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If we could sum up the essence of this article in one overarching sentiment, it would be captured by this quote from our favourite Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius:
“Whatever the nature of the whole does, and whatever serves to maintain it, is good for every part of nature.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
This seemingly simple statement inspires a Stoic meditation on the unity of all things. Marcus’ philosophy resonates deeply with non-dualistic thought, emphasising the interconnectedness of all existence. His reflections on the eternal transformation of matter and the seamless relationship between life and the cosmos dismantle the illusion of separation between self and universe.
The Roman emperor’s use of the term “the whole” points to an all-encompassing rational order, or logos, that governs everything. From this perspective, nothing exists in isolation, and dualities—mind and body, self and other, life and death—are illusions. All things are expressions of the same universal order.
We can illustrate this interconnectedness logically using a syllogism:
- Premise 1: The universe, by definition, encompasses all of space, time, and its contents.
- Premise 2: Among the universe’s major contents is matter.
- Premise 3: Humans are composed of matter.
- Conclusion: Therefore, humans are inseparable from the universe.
This logical chain reveals an undeniable truth: you and I are not distinct entities but integral parts of the cosmos itself. Marcus Aurelius recognised this centuries before modern science affirmed it: the elements composing our bodies are not unique to us but shared across the universe.
The Humility of Matter
Despite his status as one of the most powerful men in history, Marcus Aurelius saw no reason for delusions of grandeur, unlike emperors such as Caligula. He humbly acknowledged humanity’s place in the grand order of nature:
“I am made up of the casual and the material. Neither of these will disappear into nothing, just as neither came to be out of nothing. So every part of me will be assigned its changed place in some part of the universe, and so on to infinity.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Marcus intuitively grasped what modern science later confirmed: the human body is made of baryonic matter—protons, neutrons, and electrons—the same “ordinary” stuff that constitutes the entire material universe. From the poorest beggar to the mightiest emperor, no one escapes the impersonal forces of nature. Whether it’s the mechanical laws of physics or the unpredictable strike of a high-energy photon triggering a mutation in DNA, we are all subject to the same natural order.
As the Buddha observed, “birth itself sets the conditions for suffering, aging, and death.” This is a universal truth, woven into the very fabric of existence.
The Illusion of Specialness
From a materialist standpoint, the human body can be understood as a collection of chemical elements with no inherent superiority over other forms of matter in the natural world. The same fundamental building blocks—carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and others—are found in both living organisms and inanimate matter, like rocks or the atmosphere.
When we break down the human body into its chemical components, its supposed uniqueness fades. Roughly 99% of the human body’s mass is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. These elements are not exclusive to life—they are found in the soil, the air, and the stars.
Consider carbon, the backbone of life. The carbon atoms in your DNA are the same as those in a lump of coal or a diamond. Calcium, which strengthens our bones, is found in limestone cliffs and coral reefs. The iron in your blood, vital for carrying oxygen, was forged in the cores of ancient stars, while the water that makes up 60% of your body is identical to the water in a rain puddle or an ocean wave.
What distinguishes humans is not the raw materials of our bodies but the transient configuration of these elements. This intricate organisation, governed by the laws of physics and chemistry, is fleeting. Strip away the ego, and we see that at the elemental level, there is no fundamental distinction between ourselves and the rest of the material world.
Decay and the Eternal Cycle
“You have functioned as a part of something; you will vanish into what produced you. Or be restored, rather, to the logos from which all things spring. By being changed.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
The body will decay and putrefy, as all living organisms must. This is the inevitable fate of any temporary configuration of matter. Yet the elements that comprise this configuration are not destroyed. The atoms and molecules that form our bodies persist, transitioning into new forms and joining the endless cycles of nature.
Carbon will return to the soil, oxygen will merge with the air, and nitrogen will nourish the earth. These elements will continue their participation in the cosmic whole, shifting and recombining without end.
The bottom line — The Illusion of Suffering
Within this vast universe, suffering is an illusion—a construct of the mind. The atoms that form our bodies and brains do not experience suffering; they simply obey the laws of nature. Just as the wind does not disturb the water it moves, or the ocean does not grieve its waves’ rise and fall, so too is suffering a transient perspective. It arises when we detach ourselves from the whole, mistaking temporary events for lasting harm.
The wise discern this truth. They see that no real suffering abides in a universe where all things are expressions of the same fundamental order. By embracing our unity with the cosmos and shedding illusions of separateness, we align ourselves with the logos, living in harmony with the whole.
Most of the atoms in your body were once part of stars, rocks, or other organisms before becoming you. These atoms, billions of years old, have travelled through cosmic processes long before our solar system formed.
As Eric Idle cheekily put it in Monty Python’s Life of Brian:
“You come from nothing… you’re going back to nothing… What have you lost? Nothing!”
By recognising our place in the vast order of things, we can live humbly and harmoniously, free from the illusions of ego and suffering. Like Marcus Aurelius, we can marvel at the unity of existence and embrace the eternal cycles that bind us to the cosmos.
