At the beginning of the Enchiridion, the Stoic philosopher Epictetus explains the concept known today as the dichotomy of control:
Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our doing.
Despite its simplicity, it is challenging to put into practice. The reason is that it’s often difficult to manage ourselves. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha stressed, “It is most difficult to achieve victory over oneself. Every person has power only over themselves.”
In my recent conversation with Shaila Catherine (author of Beyond Distraction), we discussed five strategies from the Buddha to remove distracting thoughts. In the final strategy, Catherine explains that, at times, we need to apply determination and resolve. Catherine writes:
You’ll rarely need it, but there might be times when your mind remains entangled in unwholesome thoughts, even after applying the previous strategies: replacing, seeing the danger, ignoring, and inquiring. If you continue to find yourself frequently engrossed in harmful thoughts during meditation or perpetuating unskillful actions in your daily routines, you might need the intensity of this fifth strategy to strike the final blow….
Similarly, Marcus Aurelius wrote this to himself in Meditations, “Everything that happens is either endurable or not. If it’s endurable, then endure it. Stop complaining. If it’s unendurable… then stop complaining. Your destruction will mean its end as well. Just remember: you can endure anything your mind can make endurable by treating it as in your interest to do so.”
Gaining victory over ourselves is the path to freedom. Epictetus said, “Freedom is only won by disregarding the things that lie beyond our control.” Although, first, we must recognize that one can only disregard what is outside their control by gaining victory over themselves.
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Thank you for reading; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well.