What is the
value of our
spirit? If you met your sprit on the road and asked it "what are you good for?" what would it say? In today's world we have
science and
skepticism to explain things and many people find little
value in the spirit.
To the stoics, the spirit was part of the Logos of the universe, shared with the gods. Because of this oneness with nature, we are capable of perfecting our morality and searching for wisdom.
When your inner spirit is in harmony with Nature, it can adapt easily to all events and possibilities.
For this spirit does not need any special substance to function, but works on what ever obstacles are put in its way.
We can compare it to a bonfire that consumes whatever is thrown in it: if the fire is feeble it can be extinguished, but a strong blaze feeds on everything, and its flames grow ever brighter.
--Marcus Aurelius
There are a number of ways to damage the spirit - all of them our own doing (or rather undoing). These things bring us out of harmony with nature and Logos and make it more difficult to comprehend what is the right thing to do.
- Tedious activity
- Acting with the intent to inflict pain
- Surrender to pleasure or pain
- Being insincere or lying.
- Thoughtless actions and aimless wasting of energy
We can live the good life by letting our soul remain unattached to things that are neutral to it. Surrendering to the pleasure of wealth or the pain of despair divert us from our course to peace of mind. It is we, ourselves, that create this desire or passion for things. Money cannot make us want it - it has no motive. Money even lacks the ability to do things to our physical self. We have the power in ourselves not to bring these things to our soul. Things that are in harmony with nature, the soul rejoices in.