Reddit reviews Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library)
We found 16 Reddit comments about Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Modern Library
Adding on to this, I would highly recommend the translation by Gregory Hayes.
From Amazon:
> In Gregory Hays’s new translation—the first in thirty-five years—Marcus’s thoughts speak with a new immediacy. In fresh and unencumbered English, Hays vividly conveys the spareness and compression of the original Greek text. Never before have Marcus’s insights been so directly and powerfully presented.
Edit: Link for the lazy
There is no "one size fits all" answer. The /r/Stoicism FAQ has a starting points for newcomers question, which gives a rundown of different options.
Repeating a summary of the FAQ entry, good options are:
Moses Hadas's The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca is a good printed source for these and other writing by Seneca.
Popular modern accounts include Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson and A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine. The later is notable for being popular, easy to read, and controversial; some (including myself) find that he departs significantly from several fundamental elements of Stoicism (see here, here and here).
I also like The Stoics: A Guide for the Perplexed by Andrew Holowchak as an introduction. Holowchak retains much of the "practical" emphasis of the Robertson and Irvine, is better covering the historically important theoretical aspects, and modern non-Stoic influences are less pervasive in Holowchak than in either Robertson or Irvine.
I think any of these can be a good starting point, and any of them can be valuable on its own, but each only offers a partial glimpse of Stoicism as a whole.
Most of the ancient sources above are good for browsing, picking random pages and reading a little bit here and there. Each has its own distinct character. A good approach may be to find copies of the Enchiridion, Meditations, and a selections of Seneca, and spend a little time browsing through each, and then focusing on the one that appeals most. Then, pursue supporting material to help give context, unpack references, and otherwise improve interpretation. For the Enchiridion, the best source for this would be the Discourses, and Long's Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life is also helpful, in different ways. For the Meditations, Stephens' Marcus Aurelius does a good job of explaining context, references, and interpretation.
Absolutely. I'm glad you asked and I hope I can be helpful.
I know it can be very difficult to stop consumerism within us because we've been advertised to our entire lives. We've been told that material possession equates to success and self-worth. The more we have, the better we are. You and I can read these sentences I wrote and recognize how stupid that idea is. Yet, advertising is so good that even the knowledge that we're being advertised to doesn't always prevent that same advertising from working on us. Advertising is based on exploiting human psychology. That's why it works. Just know that it's very difficult to ignore advertising on a subconscious level. We're only human. We will fail. We will make mistakes. Recognizing all this is a good first step.
It's important to practice desiring less. When you want something, stop yourself and think about it. Think about your motivations. Why do you want it? Is there a real justification for acquiring something? Is it a true need, or just a want? If it's simply a want, well, tell yourself you want it but you don't need it and move on. Try to thwart the desire for that thing at the source. Desire for a thing is like sexual lust... it's only human to feel that way, but you don't need to act on it.
It's a constant practice, desiring less. It's difficult. Possibly the most difficult thing a human can do. But desire leads to disappointment and suffering. Desire is temporary, but if we play that desire out to its end, often times the fruits of that desire can be disappointing and longlasting. But if you don't need something, if you don't desire, you're that much more free... "Nah, I don't need that." You become unflappable. More in control. But don't kid yourself... it's hard. Keep practicing.
If you're looking to get rid of stuff you already have that isn't bringing you happiness, I recommend Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up." It's become quite a popular book and for good reason. It really makes you think about why you have stuff and how that stuff functions in your life.
If you want to work on internalizing the idea of desiring less, take a look at /r/buddhism. It's important that if you start reading Buddhist texts that you realize that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. Buddhism's main tenant is "freedom from desire is the path to enlightenment." It's a very deep rabbit hole to go down and a lifetime of study. For a more modern take on Buddhist teaching, I love Pema Chodron. I also really love Anthony DeMello and Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Another great place to look is /r/stoicism and in particular "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius was emperor of Rome, but that didn't stop him from living a life of equanimity and mindfulness. His book "Meditations" is more like a private diary, in which he reminds himself on how to live a good life.
“We need to master the art of acquiescence. We need to pay attention to our impulses, making sure they don’t go unmoderated, that they benefit others, that they’re worthy of us. We need to steer clear of desire in any form and not try to avoid what’s beyond our control.” -- Meditations, 11.37 (Hays translation)
I hope that this stuff can get you started on your journey. Just know that you don't need to be perfect. You don't need to flip a switch and completely change who you are to be a success at any of this. It's a process and it's a practice. Failure is okay. Don't beat yourself. Just try. Just keep practicing this stuff every day and it will add up. You can do it.
I highly recomment the 2002 Modern Library version of Meditations, with intro and translation by Gregory Hays. Out of about 6 translations I have read, this is my favorite.
The introduction is almost half of the book, and very helpful to give context to both Marcus and the time he lived in. The actual translation of the text is very straightforward and easy to digest. I picked my copy up at B&N.
(In case you didn't know, the meditations themselves are like little tweets from the Roman age... LOL... They're concise and easy to jump in and out of and easy to return to thanks to the numbering system used.)
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0679642609.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
My personal favourite is the translation by Gregory Hays. It is really accessible.
For comparison, see George Long's translation.
I would suggest starting off with a modern English translation of Marcus Aurelius' work: The Meditations. It's a great and simple easy to read work that exposes readers to a general approach of Stoic ideals and beliefs.
Here's a good translation that I can recommend: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679642609/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And something that's easy to digest for a person who has very little knowledge on what Stoicism is.
I would also suggest checking out Seneca's works, Epictetus and Zeno of Citium's works as well. As they are phenomenal Stoic philosophers.
I have been reading Marcus Aurelius's Meditations lately, which is squarely focused on accepting things that are outside our control. There's tons of great passages that could work as great start points for a trip.
If you could find an audiobook, you'd be all set. If you buy a hardcopy, be sure to get Gregory Hays's translation - it's modern and really clear to read.
My preference is the Gregory Hays translation.
Personally, I liked the Hays translation of Meditations better than others, the translation is more up-to-date with modern English. I did not read meditations like I would read a novel. I used it as a daily reflections book, I would read a few passages at the beginning of the day and process it throughout my day. Some of it is very dry, yes, but there are some real gems in there. It's just a matter of finding them (I marked them with stars in the margins!)
Another recommendation is Letters on Ethics: To Lucillius
I read the Gregory Hays version for my philosophy course in college and it was great. It was easily the most accessible version I've read, although all translations I've read carry merit.
Amazon Listing
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0679642609/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1373636067&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX112_SY192
is a pretty modern translation, but staniforth's 1964 translation is also worth reading as well.
The Modern Translation by Gregory Hays is considered the most clear. I have it and it's wonderful.
I've read your suggestions except I Heard God Laughing, which I'm definitely going to check out. Here are a few of my recommended reads:
 
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye is a collection of Zen discourses by Japanese zen master Dogen (1200 – 1253). Its a hefty book. My favorite discourses are The Time-Being (Time & Being as one & the Same) and Actualizing the Fundamental Point, but there are plenty of good ones therein. /r/zen may tell you that Dogen took what was pure zen and made it into a religion by focusing so much on meditation, but thats a serious topic of debate. Either way, I find his paradoxical & confusing insights to be refreshing, and unlike anything else I've ever read.
 
The Rubaiyat is a series of poems written by Omar Khayyám (1048–1131), a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer. They present his deepest feelings on life, death, love, and religion, with an Atheistic point of view, and an unfailing sense of mortality. Omar essentially suggests "seizing the day".
 
The Meditations are the personal meditative ponderings of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180). He prescribes humility for himself (by considering the grand scheme of things & the vastness of time & space), ways to deal with difficult people & situations (by remembering what is and isn't in our control), and in general a distaste for everything impermanent. While all embracing and wise, Aurelius can come off as rather cynical, and should be read with your own optimistic buffering. Either way, I have read my copy of this book into tatters.
 
On The Transmission of Mind by Chinese zen master Huang Po (???-850) is the most direct pointing to your own mind you'll ever read. With every page you're tempted to put down books for good, and put down your mind with them. His "One mind" & Laozi's "Tao" are synonymous to me.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library/dp/0679642609/?tag=dailystoic-20
It is the most accessible edition
I think /u/JayPetey nailed it below. You're using this as external validation of your self worth. What you need to work on, regardless of the circle of friends that you are around, is self-assure in yourself. How do you do this? You need to build confidence in an area and let that spill over. Set a plan, create small achievable goals, and start taking action. Convince yourself to not be outcome dependent. There are thing you can not influence, so do not make the goal something you cannot fully control. Rather, just reward yourself for taking action in the first place. You'll start to find that it's great to have mentors around you. They save you time and energy by giving you the information without you having to go learn it from scratch on our own.
Don't over think things. The last piece of advice I'll say, be present to the moment. You can literally STOP those thoughts in your head. How do you do this? Fully embrace the now. Read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Or read Meditation by Marcus Aurelius. Look into meditation. There are ways to ground yourself, embrace who you are, and stop that chattering voice in your head that honestly doesn't do much for you.
Hey man, I went through this exact same thing with my first relationship. Together for ~1.5 years. I was a lot more caring when we first started but I changed into someone who thought it was acceptable to take advantage of the time and energy of the people who are closest to me. So, she left me. Sometimes it takes losing the people we care about most for us to change.
The important part is that you recognize that you need to change. The only person in this world you can control is yourself. I'm sure you're walking through an emotional minefield right now. So, remain honest with yourself and with your SO and above all, be kind. It can be a habit for us to make others feel bad because we feel bad. Along the lines of "I want to make you feel the way I feel". It's selfish behaviour masked by a whole bunch of confusing emotions. It takes a much stronger person to feel bad and still care about how someone else feels.
It took me longer to get over my ex girlfriend than length of our relationship. The guilt and shame will hurt for a good long while, so remember these feelings. It will get easier but you need to allow yourself to change and be vulnerable.
You'll be a better person for it and this relationship and all your future relationships will be stronger because of it.
I recommend you grab a copy of this book. It helped me work through really difficult emotions and frame them in an honest and self-improving way. The journey's not easy but it's worthwhile. Good luck dude.