ove towards it. If then you despise
death and bonds, do you still pay any regard to him? No. Is then the
despising of death an act of your own or is it not yours? It is my act.

When you have made this preparation, and have practised this discipline,
to distinguish that which belongs to another from that which is your
own, the things which are subject to hindrance from those which are not,
to consider the things free from hindrance to concern yourself, and
those which are not free not to concern yourself, to keep your desire
steadily fixed to the things which do concern yourself, and turned from
the things which do not concern yourself; do you still fear any man? No
one. For about what will you be afraid? About the things which are your
own, in which consists the nature of good and evil? and who has power
over these things? who can take them away? who can impede them? No man
can, no more than he can impede God. But will you be afraid about your
body and your possessions, about things which are not yours, about
things which in no way concern you? and what else have you been studying
from the beginning than to distinguish between your own and not your
own, the things which are in your power and not in your power, the
things subject to hindrance and not subject? and why have you come to
the philosophers? was it that you may nevertheless be unfortunate and
unhappy? You will then in this way, as I have supposed you to have done,
be without fear and disturbance. And what is grief to you? for fear
comes from what you expect, but grief from that which is present. But
what further will you desire? For of the things which are within the
power of the will, as being good and present, you have a proper and
regulated desire; but of the things which are not in the power of the
will you do not desire any one, and so you do not allow any place to
that which is irrational, and impatient, and above measure hasty.

Then after receiving everything from another and even yourself, are you
angry and do you blame the giver if he takes anything from you? Who are
you, and for what purpose did you come into the world? Did not he (God)
introduce you here, did he not show you the light, did he not give you
fellow-workers, and perceptions and reason? and as whom did he introduce
you here? did he not introduce you as subject to death, and as one to
live on the earth with a little flesh, and to observe his
administration, and to join with him in the sp