the six enneads-第106章

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nd　depends　upon　pattern；　configuration？　How　can　we　allow　power　to　colour　and　none　to　configuration？　It　is　surely　untenable　that　an　entity　should　have　existence　and　yet　have　no　power　to　effect：　existence　carries　with　it　either　acting　or　answering　to　action；　some　beings　having　action　alone；　others　both。　　　　　At　the　same　time　there　are　powers　apart　from　pattern：　and；　in　things　of　our　realm；　there　are　many　powers　dependent　not　upon　heat　and　cold　but　upon　forces　due　to　differing　properties；　forces　which　have　been　shaped　to　ideal…quality　by　the　action　of　Reason…Principles　and　communicate　in　the　power　of　Nature：　thus　the　natural　properties　of　stones　and　the　efficacy　of　plants　produce　many　astonishing　results。　　　　　36。　The　Universe　is　immensely　varied；　the　container　of　all　the　Reason…Principles　and　of　infinite　and　diverse　efficacies。　In　man；　we　are　told；　the　eye　has　its　power；　and　the　bones　have　their　varied　powers；　and　so　with　each　separate　part　of　hand　and　of　foot；　and　there　is　no　member　or　organ　without　its　own　definite　function；　some　separate　power　of　its　own…　a　diversity　of　which　we　can　have　no　notion　unless　our　studies　take　that　direction。　What　is　true　of　man　must　be　true　of　the　universe；　and　much　more；　since　all　this　order　is　but　a　representation　of　the　higher：　it　must　contain　an　untellably　wonderful　variety　of　powers；　with　which；　of　course；　the　bodies　moving　through　the　heavens　will　be　most　richly　endowed。　　　　　We　cannot　think　of　the　universe　as　a　soulless　habitation；　however　vast　and　varied；　a　thing　of　materials　easily　told　off；　kind　by　kind…　wood　and　stone　and　whatever　else　there　be；　all　blending　into　a　kosmos：　it　must　be　alert　throughout；　every　member　living　by　its　own　life；　nothing　that　can　have　existence　failing　to　exist　within　it。　　　　　And　here　we　have　the　solution　of　the　problem；　〃How　an　ensouled　living　form　can　include　the　soulless〃：　for　this　account　allows　grades　of　living　within　the　whole；　grades　to　some　of　which　we　deny　life　only　because　they　are　not　perceptibly　self…moved：　in　the　truth；　all　of　these　have　a　hidden　life；　and　the　thing　whose　life　is　patent　to　sense　is　made　up　of　things　which　do　not　live　to　sense；　but；　none　the　less；　confer　upon　their　resultant　total　wonderful　powers　towards　living。　Man　would　never　have　reached　to　his　actual　height　if　the　powers　by　which　he　acts　were　the　completely　soulless　elements　of　his　being；　similarly　the　All　could　not　have　its　huge　life　unless　its　every　member　had　a　life　of　its　own；　this　however　does　not　necessarily　imply　a　deliberate　intention；　the　All　has　no　need　of　intention　to　bring　about　its　acts：　it　is　older　than　intention；　and　therefore　its　powers　have　many　servitors。　　　　　37。　We　must　not　rob　the　universe　of　any　factor　in　its　being。　If　any　of　our　theorists　of　to…day　seek　to　explain　the　action　of　fire…　or　of　any　other　such　form；　thought　of　as　an　agent…　they　will　find　themselves　in　difficulties　unless　they　recognize　the　act　to　be　the　object's　function　in　the　All；　and　give　a　like　explanation　of　other　natural　forces　in　common　use。　　　　　We　do　not　habitually　examine　or　in　any　way　question　the　normal：　we　set　to　doubting　and　working　out　identifications　when　we　are　confronted　by　any　display　of　power　outside　everyday　experience：　we　wonder　at　a　novelty　and　we　wonder　at　the　customary　when　anyone　brings　forward　some　single　object　and　explains　to　our　ignorance　the　efficacy　vested　in　it。　　　　　Some　such　power；　not　necessarily　accompanied　by　reason；　every　single　item　possesses；　for　each　has　been　brought　into　being　and　into　shape　within　a　universe；　each　in　its　kind　has　partaken　of　soul　through　the　medium　of　the　ensouled　All；　as　being　embraced　by　that　definitely　constituted　thing：　each　then　is　a　member　of　an　animate　being　which　can　include　nothing　that　is　less　than　a　full　member　＇and　therefore　a　sharer　in　the　total　of　power＇…　though　one　thing　is　of　mightier　efficacy　than　another；　and；　especially　members　of　the　heavenly　system　than　the　objects　of　earth；　since　they　draw　upon　a　purer　nature…　and　these　powers　are　widely　productive。　But　productivity　does　not　comport　intention　in　what　appears　to　be　the　source　of　the　thing　accomplished：　there　is　efficacy；　too；　where　there　is　no　will：　even　attention　is　not　necessary　to　the　communication　of　power；　the　very　transmission　of　soul　may　proceed　without　either。　　　　　A　living　being；　we　know；　may　spring　from　another　without　any　intention；　and　as　without　loss　so　without　consciousness　in　the　begetter：　in　fact　any　intention　the　animal　exercised　could　be　a　cause　of　propagation　only　on　condition　of　being　identical　with　the　animal　＇i。e。；　the　theory　would　make　intention　a　propagative　animal；　not　a　mental　act？＇　　　　　And；　if　intention　is　unnecessary　to　the　propagation　of　life；　much　more　so　is　attention。　　　　　38。　Whatever　springs　automatically　from　the　All　out　of　that　distinctive　life　of　its　own；　and；　in　addition　to　that　self…moving　activity；　whatever　is　due　to　some　specific　agency…　for　example；　to　prayers；　simple　or　taking　the　form　of　magic　incantations…　this　entire　range　of　production　is　to　be　referred；　not　to　each　such　single　cause；　but　to　the　nature　of　the　thing　produced　＇i。e。；　to　a　certain　natural　tendency　in　the　product　to　exist　with　its　own　quality＇。　　　　　All　that　forwards　life　or　some　other　useful　purpose　is　to　be　ascribed　to　the　transmission　characteristic　of　the　All；　it　is　something　flowing　from　the　major　of　an　integral　to　its　minor。　Where　we　think　we　see　the　transmission　of　some　force　unfavourable　to　the　production　of　living　beings；　the　flaw　must　be　found　in　the　inability　of　the　subject　to　take　in　what　would　serve　it：　for　what　happens　does　not　happen　upon　a　void；　there　is　always　specific　form　and　quality；　anything　that　could　be　affected　must　have　an　underlying　nature　definite　and　characterized。　The　inevitable　blendings；　further；　have　their　constructive　effect；　every　element　adding　something　contributory　to　the　life。　Then　again　some　influence　may　come　into　play　at　the　time　when　the　forces　of　a　beneficent　nature　are　not　acting：　the　co…ordination　of　the　entire　system　of　things　does　not　always　allow　to　each　several　entity　everything　that　it　needs：　and　further　we　ourselves　add　a　great　deal　to　what　is　transmitted　to　us。　　　　　None　the　less　all　entwines　into　a　unity：　and　there　is　something　wonderful　in　the　agreement　holding　among　these　various　things　of　varied　source；　even　of　sources　frankly　opposite；　the　secret　lies　in　a　variety　within　a　unity。　When　by　the　standard　of　the　better　kind　among　things　of　process　anything　falls　short…　the　reluctance　of　its　material　substratum　having　prevented　its　perfect　shaping　under　idea…　it　may　be　thought　of　as　being　deficient　in　that　noble　element　whose　absence　brings　to　shame：　the　thing　is　a　blend；　something　due　to　the　high　beings；　an　alloy　from　the　underlying　nature；　something　added　by　the　self。　　　　　Because　all　is　ever　being　knit；　all　brought　to　culmination　in　unity；　therefore　all　events　are　indicated；　but　this　does　not　make　virtue　a　matter　of　compulsion；　its　spontaneity　is　equally　inwoven　into　the　ordered　system　by　the　general　law　that　the　things　of　this　sphere　are　pendant　from　the　higher；　that　the　content　of　our　universe　lies　in　the　hands　of　the　diviner　beings　in　whom　our　world　is　participant。　　　　　39。　We　cannot；　then；　refer　all　that　exists　to　Reason…Principles　inherent　in　the　seed　of　things　＇Spermatic　Reasons＇；　the　universe　is　to　be　traced　further　back；　to　the　more　primal　forces；　to　the　principles　by　which　that　seed　itself　takes　shape。　Such　spermatic　principles　cannot　be　the　containers　of　things　which　arise　independently　of　them；　such　as　what　enters　from　Matter　＇the　reasonless＇　into　membership　of　the　All；　or　what　is　due　to　the　mere　interaction　of　existences。　　　　　No：　the　Reason…Principle　of　the　universe　would　be　better　envisaged　as　a　wisdom　uttering　order　and　law　to　a　state；　in　full　knowledge　of　what　the　citizens　will　do　and　why；　and　in　perfect　adaptation　of　law　to　custom；　thus　the　code　is　made　to　thread　its　way　in　and　out　through　all　their　conditions　and　actions　with　the　honour　or　infamy　earned　by　their　conduct；　and　all　coalesces　by　a　kind　of　automatism。　　　　　The　signification　which　exists　is　not　a　first　intention；　it　arises　incidentally　by　the　fact　that　in　a　given　collocation　the　members　will　tell　something　of　each　other：　all　is　unity　sprung　of　unit