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| Pankration |
Premeditatio malorum - the practice of anticipating "bad things" ... in that "bad things" are what non-philosophers view as bad for the person; such as death, illness, thirst or hunger. To the Stoic, these things are external to the ruling center and therefore are neither good nor bad. But because many of us humans have been trained to think that death, disease, illness, bad health, loss of property, loss of employment and loss of reputation are bad things, the Stoic practice of premeditatio malorum is used to break us of our desire to avoid these things. It is a form of the Discipline of Assent.
Epictetus teaches, "we should have each judgement ready at hand for when we have need of it; at table, such as relate to the table, at the baths, such as relate to baths, and in bed, such as relate to bed" (v. 1, p. 163).
We see his own personal examples of this.
Table (eating)
Keep in mind that you should always behave as you would do at a banquet. Something comes around to you; stretch out your hand and politely take a portion. It passes on; don't try to stop it. It has not come yet; don't let your appetite run ahead, but wait till the portion reaches you. (Encheiridion 15)
Baths (public pool)
Whenever you are about to start on some activity, remind yourself what the activity is like. If you go out to bathe, picture what happens at a bathhouse - the people there who splash you or jostle you or talk rudely or steal your things. In this way you will be more prepared to start on the activity, by telling yourself at the outset: "I want to bathe, and I also want to keep my will in harmony with nature." (Encheiridion 4)
Bed (or before you complete your day and go to sleep)
Let not sleep descend on your weary eyes
Before having reviewed every action of the day.
Where did I go wrong? What did I do? What duty leave undone?
Starting here, review your actions, and afterwards,
Blame yourself for what is badly done, and rejoice in the good. (Discourses 3.10.2-3)
The concept of premeditatio malorum gives us the idea to anticipate every scenario, and perhaps write down what the right action is to each event and then "keep these verses at hand to put them to practical use" (v. 4, p. 163). The title Encheiridion means hand-book. It is a book or manual that Epictetus used; it is the result of his extensive premeditatio malorum, exercises which guided him and reminded him of how to live and anticipate every event.
Reviewing our actions at the end of each day, could be the seeds of our own personal handbook that we keep at hand. Many of us literally keep a type of handbook with us at all time in the form of a smartphone. Could we not use it to facilitate our daily review, which then could be used to produce our own personal handbook?
"To practice philosophy ... [is] to prepare oneself to face every eventuality" (v. 6, p. 163) and then face those eventualities as prepared ... and not back out and revert to old habits when that eventuality occurs.
Just as when one trains in pancration, one practices to use it. And further, the practice is like real life.
Why do we study and practice philosophy? It is so we may be happy and "achieve constancy of mind" and to "be in accord with nature and pass ... life" as so (v. 10, p. 164).
And so when God tests you with a fever, "what does it mean to undergo a fever in the right way? It is to find fault with neither God nor man; it is to refuse to allow yourself to be overwhelmed by what is happening, and to await death bravely and in the right way" (v. 13, p. 164). It means to not get excited by "good news" nor be dejected by bad (see. 13-14, p. 164).
Furthermore, it is not the duty of a philosopher to keep his external things safe, such as his wine-store or his poor carcass (v. 16, p. 165). Rather, it is his duty to safeguard his own ruling center, keeping it pure and in accord with nature.
Epictetus teaches, "we should have each judgement ready at hand for when we have need of it; at table, such as relate to the table, at the baths, such as relate to baths, and in bed, such as relate to bed" (v. 1, p. 163).
We see his own personal examples of this.
Table (eating)
Keep in mind that you should always behave as you would do at a banquet. Something comes around to you; stretch out your hand and politely take a portion. It passes on; don't try to stop it. It has not come yet; don't let your appetite run ahead, but wait till the portion reaches you. (Encheiridion 15)
Baths (public pool)
Whenever you are about to start on some activity, remind yourself what the activity is like. If you go out to bathe, picture what happens at a bathhouse - the people there who splash you or jostle you or talk rudely or steal your things. In this way you will be more prepared to start on the activity, by telling yourself at the outset: "I want to bathe, and I also want to keep my will in harmony with nature." (Encheiridion 4)
Bed (or before you complete your day and go to sleep)
Let not sleep descend on your weary eyes
Before having reviewed every action of the day.
Where did I go wrong? What did I do? What duty leave undone?
Starting here, review your actions, and afterwards,
Blame yourself for what is badly done, and rejoice in the good. (Discourses 3.10.2-3)
The concept of premeditatio malorum gives us the idea to anticipate every scenario, and perhaps write down what the right action is to each event and then "keep these verses at hand to put them to practical use" (v. 4, p. 163). The title Encheiridion means hand-book. It is a book or manual that Epictetus used; it is the result of his extensive premeditatio malorum, exercises which guided him and reminded him of how to live and anticipate every event.
Reviewing our actions at the end of each day, could be the seeds of our own personal handbook that we keep at hand. Many of us literally keep a type of handbook with us at all time in the form of a smartphone. Could we not use it to facilitate our daily review, which then could be used to produce our own personal handbook?
"To practice philosophy ... [is] to prepare oneself to face every eventuality" (v. 6, p. 163) and then face those eventualities as prepared ... and not back out and revert to old habits when that eventuality occurs.
Just as when one trains in pancration, one practices to use it. And further, the practice is like real life.
What should a philosopher say, then, in the face of each of the hardships of life? ‘It is for this that I’ve been training myself; it is for this that I was practising.’ God says to you, ‘Give me proof of whether you’ve competed in accordance with the rules, whether you’ve followed the proper diet, carried out the proper exercises, and have obeyed your trainer.’ And then, when the time comes for you to act, will you quail? Now is the moment to suffer a fever; may it proceed as it should; to undergo thirst, may you undergo it in the right spirit; to undergo hunger, may you undergo it in the right spirit. Isn’t that within your power? Who can prevent you? Yes, a doctor may prevent you from drinking, but he can’t prevent you from bearing thirst in the right way; he may prevent you from eating, but he can’t prevent you from facing hunger in the right way. (v. 7-9, p. 163-164)
Why do we study and practice philosophy? It is so we may be happy and "achieve constancy of mind" and to "be in accord with nature and pass ... life" as so (v. 10, p. 164).
And so when God tests you with a fever, "what does it mean to undergo a fever in the right way? It is to find fault with neither God nor man; it is to refuse to allow yourself to be overwhelmed by what is happening, and to await death bravely and in the right way" (v. 13, p. 164). It means to not get excited by "good news" nor be dejected by bad (see. 13-14, p. 164).
Furthermore, it is not the duty of a philosopher to keep his external things safe, such as his wine-store or his poor carcass (v. 16, p. 165). Rather, it is his duty to safeguard his own ruling center, keeping it pure and in accord with nature.
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