﹝上圖：古羅馬帝國奴隸哲學家“愛比克泰德”Epictetus, 約A.D.50-55出生﹞ 

日前，我在【哲學的慰藉】專欄中寫了一篇有關陳幸妤的文章，篇名是：﹝人生幸福與心靈寧靜﹞---令人同情的公主請勇敢地面對痛苦吧！

今天，新聞報導稱：陳幸妤再度在媒體投書，撰寫「人心可怕，人言可畏─希望上帝會聽到我的聲音」一文，其中言論再度引起廣泛的討論。

文中，對於自己的父母和親人全都身陷貪污洗錢官司風暴中，陳幸妤寫道：「..........不管司法仍會繼續追殺、不管這些當事人都會否認，甚至捅我一刀以自清，我這生還剩下什麼呢？...........如果有什麼微小的願望，就是那天眼睛張開，不要有記者圍著她的家和診所！也常在想如果可以一直睡，永遠不要醒多好。」

陳幸妤並敘及曾經想要出國眼不見為淨的心境。........最後，陳幸妤說自己不是虔誠的基督徒，但是這幾年每天都禱告，希望上帝會聽到她的聲音；她也強調，不知道自己的意志力，到底還能繼續撐多久。

從公主的字裏行間，得知她的痛苦有增無減。再過一段時間，若她仍未聽到上帝給她的回應，她恐會心死並極度絕望。作為同是來人間受苦的人類的一分子的我，就讓我再度撰文，給她“哲學的慰藉”吧！這次，我要以古羅馬帝國時期的奴隸哲學家“愛比克泰德”的思想來安慰公主陳幸妤。

首先，讓我介紹“愛比克泰德”的名著“ENCHIRIDION”；此書，也是羅馬帝國皇帝“馬可斯‧奧里略”年輕時受教育所學習的最重要一本哲學書，在其傳世名著“沉思錄”中提到過它。此書第一節，開宗名義地說出愛氏的中心思想，英譯文如下：

1. Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.

The things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered; but those not in our control are weak, slavish, restrained, belonging to others. Remember, then, that if you suppose that things which are slavish by nature are also free, and that what belongs to others is your own, then you will be hindered. You will lament, you will be disturbed, and you will find fault both with gods and men. But if you suppose that only to be your own which is your own, and what belongs to others such as it really is, then no one will ever compel you or restrain you. Further, you will find fault with no one or accuse no one. You will do nothing against your will. No one will hurt you, you will have no enemies, and you not be harmed.

Aiming therefore at such great things, remember that you must not allow yourself to be carried, even with a slight tendency, towards the attainment of lesser things. Instead, you must entirely quit some things and for the present postpone the rest. But if you would both have these great things, along with power and riches, then you will not gain even the latter, because you aim at the former too: but you will absolutely fail of the former, by which alone happiness and freedom are achieved.

Work, therefore to be able to say to every harsh appearance, "You are but an appearance, and not absolutely the thing you appear to be." And then examine it by those rules which you have, and first, and chiefly, by this: whether it concerns the things which are in our own control, or those which are not; and, if it concerns anything not in our control, be prepared to say that it is nothing to you.

﹝待續﹞

﹝Epictetus是斯多葛派哲學家。此派哲學主張：所有的自然現象，如生與死，苦與樂，都是大自然不變的法則，任何事物的發生都有它的道理，人必須學會接受自己的命運。當命運敲響你家的大門時，不管是幸運還是不幸，你除了滿心坦然地開門接納，沒有別的選擇。此學派認為，一切外在的東西都不重要，唯一重要的是保持自己內心的寧靜。---這種不輕易感情用事的態度，即所謂的「斯多葛式的冷靜」﹞