens of times 226 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:13,433 Hundreds of times 227 00:08:14,266 --> 00:08:15,600 Don't pay attention to other people's opinions 228 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:17,266 Next Chapter 229 00:08:17,266 --> 00:08:20,300 He's writing about other people's reviews again. Why does it make him miserable? 230 00:08:21,033 --> 00:08:23,300 External things can't really hurt you 231 00:08:24,466 --> 00:08:25,500 Flip to a few more pages 232 00:08:25,533 --> 00:08:27,633 He's writing again about his grief at the fall of the empire 233 00:08:28,633 --> 00:08:29,933 Death is no big deal 234 00:08:30,633 --> 00:08:33,100 And he went to great lengths. 235 00:08:33,100 --> 00:08:34,600 Talk about the grief of losing a child 236 00:08:35,566 --> 00:08:37,000 You try to imagine that picture 237 00:08:38,066 --> 00:08:38,800 Late Night 238 00:08:38,833 --> 00:08:39,433 Barracks 239 00:08:39,466 --> 00:08:41,700 Outside the tent was a German bonfire. 240 00:08:42,633 --> 00:08:44,366 An emperor in his fifties 241 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:45,800 Sitting under an oil lamp 242 00:08:45,833 --> 00:08:48,933 And again, he wrote in his notebook, "Don't be disturbed by objects. 243 00:08:49,900 --> 00:08:51,433 "When he wrote this sentence 244 00:08:51,466 --> 00:08:53,066 Hands may still be shaking 245 00:08:53,066 --> 00:08:56,066 Because I just received news during the day that another child is critically ill. 246 00:08:57,066 --> 00:08:58,033 This repeat 247 00:08:58,033 --> 00:08:59,433 It's not a matter of writing style 248 00:09:00,366 --> 00:09:01,200 This is a person. 249 00:09:01,233 --> 00:09:02,666 Got the right answer. 250 00:09:02,666 --> 00:09:03,266 But can't 251 00:09:04,633 --> 00:09:06,866 Then write to yourself over and over again 252 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:08,300 Trying to convince myself 253 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:12,666 There's a quote in Meditations that really impressed me. 254 00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:13,700 to the effect that 255 00:09:13,733 --> 00:09:15,700 I already know these truths 256 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:17,566 But why can't I do it? 257 00:09:17,666 --> 00:09:20,133 Why does reason tell me to calm down? 258 00:09:20,166 --> 00:09:21,766 Emotion still comes 259 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:24,000 This is the fundamental limitation of the Stoic training method 260 00:09:24,866 --> 00:09:26,900 It's a cognitive reconstruction system. 261 00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:28,266 Very powerful. 262 00:09:28,300 --> 00:09:29,900 But the essence of cognitive restructuring 263 00:09:29,933 --> 00:09:31,133 I work at a narrative level. 264 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,266 With a new narrative 265 00:09:33,266 --> 00:09:34,100 Replace the old narrative 266 00:09:35,133 --> 00:09:37,133 And Buddhism later went to the depths 267 00:09:37,166 --> 00:09:40,800 There's another thing to ask: the narrative machine itself. 268 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,200 Can you be seen? 269 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:43,666 Not just managed 270 00:09:43,666 --> 00:09:44,366 But to be seen 271 00:09:45,966 --> 00:09:48,166 Using the framework of predictive coding 272 00:09:48,166 --> 00:09:50,366 The Stoics are revising the content of their beliefs 273 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,666 What Buddhism needs to move towards is something lower 274 00:09:52,700 --> 00:09:54,533 It's the precision of the belief system, the weights themselves. 275 00:09:55,433 --> 00:09:57,200 Not just a change of belief 276 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,600 It's about reducing the inertia of the entire belief-generating mechanism. 277 00:10:00,433 --> 00:10:02,833 Marcus Aurelius knew what to think 278 00:10:02,833 --> 00:10:04,466 But the thought-generating machine 279 00:10:04,833 --> 00:10:06,666 He can't really turn it off. 280 00:10:06,666 --> 00:10:08,466 You can only keep chasing after the tube with reason. 281 00:10:09,500 --> 00:10:11,533 This is why "Meditations" reads 282 00:10:11,566 --> 00:10:13,866 Sometimes it can leave you feeling a deep sense of exhaustion 283 00:10:14,533 --> 00:10:16,366 It's not the exhaustion of the emperor running the empire 284 00:10:17,433 --> 00:10:19,066 Is a very smart person 285 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:21,000 Exhausted all cognitive resources 286 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,166 To manage a machine he never really saw clearly 287 00:10:25,033 --> 00:10:25,633 That exhaustion 288 00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:26,866 Now. 289 00:10:26,900 --> 00:10:29,200 We're going to pull back from ancient Rome. 290 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:30,166 Ask a question of the moment 291 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,433 You turn on your phone 292 00:10:32,433 --> 00:10:34,166 Today's self-improvement market 293 00:10:34,433 --> 00:10:35,900 What is Mainstream selling? 294 00:10:36,033 --> 00:10:37,033 cognitive framework 295 00:10:37,033 --> 00:10:38,166 thinking model 296 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:39,466 growth mindset 297 00:10:39,500 --> 00:10:41,033 habitual system 298 00:10:41,033 --> 00:10:41,766 efficient working method 299 00:10:42,766 --> 00:10:43,933 Did you notice 300 00:10:43,966 --> 00:10:44,766 All of this. 301 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,666 Are essentially modern variants of Stoic methodology 302 00:10:48,866 --> 00:10:50,566 With a better rational framework 303 00:10:50,566 --> 00:10:52,566 Manage your thoughts and actions 304 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:53,933 This results in better output 305 00:10:54,900 --> 00:10:55,700 It's not a bad thing. 306 00:10:56,633 --> 00:10:58,600 The Frame of Marcus Aurelius 307 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,233 Than most modern self-improvement products 308 00:11:01,233 --> 00:11:02,433 Much deeper. 309 00:11:02,466 --> 00:11:02,933 Much more honest 310 00:11:04,100 --> 00:11:05,400 But there's a catch. 311 00:11:05,433 --> 00:11:06,866 The market never asks 312 00:11:07,733 --> 00:11:09,066 Because once you ask 313 00:11:09,066 --> 00:11:10,266 The whole business model collapses 314 00:11:11,333 --> 00:11:13,466 You're using reason to manage your thoughts. 315 00:11:14,333 --> 00:11:16,366 But the "you" who manages. 316 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:17,600 Who wrote that? 317 00:11:17,766 --> 00:11:19,533 Who adjusted it? 318 00:11:19,666 --> 00:11:22,466 You trust your judgment to be sound. 319 00:11:22,500 --> 00:11:23,733 neutral 320 00:11:23,733 --> 00:11:24,166 reliable 321 00:11:25,233 --> 00:11:26,833 But your reason itself 322 00:11:26,833 --> 00:11:28,966 Does it have its own blind spots? 323 00:11:29,133 --> 00:11:33,333 Those blind spots don't appear on your rational checklist 324 00:11:33,366 --> 00:11:36,666 Because they're the hand that writes the checklist. 325 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:38,500 Marcus Aurelius 326 00:11:38,500 --> 00:11:41,233 It's one of the most serious examples of this in human history. 327 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,200 One of the most qualified 328 00:11:44,033 --> 00:11:45,533 He is wise enough 329 00:11:45,533 --> 00:11:46,766 Adequate education 330 00:11:46,766 --> 00:11:47,966 Enough motivation 331 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,500 Enough time 332 00:11:49,500 --> 00:11:50,166 Enough self-discipline 333 00:11:50,966 --> 00:11:51,966 All his life 334 00:11:51,966 --> 00:11:54,500 Didn't quite live up to the words he wrote himself 335 00:11:55,266 --> 00:11:56,166 It's not his failure. 336 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,466 This is a man of integrity. 337 00:11:58,466 --> 00:12:02,100 After hitting a real ceiling on a cognitive level 338 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:03,200 The truthful record left behind 339 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:05,800 That Buddhist step 340 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:06,933 What's that? 341 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:08,933 Instead of trying harder to manage your thoughts 342 00:12:09,666 --> 00:12:12,100 It's seeing the thought-generating mechanism itself. 343 00:12:12,966 --> 00:12:15,233 These two things sound similar 344 00:12:15,233 --> 00:12:16,633 It makes a world of difference 345 00:12:17,566 --> 00:12:18,466 management idea 346 00:12:18,500 --> 00:12:20,166 It means a thought. 347 00:12:20,166 --> 00:12:21,266 You evaluate it. 348 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:23,133 Accept or reject 349 00:12:23,133 --> 00:12:24,433 Replace with better ideas 350 00:12:25,233 --> 00:12:27,900 It's a never-ending battle 351 00:12:27,900 --> 00:12:30,400 The battlefield is always at the level of thought 352 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:31,866 You always need to keep fighting 353 00:12:32,733 --> 00:12:35,166 Marcus Aurelius fought all his life 354 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:36,733 Fight until the age of fifty-nine 355 00:12:36,733 --> 00:12:37,166 Fight to the death 356 00:12:38,066 --> 00:12:39,133 see mechanism 357 00:12:39,133 --> 00:12:41,500 It means you're not paying attention to your thoughts. 358 00:12:41,533 --> 00:12:43,466 And in the process of generating the thought 359 00:12:44,333 --> 00:12:45,966 You don't judge the content of your thoughts. 360 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,300 You only see how thoughts are produced 361 00:12:49,033 --> 00:12:50,933 When you can actually see the process 362 00:12:50,933 --> 00:12:54,766 A strange thing will happen: the speed at which that machine is running. 363 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:55,833 Will naturally slow down 364 00:12:56,466 --> 00:12:58,200 Not because you suppressed it 365 00:12:58,233 --> 00:12:59,966 It is because of being seen itself 366 00:12:59,966 --> 00:13:01,500 Changed the way it works 367 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,666 In the words of our channel before 368 00:13:04,666 --> 00:13:05,200 stop 369 00:13:05,233 --> 00:13:06,866 Not to drive the thought away 370 00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:09,333 Is to make the machine that generates the idea slow down 371 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:10,700 view 372 00:13:10,700 --> 00:13:12,566 Not checking the content of thoughts 373 00:13:12,566 --> 00:13:14,933 It is to see the process of relying on others as it is 374 00:13:16,166 --> 00:13:19,133 Marcus Aurelius has almost reached the beginning of the end 375 00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:22,566 He constantly asks himself to come back to the present moment 376 00:13:22,566 --> 00:13:23,866 Back to this moment 377 00:13:23,900 --> 00:13:24,833 Stop grabbing outward 378 00:13:25,833 --> 00:13:27,700 But he didn't go any further. 379 00:13:27,700 --> 00:13:29,800 Ask the present-moment subject. 380 00:13:29,833 --> 00:13:30,400 What is it? 381 00:13:31,266 --> 00:13:32,166 It's not his problem. 382 00:13:32,966 --> 00:13:34,700 This was his traditional boundary. 383 00:13:35,766 --> 00:13:38,233 Stoic philosophy at the time of its birth 384 00:13:38,233 --> 00:13:41,466 Has reached one of the limits of what human cognition can reach 385 00:13:42,500 --> 00:13:45,400 It draws a line there: to here. 386 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:46,100 I can get here. 387 00:13:46,900 --> 00:13:47,900 And Buddhism 388 00:13:47,933 --> 00:13:49,533 To the other side of that line 389 00:13:49,533 --> 00:13:50,066 One more step 390 00:13:50,900 --> 00:13:52,666 I'm not saying who is tall and who is low 391 00:13:52,900 --> 00:13:55,033 Not to mention that Marcus Aurelius lost 392 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:57,633 Here's the thing. 393 00:13:57,633 --> 00:13:59,366 He lived in a cultural tradition 394 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,266 There is no knowledge-only tool. 395 00:14:02,066 --> 00:14:03,700 He only has Stoic 396 00:14:03,733 --> 00:14:05,533 He used Stoic to the limit 397 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:08,900 The notebook full of private conversations 398 00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,800 Is a person without better tools 399 00:14:11,833 --> 00:14:14,400 The most honest exploration of consciousness that can be achieved 400 00:14:15,033 --> 00:14:18,066 This is what really moved me about Meditations 401 00:14:18,933 --> 00:14:20,600 It's not because he's right. 402 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,200 It's because he never stops. 403 00:14:22,933 --> 00:14:24,766 Even if he knew he couldn't 404 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,033 And he didn't stop to pretend he did. 405 00:14:28,033 --> 00:14:29,166 And this leads me to a phenomenon. 406 00:14:30,066 --> 00:14:33,766 In modern times, some people easily claim that their hearts are like still water 407 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,433 Completely indifferent to external evaluation 408 00:14:36,333 --> 00:14:37,700 I highly doubt it. 409 00:14:37,700 --> 00:14:39,600 Most people who say that 410 00:14:39,633 --> 00:14:41,800 Or really have no ability to feel 411 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:42,666 Or they're lying. 412 00:14:43,466 --> 00:14:44,266 Certainly. 413 00:14:44,266 --> 00:14:46,133 Maybe someone did 414 00:14:46,166 --> 00:14:47,966 It's just that we can't tell it from the outside. 415 00:14:49,466 --> 00:14:51,266 But Marcus Aurelius 416 00:14:51,300 --> 00:14:54,133 The man with the most power in the world 417 00:14:54,133 --> 00:14:57,533 Admit in a notebook: I can still be influenced by people's evaluations 418 00:14:58,333 --> 00:15:00,133 I will still grieve for the lost child 419 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,200 I still can't do what I know I should do 420 00:15:04,066 --> 00:15:05,200 This honesty 421 00:15:05,233 --> 00:15:08,133 Closer to the truth than any declaration of awakening 422 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:09,966 And finally. 423 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,100 I want you to think about something 424 00:15:11,833 --> 00:15:14,233 Is there anyone like that around you? 425 00:15:14,333 --> 00:15:15,666 I read a lot of books 426 00:15:15,666 --> 00:15:16,866 We created a lot of frameworks. 427 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:17,933 Understand a lot 428 00:15:18,733 --> 00:15:20,200 When should I take internal control? 429 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:21,766 When should I let go? 430 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:23,900 When should we respond rationally? 431 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:25,333 Well said 432 00:15:26,233 --> 00:15:27,866 But take a closer look. 433 00:15:28,566 --> 00:15:30,066 These people live their lives 434 00:15:30,100 --> 00:15:32,666 In fact, with those who don't know anything 435 00:15:32,666 --> 00:15:35,033 Just as easily overwhelmed by emotions 436 00:15:35,033 --> 00:15:38,800 You will also make regretful choices at critical moments 437 00:15:38,833 --> 00:15:41,766 The same things they say are not worth caring about 438 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:42,766 Hurt firmly 439 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:45,033 It's not mocking them. 440 00:15:46,633 --> 00:15:49,566 This is Marcus Aurelius spending his entire life using the entire book 441 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,333 The same thing Meditations tells us: cognitive maps 442 00:15:53,366 --> 00:15:55,033 Doesn't mean walking that road 443 00:15:55,900 --> 00:15:57,200 Know the correct answer 444 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:58,500 And really do it 445 00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:00,166 What's between? 446 00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:02,233 That is the distance from understanding to evidence 447 00:16:03,266 --> 00:16:05,266 The distance from understanding to evidence 448 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:08,233 It's between Stoic and Helium 449 00:16:08,266 --> 00:16:09,000 The distance of that step 450 00:16:09,533 --> 00:16:10,633 This distance 451 00:16:10,666 --> 00:16:11,533 There are no shortcuts. 452 00:16:11,533 --> 00:16:12,366 No frame. 453 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:13,333 No checklist 454 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:16,300 But when you really stop 455 00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:18,133 Sitting there quietly 456 00:16:18,166 --> 00:16:20,800 Saw the machine that kept turning 457 00:16:20,833 --> 00:16:22,366 If only for a second 458 00:16:22,366 --> 00:16:23,166 Really saw 459 00:16:24,166 --> 00:16:24,900 That second 460 00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:26,700 After reading the entire < Meditations > 461 00:16:26,700 --> 00:16:27,466 More weighty 462 00:16:28,433 --> 00:16:30,833 What are your thoughts on this issue? 463 00:16:30,933 --> 00:16:35,266 Marcus Aurelius spent his life failing to write his own words 464 00:16:35,300 --> 00:16:37,100 You see that as a failure. 465 00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:38,900 Still a precious 466 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:41,400 The distance between recognition and evidence 467 00:16:41,433 --> 00:16:44,033 Do you have your own experiences and feelings? 468 00:16:44,166 --> 00:16:45,666 Welcome to chat with me in the comment area. 469 00:16:47,066 --> 00:16:48,200 You can also tell me 470 00:16:48,233 --> 00:16:50,333 What would you most like to hear in the next installment of this series? 471 00:16:51,033 --> 00:16:52,133 I am Wang Lijie 472 00:16:52,166 --> 00:16:52,800 See you next time.