ZENO - MIND

<BODY> <CENTER><FONT SIZE=5><B><FONT SIZE=6>ZENO</FONT><BR> THE STOIC</B></FONT></CENTER><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>Mind over Matter</B></FONT><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>FATALISM</B></FONT><BR> At face value, the fatalistic outlook of <A HREF="../t03/g050.html" TARGET="_top">Stoicism</A> may seem to make man a slave to circumstance. But for the Stoic, it is not the event or the state of being that is important, but the individual's response to it. Man has total control over that. A man can be a slave to passion, but not to circumstance. The Stoic sage made choices based on hard-won understanding and reason. Under certain circumstances, he could even choose death, a death which he would face with the same calm equanimity as he had faced the hardships of life. This was the ultimate freedom, but like all freedom, came at a price.<P> <TABLE ALIGN=Left BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=2 CELLPADDING=1> <TR> <TD><IMG ALIGN=Left SRC="0607a.jpg" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="173" ALT="STOIC IMAGE"></TD> </TR> </TABLE> A mosaic from Pompeii presents an image of life and death that may well have been influenced by Stoic principles. The wheel is the wheel of life. The butterfly symbolises the soul, the skull death. All three symbols are suspended within a balance of the sort used to weigh things - a symbol of judgement as well as a suggestion of the need for balance in life?<BR clear=left> <BR clear=left><BR> <HR width=100%> <A HREF="http://www.creatorix.com.au"><IMG SRC="../creatorix.gif" WIDTH="85" HEIGHT="40" BORDER="0" ALT="Creatorix" align=right></A> </BODY>