You could read the book on your own. You could wing it. You could hope to stumble through and come out the other side with a comprehensive understanding of a book that while short and to the point, is still, as we said last week, ​pretty difficult​.

Marcus Aurelius, the author of that book—​Meditations​—would steer you in a different direction. “Mastery of reading and writing requires a master,” he writes. He knew this from experience. Some time around the year 141 CE, Marcus was introduced to the philosophy that would change his life by his teacher Rusticus. “The remembrances of Epictetus,” as Marcus would refer most gratefully to the book Rusticus gave him, “which he supplied me with out of his own library.”

We can imagine the underlinings in Rusticus’ copy that would have called Marcus’ attention to particularly important passages. We can imagine the marginalia that would have provided valuable context and insights. We can imagine the discussions the two would have had as Marcus was familiarizing himself with the teachings of Epictetus. Marcus would write in Meditations about “going straight to the seat of intelligence”—by that he meant asking questions, hearing from the experts, really wrestling with wisdom as it was meant to be wrestled with.

So if we’re going to sit down and read Marcus today, why wouldn’t we do the same? Why would we wing it? Just hope we’re getting the gist of it—when that’s something Rusticus taught Marcus to never be satisfied with, just ‘getting the gist of something.’

For the past decade, we here at Daily Stoic have been engaging with Meditations day in and day out, wanting to understand its wisdom so that we can apply it in our own lives. We’ve spent hundreds and thousands of hours with the book itself, and just as many hours hunting down papers and analysis by scholars, historians, and translators—many of which we’ve gotten to talk to and interview. It’s the work of a lifetime exploring the depths of Meditations, making sense of what Marcus wrote and what those writings can do for us—and as Marcus said, it requires the help of a master.

Our new guide ​How to Read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (A Daily Stoic Guide)​ is designed to be that master. It’s a book club for a great book. It’s intended to be what those scholars, historians, and translators have been to the Daily Stoic team. It’s a comprehensive, carefully crafted resource that draws upon decades of reading, research, analysis, and practical application of Stoic philosophy. Just as Rusticus provided Marcus with a well-worn copy of Epictetus’ teachings, complete with invaluable notes and insights, this guide aims to be an indispensable companion for anyone seeking to truly understand and embody the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius.

​How to Read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (A Daily Stoic Guide)​ is a set of 11 modules—which you can work through at your own pace—conceived to help you get the most wisdom and very best tools Stoicism has to offer and apply them to your life.

The guide includes…

✓ The conclusive introduction and companion to guide you through a deeper and more personal understanding of Meditations ✓ Hours of videos and podcasts from Ryan Holiday to enrich your reading experience of Meditations ✓ Additional articles, videos, and audio from world-class experts and guests for you to go deeper on your philosophical journey ✓ Journaling and Reflection Prompts — exercises and questions to deepen your engagement with the text and your practice of Stoicism.

If you need copies of the book, we have what we think is the best translation you can get of Meditations in both ​paperback​ and our ​premium leather-bound edition​.

“The happiness of your life,” Marcus writes, “depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” That’s why we’re doing this. So that together, we can go straight to the seat of intelligence, squeeze all the practical philosophy out of it, and improve the quality of our thoughts.

Don’t wait any longer to do just that. The happiness of your life depends on it. Head over to ​dailystoic.com/meditations​ and sign up TODAY! The guide officially launches on Marcus Aurelius’ birthday, April 26.