I was born a slave, but I learned that true freedom lies within. To command one’s desires is to command one’s fate. In my time, men of all ranks—emperors, merchants, soldiers—sought wealth, pleasure, and status. Yet their indulgence brought only further craving, not peace. They pursued pleasure not with restraint or understanding, but with a desperation that only deepened their discontent.
Pleasure itself is not evil. It is a natural part of life, neither to be feared nor worshipped. The true harm lies in allowing pleasure to command the soul, to bend the will toward indulgence rather than mastery. When pleasure is pursued without reason, it becomes a tyrant, ruling over a man’s thoughts and actions. To be enslaved by pleasure is no less a bondage than the chains I once wore.
Today, you possess luxuries beyond the dreams of emperors, yet remain unsatisfied. You are surrounded by pleasure, but enslaved by it. Technology grants you endless distractions, comforts, and amusements, yet little contentment. You are told happiness lies in indulgence, but find only emptiness when the delight fades. More is never enough.
You build monuments of wealth and knowledge, but neglect the foundation of your own mind. You seek pleasure as if it were the end of life, rather than a momentary experience within it. When you become a servant to desire, you cannot be a master of yourself. When you chase pleasure without reflection, you forfeit the peace that true wisdom provides.
Advice for Today
Practice Temperance. Enjoy life’s pleasures, but remain their master. Accept what is offered by fortune, but do not crave more than is necessary. Never let pleasure command you, for to do so is to surrender your own mind.
Cultivate Discipline. Strengthen your will through restraint.
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