the six enneads-第105章

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is　the　mode　in　which　the　heavenly　beings　＇the　diviner　members　of　the　All＇　must　be　held　to　be　causes　wherever　they　have　any　action；　and；　when。　they　do　not　act；　to　indicate。　　　　　Or；　a　better　statement：　the　entire　kosmos　puts　its　entire　life　into　act；　moving　its　major　members　with　its　own　action　and　unceasingly　setting　them　in　new　positions；　by　the　relations　thus　established；　of　these　members　to　each　other　and　to　the　whole；　and　by　the　different　figures　they　make　together；　the　minor　members　in　turn　are　brought　under　the　system　as　in　the　movements　of　some　one　living　being；　so　that　they　vary　according　to　the　relations；　positions；　configurations：　the　beings　thus　co…ordinated　are　not　the　causes；　the　cause　is　the　coordinating　All；　at　the　same　time　it　is　not　to　be　thought　of　as　seeking　to　do　one　thing　and　actually　doing　another；　for　there　is　nothing　external　to　it　since　it　is　the　cause　by　actually　being　all：　on　the　one　side　the　configurations；　on　the　other　the　inevitable　effects　of　those　configurations　upon　a　living　being　moving　as　a　unit　and；　again；　upon　a　living　being　＇an　All＇　thus　by　its　nature　conjoined　and　concomitant　and；　of　necessity；　at　once　subject　and　object　to　its　own　activities。　　　　　34。　For　ourselves；　while　whatever　in　us　belongs　to　the　body　of　the　All　should　be　yielded　to　its　action；　we　ought　to　make　sure　that　we　submit　only　within　limits；　realizing　that　the　entire　man　is　not　thus　bound　to　it：　intelligent　servitors　yield　a　part　of　themselves　to　their　masters　but　in　part　retain　their　personality；　and　are　thus　less　absolutely　at　beck　and　call；　as　not　being　slaves；　not　utterly　chattels。　　　　　The　changing　configurations　within　the　All　could　not　fail　to　be　produced　as　they　are；　since　the　moving　bodies　are　not　of　equal　speed。　　　　　Now　the　movement　is　guided　by　a　Reason…Principle；　the　relations　of　the　living　whole　are　altered　in　consequence；　here　in　our　own　realm　all　that　happens　reacts　in　sympathy　to　the　events　of　that　higher　sphere：　it　becomes；　therefore；　advisable　to　ask　whether　we　are　to　think　of　this　realm　as　following　upon　the　higher　by　agreement；　or　to　attribute　to　the　configurations　the　powers　underlying　the　events；　and　whether　such　powers　would　be　vested　in　the　configurations　simply　or　in　the　relations　of　the　particular　items。　　　　　It　will　be　said　that　one　position　of　one　given　thing　has　by　no　means　an　identical　effect…　whether　of　indication　or　of　causation…　in　its　relation　to　another　and　still　less　to　any　group　of　others；　since　each　several　being　seems　to　have　a　natural　tendency　＇or　receptivity＇　of　its　own。　　　　　The　truth　is　that　the　configuration　of　any　given　group　means　merely　the　relationship　of　the　several　parts；　and；　changing　the　members；　the　relationship　remains　the　same。　　　　　But；　this　being　so；　the　power　will　belong；　not　to　the　positions　but　to　the　beings　holding　those　positions？　　　　　To　both　taken　together。　For　as　things　change　their　relations；　and　as　any　one　thing　changes　place；　there　is　a　change　of　power。　　　　　But　what　power？　That　of　causation　or　of　indication？　　　　　To　this　double　thing…　the　particular　configuration　of　particular　beings…　there　accrues　often　the　twofold　power；　that　of　causation　and　that　of　indication；　but　sometimes　only　that　of　indication。　Thus　we　are　obliged　to　attribute　powers　both　to　the　configuration　and　to　the　beings　entering　into　them。　In　mime　dancers　each　of　the　hands　has　its　own　power；　and　so　with　all　the　limbs；　the　relative　positions　have　much　power；　and；　for　a　third　power；　there　is　that　of　the　accessories　and　concomitants；　underlying　the　action　of　the　performers'　limbs；　there　are　such　items　as　the　clutched　fingers　and　the　muscles　and　veins　following　suit。　　　　　35。　But　we　must　give　some　explanation　of　these　powers。　The　matter　requires　a　more　definite　handling。　How　can　there　be　a　difference　of　power　between　one　triangular　configuration　and　another？　　　　　How　can　there　be　the　exercise　of　power　from　man　to　man；　under　what　law；　and　within　what　limits？　　　　　The　difficulty　is　that　we　are　unable　to　attribute　causation　either　to　the　bodies　of　the　heavenly　beings　or　to　their　wills：　their　bodies　are　excluded　because　the　product　transcends　the　causative　power　of　body；　their　will　because　it　would　be　unseemly　to　suppose　divine　beings　to　produce　unseemliness。　　　　　Let　us　keep　in　mind　what　we　have　laid　down：　　　　　The　being　we　are　considering　is　a　living　unity　and；　therefore；　necessarily　self…sympathetic：　it　is　under　a　law　of　reason；　and　therefore　the　unfolding　process　of　its　life　must　be　self…accordant：　that　life　has　no　haphazard；　but　knows　only　harmony　and　ordinance：　all　the　groupings　follow　reason：　all　single　beings　within　it；　all　the　members　of　this　living　whole　in　their　choral　dance　are　under　a　rule　of　Number。　　　　　Holding　this　in　mind　we　are　forced　to　certain　conclusions：　in　the　expressive　act　of　the　All　are　comprised　equally　the　configurations　of　its　members　and　these　members　themselves；　minor　as　well　as　major　entering　into　the　configurations。　This　is　the　mode　of　life　of　the　All；　and　its　powers　work　together　to　this　end　under　the　Nature　in　which　the　producing　agency　within　the　Reason…Principles　has　brought　them　into　being。　The　groupings　＇within　the　All＇　are　themselves　in　the　nature　of　Reason…Principles　since　they　are　the　out…spacing　of　a　living…being；　its　reason…determined　rhythms　and　conditions；　and　the　entities　thus　spaced…out　and　grouped　to　pattern　are　its　various　members：　then　again　there　are　the　powers　of　the　living　being…　distinct　these；　too…　which　may　be　considered　as　parts　of　it；　always　excluding　deliberate　will　which　is　external　to　it；　not　contributory　to　the　nature　of　the　living　All。　　　　　The　will　of　any　organic　thing　is　one；　but　the　distinct　powers　which　go　to　constitute　it　are　far　from　being　one：　yet　all　the　several　wills　look　to　the　object　aimed　at　by　the　one　will　of　the　whole：　for　the　desire　which　the　one　member　entertains　for　another　is　a　desire　within　the　All：　a　part　seeks　to　acquire　something　outside　itself；　but　that　external　is　another　part　of　which　it　feels　the　need：　the　anger　of　a　moment　of　annoyance　is　directed　to　something　alien；　growth　draws　on　something　outside；　all　birth　and　becoming　has　to　do　with　the　external；　but　all　this　external　is　inevitably　something　included　among　fellow　members　of　the　system：　through　these　its　limbs　and　members；　the　All　is　bringing　this　activity　into　being　while　in　itself　it　seeks…　or　better；　contemplates…　The　Good。　Right　will；　then；　the　will　which　stands　above　accidental　experience；　seeks　The　Good　and　thus　acts　to　the　same　end　with　it。　When　men　serve　another；　many　of　their　acts　are　done　under　order；　but　the　good　servant　is　the　one　whose　purpose　is　in　union　with　his　master's。　　　　　In　all　the　efficacy　of　the　sun　and　other　stars　upon　earthly　matters　we　can　but　believe　that　though　the　heavenly　body　is　intent　upon　the　Supreme　yet…　to　keep　to　the　sun…　its　warming　of　terrestrial　things；　and　every　service　following　upon　that；　all　springs　from　itself；　its　own　act　transmitted　in　virtue　of　soul；　the　vastly　efficacious　soul　of　Nature。　Each　of　the　heavenly　bodies；　similarly；　gives　forth　a　power；　involuntary；　by　its　mere　radiation：　all　things　become　one　entity；　grouped　by　this　diffusion　of　power；　and　so　bring　about　wide　changes　of　condition；　thus　the　very　groupings　have　power　since　their　diversity　produces　diverse　conditions；　that　the　grouped　beings　themselves　have　also　their　efficiency　is　clear　since　they　produce　differently　according　to　the　different　membership　of　the　groups。　　　　　That　configuration　has　power　in　itself　is　within　our　own　observation　here。　Why　else　do　certain　groupments；　in　contradistinction　to　others；　terrify　at　sight　though　there　has　been　no　previous　experience　of　evil　from　them？　If　some　men　are　alarmed　by　a　particular　groupment　and　others　by　quite　a　different　one；　the　reason　can　be　only　that　the　configurations　themselves　have　efficacy；　each　upon　a　certain　type…　an　efficacy　which　cannot　fail　to　reach　anything　naturally　disposed　to　be　impressed　by　it；　so　that　in　one　groupment　things　attract　observation　which　in　another　pass　without　effect。　　　　　If　we　are　told　that　beauty　is　the　motive　of　attraction；　does　not　this　mean　simply　that　the　power　of　appeal　to　this　or　that　mind　depends　upon　pattern；　configuration？　How　can　we　allow　power　to　colour　and　none　to　configuration？