It appears to me that Elli's suggestion of "occupied" as the final word of this doctrine is more accurate than Bailey's "...without allowing himself leisure."
However the "leisure" reference is the translation we see everywhere.
This is a thread to discuss which is more accurate.
Bailey:
Epicurus Wiki:
http://wiki.epicurism.info/Vatican_Saying_14/
The pivotal word here is ασχολούμενος.
Here is the entry for the root verb ασχολεω at Perseus Digital Library for two dictionaries.
Two pertinent definitions seem to be "to be engaged in one's own business; performance of a public function." I would agree with Elli's "occupied." The word seems to imply that one is engaged in their own business, focused on their work to the exclusion of other pursuits. Not necessarily that they're not taking time for leisure purposefully, but that they're "pre-occupied" with the daily grind.
For more, here's the entry for ασχολος.
And for ασχολία.
Take a look at those and please share your thoughts.
Not necessarily that they're not taking time for leisure purposefully, but that they're "pre-occupied" with the daily grind.
Occupied by activities which pull one away from the fullness of enjoying life - these could be activities of the mind or actual activities which feel unfulfilling. If your mind is always processing all the little things you need to do next, in a subtle kind of "worry"..."I've got to do this, I've got to do that"...and these thoughts make it difficult to savor the present moment. It is almost as if joy is a very subtle experience and the complexities of civilization are so much more noisy and make it difficult to look for and see joy. If you combine this one with Vatican Saying 11, then it fleshes it out a bit more (at least in my mind).
