The Inner Citadel or Little Realm of Your Own

To a librarian the term “inner citadel” could mean a few different things. It could be what I like to call the inner sanctum of the library—a private room where rare books are stored—or on the other hand, a concept in Stoic philosophy that is considered to be the soul.

One of the early writers on this inviolable part of each of us was the Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius who wrote of the soul as a place of inner peace and “a little realm of your own,” that we can access whenever we choose.

“For nowhere is there more quiet or freedom from trouble than when retiring into our own soul. Constantly grant yourself this retreat and refreshment,” he wrote in his diary “Meditations”.

His thoughts on getting away from stress and the problems of life by going within to our own private realm are quite soothing. We don’t have to go on exotic journeys to be refreshed, but simply go within for complete peace where all negative thoughts are banished.

“How easy is it to obliterate and wipe away every impression that is troublesome and immediately be in complete harmony,” he wrote. And then “with our souls cleansed” we return to the duties of exterior life.

Marcus wrote many times of the soul, and I’ve thought of him often while in the inner sanctum of the library surrounded by all the colorful books. As he pointed out in “Meditations”, we all have the power to control our thoughts, and what we think about determines our quality of life, “for the soul is dyed by the color of its thoughts,” he wrote.

His words lead the way to the essence of meditation--going within to find answers to bring peace, harmony and inspiration to our outer world.