Natural instincts

Marcus Aurelius writes:

...naught that is evil can be in harmony with Nature.

and

Make bold to follow Nature in every word and deed... 

When I read things like this, I felt I could not disagree more.  If it was natural to be good, and natural to be a Stoic, Marcus Aurelius would have nothing to write about, since all his meditations would be natural instinct.  There would be no need for a Stoic school of philosophy, since all would gravitate to the correct course of action.

But we don't.  We live in ignorance, fear, and hatred.  This is the natural state, allowing our primitive natural instincts to rule our actions.  Of all of us, how many are enlightened and live by logic alone?  A few, a very paltry few.

On reflection, though, I think the "Nature" that Marcus Aurelius writes about is not human nature, which is all too often the animal nature.  No, it's a higher level.  It's the Nature of the balanced ecosystem, the self-correcting feedback loops, the various the cycles of life, the slow dance of the stars, and the beauty of the physical laws.

I believe that when we destroy the environment, that is just our "nature".  Consuming resources is what life does.  But even though these actions are in harmony with our "nature", is not in harmony with "Nature" itself.

At least, that's how I read it.  If anyone has read & understood the original in Latin, they can perhaps clarify the text.