- 'How do you mean, attach himself?' So that whatever god wills, he wills too, and what god does not will, he does not will either. 'How, then, can this be achieved?' - Why, how otherwise than by considering god's purposes and his governance? What has he given to me to by my own and subject to my own authority? What has he reserved for himself? He has given to me whatever lies within the sphere of choice, and made that over to me free from all hindrance and restraint. This body formed of clay, how could he make that free from hindrance? And so he has made subject to the circulation of the universe my property, my furnishings, my house, my children, my wife. Why, then, shall I fight against god? Why do I will what is outside the reach of my will, to possess absolutely what is not granted to me absolutely? So how long shall I possess them? As they were granted to me, and for as long as possible. But he who gave takes away again. Why, then, do I resist? Not to say that I shall be a fool contending with one stronger than myself; but prior to that, I shall be doing wrong. For where did I get things when I came into the world? My father gave them to me. And who gave them to him? And who made the sun, who the fruits, who the seasons, and who the fellowship and intercommunion between men? And then, when you have received everything, even your very self, from another, are you angry with the giver and do you reproach him if he takes anything away from you? Who are you, and for what purpose have you come? Was it not he who brought you here? Was it not he who showed you the light? Has he not given you fellow-workers? Has he not given you senses? Has he not given you reason? And as what did he bring you here? Was it not as a mortal? Was it not as one who would live, with a little portion of flesh, upon this earth, and behold his governance and take part with him, for a short time, in his pageant and his festival? Are you not willing, then, for the time that is granted to you, to behold his pageant and his solemn assembly, and then, when he leads you out, will you not pass on your way, after paying him obeisance and offering him thanksgiving for what you have heard and what you have seen? 'No, but I wanted to enjoy the festival still longer.' So would initiates into the Mysteries like to be longer in their initiation, so perhaps would the spectators at Olympia like to see more athletes. But the festival is over. Leave it and depart like a grateful and modest person; make room for others. Others too must be born, as you were, and when they are born must have land and houses and the necessities of life. But if those who come first do not withdraw, what room is there left? Why are you insatiable? Why are you never satisfied? Why do you crowd the world?
A couple points:
1) I am a Pantheistic Stoic in that wherever I see God in Stoic text I just substitute Universe.
2) I see so many Stoic ideas in Christianity that it sometimes seems more than just a coincidence. IE: "But he who gave takes away again." (The lord giveth and the lord taketh away)
3) I love the oratory style of Epictetus. He pins you in a corner with rapid fire questioning that you simply don't have a counter answer for.
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