“External things are not the problem. It’s your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.” – Marcus Aurelius
Can’t quite get into meditation? Unable to find the tranquility of mind? Beset by anxiety on the shortness of life? Stoicism is a great companion to any study of mindfulness, meditation or personal development. From Greek philosophers and Roman emperors to modern thinkers and psychologists, there is no shortage of texts to pursue. Every title on this list is available from Hoopla as an eAudiobook. A busy life doesn’t mean it has to be an unexamined life!
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Meditations is a founding text of the genre. Many great people of history attribute it as a life-changing work. There are several excellent translations and narrators available, but my favorite is from Robin Homer. He’s a great narrator whose steady, British accent works well for the material. He even shares a surname with the Greek bard. What’s not to love? He has voiced many other stoic works on Hoopla, including The Enchiridion of Epictetus and Of Tranquillity of Mind. All of his work can be found on his YouTube page, Vox Stoica.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald Robertson
A wonderful companion to Meditations. The author, a cognitive psychotherapist, brings together insights from the life of Marcus Aurelius and modern psychology to provide an excellent grounding in practicing Stoicism as part of daily life.
Stoicism: A Guide to Stoic Philosophy for Beginners by Sharon Nash
Don’t have a lot of time? This 26-minute overview of Stoicism will get you up to speed on the basics and prepare you to dig into longer treaties in the genre.
The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path by Urgyen Sangharakshita
While not strictly part of Stoicism, Buddhism is often brought up by modern stoic authors because it shares many of the same themes and goals. Sangharakshita provides a relatively brief overview of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration from both a religious and secular perspective.