the six enneads-第108章

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n　the　degree　of　their　concern　about　it。　　　　　For　everything　that　looks　to　another　is　under　spell　to　that：　what　we　look　to；　draws　us　magically。　Only　the　self…intent　go　free　of　magic。　Hence　every　action　has　magic　as　its　source；　and　the　entire　life　of　the　practical　man　is　a　bewitchment：　we　move　to　that　only　which　has　wrought　a　fascination　upon　us。　This　is　indicated　where　we　read　〃for　the　burgher　of　greathearted　Erechtheus　has　a　pleasant　face　＇but　you　should　see　him　naked；　then　you　would　be　cautious＇。〃　For　what　conceivably　turns　a　man　to　the　external？　He　is　drawn；　drawn　by　the　arts　not　of　magicians　but　of　the　natural　order　which　administers　the　deceiving　draught　and　links　this　to　that；　not　in　local　contact　but　in　the　fellowship　of　the　philtre。　　　　　44。　Contemplation　alone　stands　untouched　by　magic；　no　man　self…gathered　falls　to　a　spell；　for　he　is　one；　and　that　unity　is　all　he　perceives；　so　that　his　reason　is　not　beguiled　but　holds　the　due　course；　fashioning　its　own　career　and　accomplishing　its　task。　　　　　In　the　other　way　of　life；　it　is　not　the　essential　man　that　gives　the　impulse；　it　is　not　the　reason；　the　unreasoning　also　acts　as　a　principle；　and　this　is　the　first　condition　of　the　misfortune。　Caring　for　children；　planning　marriage…　everything　that　works　as　bait；　taking　value　by　dint　of　desire…　these　all　tug　obviously：　so　it　is　with　our　action；　sometimes　stirred；　not　reasonably；　by　a　certain　spirited　temperament；　sometimes　as　foolishly　by　greed；　political　interests；　the　siege　of　office；　all　betray　a　forth…summoning　lust　of　power；　action　for　security　springs　from　fear；　action　for　gain；　from　desire；　action　undertaken　for　the　sake　of　sheer　necessities…　that　is；　for　supplying　the　insufficiency　of　nature…　indicates；　manifestly；　the　cajoling　force　of　nature　to　the　safeguarding　of　life。　　　　　We　may　be　told　that　no　such　magic　underlies　good　action；　since；　at　that；　Contemplation　itself；　certainly　a　good　action；　implies　a　magic　attraction。　　　　　The　answer　is　that　there　is　no　magic　when　actions　recognized　as　good　are　performed　upon　sheer　necessity　with　the　recollection　that　the　veritable　good　is　elsewhere；　this　is　simply　knowledge　of　need；　it　is　not　a　bewitchment　binding　the　life　to　this　sphere　or　to　any　thing　alien；　all　is　permissible　under　duress　of　human　nature；　and　in　the　spirit　of　adaptation　to　the　needs　of　existence　in　general…　or　even　to　the　needs　of　the　individual　existence；　since　it　certainly　seems　reasonable　to　fit　oneself　into　life　rather　than　to　withdraw　from　it。　　　　　When；　on　the　contrary；　the　agent　falls　in　love　with　what　is　good　in　those　actions；　and；　cheated　by　the　mere　track　and　trace　of　the　Authentic　Good　makes　them　his　own；　then；　in　his　pursuit　of　a　lower　good；　he　is　the　victim　of　magic。　For　all　dalliance　with　what　wears　the　mask　of　the　authentic；　all　attraction　towards　that　mere　semblance；　tells　of　a　mind　misled　by　the　spell　of　forces　pulling　towards　unreality。　　　　　The　sorcery　of　Nature　is　at　work　in　this；　to　pursue　the　non…good　as　a　good；　drawn　in　unreasoning　impulse　by　its　specious　appearance：　it　is　to　be　led　unknowing　down　paths　unchosen；　and　what　can　we　call　that　but　magic。　　　　　Alone　in　immunity　from　magic　is　he　who；　though　drawn　by　the　alien　parts　of　his　total　being；　withholds　his　assent　to　their　standards　of　worth；　recognizing　the　good　only　where　his　authentic　self　sees　and　knows　it；　neither　drawn　nor　pursuing；　but　tranquilly　possessing　and　so　never　charmed　away。　　　　　45。　From　this　discussion　it　becomes　perfectly　clear　that　the　individual　member　of　the　All　contributes　to　that　All　in　the　degree　of　its　kind　and　condition；　thus　it　acts　and　is　acted　upon。　In　any　particular　animal　each　of　the　limbs　and　organs；　in　the　measure　of　its　kind　and　purpose；　aids　the　entire　being　by　service　performed　and　counts　in　rank　and　utility：　it　gives　what　is　in　it　its　gift　and　takes　from　its　fellows　in　the　degree　of　receptive　power　belonging　to　its　kind；　there　is　something　like　a　common　sensitiveness　linking　the　parts；　and　in　the　orders　in　which　each　of　the　parts　is　also　animate；　each　will　have；　in　addition　to　its　rank　as　part；　the　very　particular　functions　of　a　living　being。　　　　　We　have　learned；　further；　something　of　our　human　standing；　we　know　that　we　too　accomplish　within　the　All　a　work　not　confined　to　the　activity　and　receptivity　of　body　in　relation　to　body；　we　know　that　we　bring　to　it　that　higher　nature　of　ours；　linked　as　we　are　by　affinities　within　us　towards　the　answering　affinities　outside　us；　becoming　by　our　soul　and　the　conditions　of　our　kind　thus　linked…　or；　better；　being　linked　by　Nature…　with　our　next　highest　in　the　celestial　or　demonic　realm；　and　thence　onwards　with　those　above　the　Celestials；　we　cannot　fail　to　manifest　our　quality。　Still；　we　are　not　all　able　to　offer　the　same　gifts　or　to　accept　identically：　if　we　do　not　possess　good；　we　cannot　bestow　it；　nor　can　we　ever　purvey　any　good　thing　to　one　that　has　no　power　of　receiving　good。　Anyone　that　adds　his　evil　to　the　total　of　things　is　known　for　what　he　is　and；　in　accordance　with　his　kind；　is　pressed　down　into　the　evil　which　he　has　made　his　own；　and　hence；　upon　death；　goes　to　whatever　region　fits　his　quality…　and　all　this　happens　under　the　pull　of　natural　forces。　　　　　For　the　good　man；　the　giving　and　the　taking　and　the　changes　of　state　go　quite　the　other　way；　the　particular　tendencies　of　the　nature；　we　may　put　it；　transpose　the　cords　＇so　that　we　are　moved　by　that　only　which；　in　Plato's　metaphor　of　the　puppets；　draws　towards　the　best＇。　　　　　Thus　this　universe　of　ours　is　a　wonder　of　power　and　wisdom；　everything　by　a　noiseless　road　coming　to　pass　according　to　a　law　which　none　may　elude…　which　the　base　man　never　conceives　though　it　is　leading　him；　all　unknowingly；　to　that　place　in　the　All　where　his　lot　must　be　cast…　which　the　just　man　knows；　and；　knowing；　sets　out　to　the　place　he　must；　understanding；　even　as　he　begins　the　journey；　where　he　is　to　be　housed　at　the　end；　and　having　the　good　hope　that　he　will　be　with　gods。　　　　　In　a　living　being　of　small　scope　the　parts　vary　but　slightly；　and　have　but　a　faint　individual　consciousness；　and；　unless　possibly　in　a　few　and　for　a　short　time；　are　not　themselves　alive。　But　in　a　living　universe；　of　high　expanse；　where　every　entity　has　vast　scope　and　many　of　the　members　have　life；　there　must　be　wider　movement　and　greater　changes。　We　see　the　sun　and　the　moon　and　the　other　stars　shifting　place　and　course　in　an　ordered　progression。　It　is　therefore　within　reason　that　the　souls；　also；　of　the　All　should　have　their　changes；　not　retaining　unbrokenly　the　same　quality；　but　ranged　in　some　analogy　with　their　action　and　experience…　some　taking　rank　as　head　and　some　as　foot　in　a　disposition　consonant　with　the　Universal　Being　which　has　its　degrees　in　better　and　less　good。　A　soul；　which　neither　chooses　the　highest　that　is　here；　nor　has　lent　itself　to　the　lowest；　is　one　which　has　abandoned　another；　a　purer；　place；　taking　this　sphere　in　free　election。　　　　　The　punishments　of　wrong…doing　are　like　the　treatment　of　diseased　parts　of　the　body…　here；　medicines　to　knit　sundered　flesh；　there；　amputations；　elsewhere；　change　of　environment　and　condition…　and　the　penalties　are　planned　to　bring　health　to　the　All　by　settling　every　member　in　the　fitting　place：　and　this　health　of　the　All　requires　that　one　man　be　made　over　anew　and　another；　sick　here；　be　taken　hence　to　where　he　shall　be　weakly　no　longer。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIFTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PROBLEMS　OF　THE　SOUL　（3）。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇ALSO　ENTITLED　〃ON　SIGHT〃＇。

　　　　1。　We　undertook　to　discuss　the　question　whether　sight　is　possible　in　the　absence　of　any　intervening　medium；　such　as　air　or　some　other　form　of　what　is　known　as　transparent　body：　this　is　the　time　and　place。　　　　　It　has　been　explained　that　seeing　and　all　sense…perception　can　occur　only　through　the　medium　of　some　bodily　substance；　since　in　the　absence　of　body　the　soul　is　utterly　absorbed　in　the　Intellectual　Sphere。　Sense…perception　being　the　gripping　not　of　the　Intellectual　but　of　the　sensible　alone；　the　soul；　if　it　is　to　form　any　relationship　of　knowledge；　or　of　impression；　with　objects　of　sense；　must　be　brought　in　some　kind　of　contact　with　them　by　means　of　whatever　may　bridge　the　gap。　　　　　The　knowledge；　then；　is　realized　by　means　of　bodily　organs：　through