How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter)
Quote #4
So this is true value: and if this is firmly held, you will not be set on acquiring any of the other things for yourself. Will you not then cease to value much else besides? Otherwise you will not be free or self-sufficient or devoid of passion: you will need to be envious and jealous, to suspect those who have the power to deprive you of these things, and to intrigue against people who possess what you value. (6.15.2)
Marcus wants to impress on himself the value of leaving behind the usual earthly desires and behaviors (like reacting to sense impressions, bowing to impulse, gathering goods) so that he can remain a disinterested and independent human being. If this is too abstract, think about this in modern terms: living without the newest iPhone or laptop, not being connected all the time—that would be good for Marcus. How does it make you feel when, suddenly, your electronics are gone? You know you feel withdrawal. Marcus is warning against just this kind of thing. We can't be free if we are dependent on ephemeral things and not on our inner principles.
Quote #5
Of itself, the directing mind is without needs, unless it creates a need for itself: in the same way it is untroubled and unhindered, unless it troubles or hinders itself (7.16)
The goal of Marcus's notes to himself, you could say, is to set him on the path to freedom and self-sufficiency. Sure, he's Emperor of Rome, but we can see that he's struggling with the same things that any human being might: the desire for a good reputation, tranquility, success. He has to remind himself that all these desires disturb the natural calm of the mind, which wants only to remain independent and happy inside its own little world. Marcus has to work hard to protect his inner freedom from "colonization" from worldly concerns.
Quote #6
The mind preserves its own serenity by withdrawal, and the directing reason is not impaired by pain. It is for the parts injured by the pain to protest if they can. (7.33)
Marcus highlights the little war going on between the internal and external as well as between the body and soul in each human being. If the mind is to survive and prosper, as it should, it needs to create a fortress—something to wall it off from the body and keep out the concerns that shouldn't be there. In this sense, the mind is abandoning the body to its own proper concerns, like whether or not it is in distress or feels pain. This is a core tenet of the Stoic philosophy.