Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before, another falls after; but it makes no difference.
Marcus Aurelius: “Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before, another falls after; but it makes no difference.”
Editor's note · Context
In his private thoughts, this passage uses the metaphor of frankincense grains to illustrate the ultimate irrelevance of individual timing in the cosmic order.
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The safety of life is this, to examine everything all through, what it is itself, that is its material, what the formal part; with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth.
But if it is easy to set little value on all these things, turn to that which remains, which is to follow reason and God.
And how small a part of the whole substance; and how small a part of the universal soul; and on what a small clod of the whole earth thou creepest!
Reflecting on all this, consider nothing to be great, except to act as thy nature leads thee, and to endure that which the common nature brings.





