The Stoic Manual for Living

📩 Want daily meditations (and courses) on the art of living? Sign up for Perennial Meditations: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Pardon the interruption from our regular Sundays with Seneca series. Today, I’m sharing a selected reading from what is often referred to as The Stoic Manual for Living or Enchiridion by Epictetus. It’s part of a new project I’ve been working on called Perennial Audiobooks, intended to deliver audio productions of ancient philosophical and spiritual writings. Perennial Audiobooks is a private feed exclusively for members of the Perennial Meditations newsletter.

The Enchiridion by Epictetus

This short book is a distillation of Epictetus's teachings produced by his pupil Arrian, who collected and published the master's lecture notes. It’s an instruction manual for life full of practical advice for modern living. The opening passage reads as follows, "There are things which are within our power, and there are things which are beyond our power. Within our power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion, and, in one word, whatever affairs are our own. Beyond our power are body, property, reputation, office, and, in one word, whatever are not properly our own affairs." [...]

Thank you for listening; I hope you found something useful.

P.S. Perennial Meditations members will receive instructions on how to gain access to Perennial Audiobooks in the coming days!

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe