Not a meditation but a sentry's standing order. EXERCISEπαραφυλακτέον EXERCISEδιηνεκῶςEXERCISE … ἐπειδὰν EXERCISEφωράσῃςEXERCISE ἀπαλειπτέον — two verbal adjectives in -τέον ("must be watched," "must be wiped out") with φωράω between them, "to track down, to catch in the act" (a word from the language of detection). The TERMruling part is guarded like a storehouse, and what is caught is erased (ἀπαλείφω — the wax-tablet image of 11.16 again).

Three formulas to be said aloud to oneself. The device is not to "understand" but to pronounce (ἐπιλέγοντα, "saying over"): (1) τοῦτο τὸ φάντασμα οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον — "this impression is not necessary": the cutting away of the superfluous, cf. 4.24; (2) τοῦτο TERMλυτικὸν κοινωνίας — "this dissolves fellowship" (λυτικός, from λύω, "to loosen"): the test of sociability; (3) τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπὸ σαυτοῦ μέλλεις λέγειν — "this you are about to say not from yourself," with the verdict: μὴ ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ λέγειν ἐν τοῖς ἀτοπωτάτοις — "to speak not from oneself is among the most out-of-place things." Note the order: impression, act, speech.

The fourth is of another kind. Marcus marks this himself: τέταρτον δέ ἐστι, καθὸ σεαυτῷ ὀνειδιεῖς — "the fourth is that for which you will reproach yourself." The first three are identified as they approach; the fourth only afterwards, by shame. And its content: DOGMAτοῦ ἐν σοὶ DOGMAθειοτέρουDOGMA μέρους has been beaten and has laid itself under (ὑποκατακλινομένου) the ἀτιμοτέρα καὶ θνητὴ μοῖρα, "the meaner and mortal portion." That same rare verb ὑποκατακλίνομαι which at 11.14 describes servility before other people; here the same word names servility before one's own body.

A double detail at the close. ταῖς τούτου τραχείαις ἢ λείαις κινήσεσιν — "its rough or smooth motions," that is, pain and pleasure. The usual target is pleasure; Marcus sets pain beside it: one may surrender to either, and the two surrenders are the same. Cf. 11.18, where λύπη and ὀργή turn out to be one and the same weakness. The governing discipline is assent, the sustaining one action.