మార్కస్ అరీలియస్ Meditations పైన నా ప్రసంగాలు వింటూ, శ్రీమతి మాధవిగారు వారమ్మాయికి రెండు ఉత్తరాలు రాసారనీ చెప్తూ, ఆమె అనుమతితో, వాటిని గతంలో మీతో పంచుకున్నాను. ఇది మూడో ఉత్తరం. అరీలియస్ పైన నేను చేసిన మూడో ప్రసంగాన్ని ఆమె తిరిగి తన మాటల్లో చెప్తున్నారు:
Dear Chinni,
I attended the third lecture in the series on Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations by Sri China Veerabhadrudu garu and wanted to share the fascinating insights (my notes summarized by AI) with you. This talk went deeper into how Aurelius’s philosophy connects with various Eastern traditions, particularly focusing on the balance between cosmic law nd compassionate grace. Read on.
Marcus Aurelius : Meditations Talk 3
The Dual Nature of Existence: Gravity and Grace
The talk began by exploring determinism and karma as philosophical frameworks that can make life feel burdensome. Sri Veerabhadrudu garu suggested that within these deterministic frameworks exists a “compassionate heart” that offers liberation from the wheel of karma. He introduced Simone Weil’s 20th century concept of “Gravity and Grace,” where:
- Gravity represents the rule of law, the deterministic forces governing existence
- Grace represents the compassionate element that accompanies these rules
Our lives continuously record this interplay between gravity and grace, with mythological examples like Prahlada demonstrating this balance. In Prahlada’s story, his father orders him to be executed through various cruel methods—being thrown from steep mountains, trampled by elephants—yet divine grace always protects him from these punishments. This illustrates how grace operates alongside the law of gravity, providing protection when needed.
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu beautifully observed: “That grace that is always protecting us from the gravity—we call it God.”
Evolution of Deities in Vedic Tradition
The talk traced the evolution of deities in Vedic tradition:
- In pre-Rigvedic times, Varuna was the primary deity, holding a noose (pasam) and governing “Rutam” (the eternal rhythm of law)
- Rutam encompasses natural cycles: darkness giving way to sunrise, winter yielding to spring, rainfall patterns, seeds growing into crops
- The Rigveda shows Indra replacing Varuna as the primary deity
- This shift represents a philosophical evolution: Varuna represented determined law, while Indra represented human will and freedom
Buddhist Perspectives
The speaker transitioned to Buddhist philosophy:
- Buddha spoke about eternal law
- Early Theravada practitioners focused on self-liberation
- The Bodhisattva path emerged, where one postpones personal liberation until all suffering beings are liberated
- This evolution parallels the Vedic shift from Varuna to Indra, showing increasing emphasis on compassion and human agency
He explained: “The Bodhisattva says, ‘I will postpone my own liberation until the last suffering human being also attains liberation.'” This represents the human aspect (grace) that evolved from the Vedic tradition of Varuna to Indra, and in Buddhism from Sravaka Yana to Bodhisattva Yana.
Philosophical Schools in Indian Tradition
The talk briefly outlined different philosophical approaches:
- Advaita was not concerned about God but with ultimate reality
- Vishishtadvaita emerged recognizing the need for a supreme being to provide solace
- Both systems reflect the interplay between gravity (law) and grace (compassion)
Early Stoicism vs. Marcus Aurelius
The speaker distinguished between early Stoics and Marcus Aurelius:
- Early Stoics were concerned with latent, imminent principles (physics, logic, and ethics)
- Marcus Aurelius set aside physics and logic to focus exclusively on ethics
- He believed ethical principles could provide liberation
- For Aurelius, this ethical principle was equivalent to truth, divinity, and the fundamental law of life
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu emphasized: “Gravity is as real as the grace that protects us from gravity. When you understand the law of life, hold onto it, believe in it, gradually that law will reveal its divine face, its compassionate face to you.”
Truth and Conscience
Drawing parallels with Gandhi, the speaker noted:
- Gandhi’s evolution from “God is truth” to “Truth is God”
- Truth as an uncompromising life principle (without exceptions, compromises, or concessions)
- The importance of inner conscience as the guide to truth
He shared Gandhi’s insight: “Truth is what one’s conscience tells himself/herself. But if there are 8 billion people, are there 8 billion truths? Gandhi said that only when you are non-violent in your thoughts, words, and deeds should you trust what your conscience tells you as truth.”
The speaker emphasized: “Gandhi believed that divinity exists only in truth that manifests through non-violence. Marcus Aurelius said the same thing.”
Reading from Chapter 3: Ethical Living
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu read from Meditations 3.7, where Aurelius writes:
“Never regard something as doing you good if it makes you betray a trust, or lose your sense of shame, or makes you show hatred, suspicion, ill-will, or hypocrisy, or a desire for things best done behind closed doors. If you can maintain a love for truth and what is appropriate, a respect for your inner guidance, you will stand straight—not held up by others, but standing on your own feet. When faced with imminent death, you will fear neither departure from life nor be dependent on anyone, and you will neither shrink from death nor cling to life.”
The speaker compared this to Upanishadic wisdom: “The Upanishad also said that one who knows truth doesn’t feel bad about why they did something or why they didn’t do something.”
The Concept of “Na Mama” (Not Mine)
The speaker introduced the Garuda Purana’s insight that human thoughts revolve around two concepts:
“Our thoughts revolve around only two words—Mama, Na Mama (mine, not mine).”
- In Vedic sacrifices, offerings are made declaring “Na Mama” (this is not for me, but for the deities)
- This represents the fundamental tension in human existence between selflessness and selfishness
- The Upanishads teach that those who know truth transcend this duality
Reading from Chapter 3: Duty and Readiness
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu read from Meditations 3.5, where Aurelius advises:
“Do nothing unwillingly, selfishly, without self-examination, or with conflicting motives. Do not dress your thoughts in fancy language. Do not be garrulous or busy with too many things. Let the god within you be in charge of a real man, mature, concerned for others, a Roman and a ruler. One who stands ready, as if already prepared for departure from life, needing no oath or human witness. Be cheerful, independent, needing no assistance from without nor the peace which others give. Stand upright, not held up.”
He also shared Meditations 3.8, where Aurelius describes the mind of a well-trained person as free from impurity, pain, or corruption—like an actor who leaves the stage having completed his role, with nothing left undone.
Reading from Chapter 4: The Inner Garden
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu spoke about Aurelius’s concept of the “inner garden” (antaranga viharam) in Chapter 4 of Meditations—the joy, beauty, and tranquility found in dwelling within oneself.
He read from Meditations 4.3.1:
“People seek retreats for themselves—in the country, by the sea, in the hills—and you too are especially inclined to feel this need. But this is entirely the mark of the most common sort of person, for it is in your power whenever you shall choose to retire into yourself. Nowhere does a person retire with more quiet or more freedom from trouble than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquility.”
And from 4.3.4:
“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if you will ever dig.”
The speaker compared Aurelius’s view that “life is merely an opinion” to both a Brahma Sutram-like statement and Shakespeare’s “life is a tale told by an idiot full of fury yet signifying nothing.” He also quoted the poet Bairagi: “What ultimately matters is a ray of light, a smile, a flower.”
On External Validation
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu read from Meditations 4.7 and 4.8, where Aurelius teaches that removing the opinion that “I am being harmed” removes the harm itself, and nothing external can truly diminish us.
He also shared Meditations 4.11, where Aurelius advises: “When someone wrongs you, don’t judge things as he interprets them or as he wants you to interpret them. Just see them as they are, in plain truth.”
The speaker discussed the concept of FOG (Fear, Obligation, Guilt) that develops in relationships, noting how these elements can create a fog-like confusion in our minds, with guilt being particularly dangerous as it’s like poison injected into our bloodstream without our knowledge.
Reading from Chapter 4: On Beauty
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu shared Aurelius’s beautiful meditation on the self-sufficiency of beauty (4.20):
“Everything beautiful is beautiful in itself and completes itself without praise. Neither worse nor better is a thing made by being praised. This applies even to the things people call beautiful in the ordinary sense—material things and works of art. True beauty needs nothing beyond itself. Praise is no part of a beautiful thing—any more than it is of law, or truth, or kindness, or modesty. Which of these gets its beauty from praise, or withers under criticism? Does an emerald lose its quality if it is not praised? Or gold, ivory, purple, a lyre, a dagger, a flower, a bush?”
The speaker noted how Christ asked whether we can add or subtract an inch from our height by praising or criticizing ourselves, and how Aurelius similarly questions whether a lyre plays better because it’s praised or worse because it’s not. He emphasized that just as natural beauty exists independent of external validation, so does our inner beauty.
Reading from Chapter 4: The Olive Metaphor
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu read Aurelius’s meditation on natural separation (4.48):
“Spend this brief moment of time in harmony with nature, and end your journey with grace, just as an olive falls when ripe, blessing the earth that nourished it and grateful to the tree that gave it life.”
He compared this to the Vedic concept of “dosa pandu” (cucumber) naturally separating from its stem in “urvaarukamiva bandhanaan”, and to the Vedic prayer “Tryambakam Yajamahe” seeking liberation from death to immortality (mrityormuksheeya maamrutaat).
The City of God/Zeus
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu read from Meditations 4.51, where Aurelius addresses the universe:
“O Universe! Whatever is in harmony with you is in harmony with me. Nothing that comes at the right time for you is too early or too late for me. Everything is fruit to me that your seasons bring, O Nature. All things come from you, exist in you, return to you. The poet says, ‘Dear city of Cecrops’; shall I not say, ‘Dear City of God’?”
The speaker connected this to Augustine’s “City of God” and Aurelius’s “City of Zeus,” noting that the Kingdom of God is within us—there are no geographical coordinates to this divine city. We must aspire to be citizens of this city of Zeus.
Reading from Chapter 5: Who Am I?
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu shared Aurelius’s profound questioning (5.11):
“What is this, fundamentally? What is its nature and substance, its reason for being? What is it doing in the world? How long is it here for?”
He compared this to Bairagi’s poem ” నూతిలో గొంతుకలు’,” which asks similar existential questions:
ఆవలనున్న సాగరంలో, రజనీ నైశ్శబ్ద్యంలో నేనెవణ్ణి? ప్రభువునా? బానిసనా? మెదులుతున్న మాంసపు ముద్దనా? మానిసినా?ఈ అగ్నిశిఖల్లోంచి, ఈ రక్తమఖం లోంచి నూతన జననమా? ప్రాక్తన మరణమా?
(“In the ocean beyond, in the silence of night, Who am I? A ruler? A slave? A moving lump of flesh? A human being? From these flames, from this bloody sacrifice, A new birth? An ancient death?”)
The speaker emphasized that when we understand who we are, we also understand who others are.
Reading from Chapter 5: Finding Value in Darkness
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu read from Meditations 5.10.2, where Aurelius confronts existential doubt:
“In such darkness and dirt, in such a flowing stream of substance and time, of motion and things moved, what can be valued? I cannot imagine. On the contrary, one must console oneself with waiting for natural dissolution and not be vexed at the delay, but find rest in these two things only: one, that nothing will happen to me that is not in accord with the nature of the whole; and second, that it is in my power to do nothing contrary to the god and divine within me.”
The speaker noted how deeply relatable Aurelius’s words are, especially when we question whether our ethical principles are worth following in an ungrateful world.
Swabhava and Swadharma
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu introduced Aurobindo’s detailed explanation of the Bhagavad Gita concepts:
- Swabhava (one’s nature) determines swadharma (one’s duty)
- “Swadharme nidhanam sreyaha” (Better to die following one’s own dharma)
- “Para dharmo bhayavahaha” (Following another’s dharma is dangerous)
He explained that swadharma is not religious duty but duty based on one’s nature (swabhava), which comes from the unique combination of sattva, rajas, and tamas qualities in each person.
The speaker emphasized: “Aurelius talks about nature. You don’t need to ask why you should live for others. When you act according to your nature, it naturally benefits others. As your inner nature becomes more divine, as you remember the divinity within you, you acquire more divine qualities.”
The Divine Within
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu shared Aurelius’s teaching on living with the gods (5.27):
“Live with the gods. And he lives with the gods who constantly shows them that his own soul is satisfied with what is assigned to him, and that it does all the daemon wishes, which Zeus has given to every person as a guardian and guide, a fragment of himself. And this is each person’s intelligence and reason.”
He explained that for Aurelius, gods represent truth, beauty, goodness, equanimity, and cleanliness—and we are advised to live with these divine qualities.
Maintaining Awareness
The talk concluded with practical advice on how to maintain awareness and ethical living. Sri Veerabhadrudu garu shared from Chapter 6, where Aurelius addresses the very question of how to maintain consistent awareness:
“If you are not always successful in acting from correct principles, return to them after each failure, and be content if most of your actions are worthy of a good person. Love the art you have learned and take rest in it. Pass through the remainder of your life as one who wholeheartedly entrusts all possessions to the gods, making yourself neither a tyrant nor a slave to any human being.”
He compared this to Ramana Maharshi’s teaching: “Clouds come and go across the blue sky, but does the sky change because of them? Do the clouds remain there forever?”
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu emphasized that we often underestimate our capacity for virtue. Looking back on our lives, we can see moments of compassion and generosity that we might not have fully appreciated at the time—spontaneous acts of kindness, help offered to those who didn’t deserve it, countless unacknowledged charities.
“What this means,” he explained, “is that while we think we’re failing at practicing virtue, we’ve actually been practicing it all along.”
Conclusion: The Step-Mother and Mother
One of the most striking metaphors shared was from Meditations 6.12, where Aurelius compares philosophy and royal duties:
“If you had a step-mother and a mother at the same time, you would respect your step-mother but constantly return to your mother. The court and philosophy now stand in the same relation to you. Return to philosophy frequently and rest in her, through whom what you must do at court seems tolerable to you, and you yourself seem tolerable to those around you.”
The speaker concluded that there is something within each of us that makes us human. Aurelius asked himself how to strengthen this, how to become more virtuous—and through his meditations, he improved himself. By reading them, we too can improve ourselves.
Sri Veerabhadrudu garu ended with the recommendation to read both Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations and Epictetus’s Manual, as they provide timeless guidance for ethical living and inner peace.
I found this talk particularly enlightening in how it connected Western Stoic philosophy with Eastern traditions, showing how human wisdom often converges on similar truths across cultures.
Please read, understand and let me know what you think, Chinni!
Love,
Amma
26-1-2026