the six enneads-第123章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


m　that　makes　them　souls；　then　all　are；　in　virtue　of　this　Idea；　one。　　　　　But　this　is　simply　saying　that　there　is　one　identical　soul　dispersed　among　many　bodies；　and　that；　preceding　this；　there　is　yet　another　not　thus　dispersed；　the　source　of　the　soul　in　dispersion　which　may　be　thought　of　as　a　widely　repeated　image　of　the　soul　in　unity…　much　as　a　multitude　of　seals　bear　the　impression　of　one　ring。　By　that　first　mode　the　soul　is　a　unit　broken　up　into　a　variety　of　points：　in　the　second　mode　it　is　incorporeal。　Similarly　if　the　soul　were　a　condition　or　modification　of　body；　we　could　not　wonder　that　this　quality…　this　one　thing　from　one　source…　should　be　present　in　many　objects。　The　same　reasoning　would　apply　if　soul　were　an　effect　＇or　manifestation＇　of　the　Conjoint。　　　　　We；　of　course；　hold　it　to　be　bodiless；　an　essential　existence。　　　　　5。　How　then　can　a　multitude　of　essential　beings　be　really　one？　　　　　Obviously　either　the　one　essence　will　be　entire　in　all；　or　the　many　will　rise　from　a　one　which　remains　unaltered　and　yet　includes　the　one…　many　in　virtue　of　giving　itself；　without　self…abandonment；　to　its　own　multiplication。　　　　　It　is　competent　thus　to　give　and　remain；　because　while　it　penetrates　all　things　it　can　never　itself　be　sundered：　this　is　an　identity　in　variety。　　　　　There　is　no　reason　for　dismissing　this　explanation：　we　may　think　of　a　science　with　its　constituents　standing　as　one　total；　the　source　of　all　those　various　elements：　again；　there　is　the　seed；　a　whole；　producing　those　new　parts　in　which　it　comes　to　its　division；　each　of　the　new　growths　is　a　whole　while　the　whole　remains　undiminished：　only　the　material　element　is　under　the　mode　of　part；　and　all　the　multiplicity　remains　an　entire　identity　still。　　　　　It　may　be　objected　that　in　the　case　of　science　the　constituents　are　not　each　the　whole。　　　　　But　even　in　the　science；　while　the　constituent　selected　for　handling　to　meet　a　particular　need　is　present　actually　and　takes　the　lead；　still　all　the　other　constituents　accompany　it　in　a　potential　presence；　so　that　the　whole　is　in　every　part：　only　in　this　sense　＇of　particular　attention＇　is　the　whole　science　distinguished　from　the　part：　all；　we　may　say；　is　here　simultaneously　effected：　each　part　is　at　your　disposal　as　you　choose　to　take　it；　the　part　invites　the　immediate　interest；　but　its　value　consists　in　its　approach　to　the　whole。　　　　　The　detail　cannot　be　considered　as　something　separate　from　the　entire　body　of　speculation：　so　treated　it　would　have　no　technical　or　scientific　value；　it　would　be　childish　divagation。　The　one　detail；　when　it　is　a　matter　of　science；　potentially　includes　all。　Grasping　one　such　constituent　of　his　science；　the　expert　deduces　the　rest　by　force　of　sequence。　　　　　＇As　a　further　illustration　of　unity　in　plurality＇　the　geometrician；　in　his　analysis；　shows　that　the　single　proposition　includes　all　the　items　that　go　to　constitute　it　and　all　the　propositions　which　can　be　developed　from　it。　　　　　It　is　our　feebleness　that　leads　to　doubt　in　these　matters；　the　body　obscures　the　truth；　but　There　all　stands　out　clear　and　separate。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　FIFTH　ENNEAD。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIRST　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　THREE　INITIAL　HYPOSTASES。

　　　　1。　What　can　it　be　that　has　brought　the　souls　to　forget　the　father；　God；　and；　though　members　of　the　Divine　and　entirely　of　that　world；　to　ignore　at　once　themselves　and　It？　　　　　The　evil　that　has　overtaken　them　has　its　source　in　self…will；　in　the　entry　into　the　sphere　of　process；　and　in　the　primal　differentiation　with　the　desire　for　self　ownership。　They　conceived　a　pleasure　in　this　freedom　and　largely　indulged　their　own　motion；　thus　they　were　hurried　down　the　wrong　path；　and　in　the　end；　drifting　further　and　further；　they　came　to　lose　even　the　thought　of　their　origin　in　the　Divine。　A　child　wrenched　young　from　home　and　brought　up　during　many　years　at　a　distance　will　fail　in　knowledge　of　its　father　and　of　itself：　the　souls；　in　the　same　way；　no　longer　discern　either　the　divinity　or　their　own　nature；　ignorance　of　their　rank　brings　self…depreciation；　they　misplace　their　respect；　honouring　everything　more　than　themselves；　all　their　awe　and　admiration　is　for　the　alien；　and；　clinging　to　this；　they　have　broken　apart；　as　far　as　a　soul　may；　and　they　make　light　of　what　they　have　deserted；　their　regard　for　the　mundane　and　their　disregard　of　themselves　bring　about　their　utter　ignoring　of　the　divine。　　　　　Admiring　pursuit　of　the　external　is　a　confession　of　inferiority；　and　nothing　thus　holding　itself　inferior　to　things　that　rise　and　perish；　nothing　counting　itself　less　honourable　and　less　enduring　than　all　else　it　admires　could　ever　form　any　notion　of　either　the　nature　or　the　power　of　God。　　　　　A　double　discipline　must　be　applied　if　human　beings　in　this　pass　are　to　be　reclaimed；　and　brought　back　to　their　origins；　lifted　once　more　towards　the　Supreme　and　One　and　First。　　　　　There　is　the　method；　which　we　amply　exhibit　elsewhere；　declaring　the　dishonour　of　the　objects　which　the　Soul　holds　here　in　honour；　the　second　teaches　or　recalls　to　the　soul　its　race　and　worth；　this　latter　is　the　leading　truth；　and；　clearly　brought　out；　is　the　evidence　of　the　other。　　　　　It　must　occupy　us　now　for　it　bears　closely　upon　our　enquiry　to　which　it　is　the　natural　preliminary：　the　seeker　is　soul　and　it　must　start　from　a　true　notion　of　the　nature　and　quality　by　which　soul　may　undertake　the　search；　it　must　study　itself　in　order　to　learn　whether　it　has　the　faculty　for　the　enquiry；　the　eye　for　the　object　proposed；　whether　in　fact　we　ought　to　seek；　for　if　the　object　is　alien　the　search　must　be　futile；　while　if　there　is　relationship　the　solution　of　our　problem　is　at　once　desirable　and　possible。　　　　　2。　Let　every　soul　recall；　then；　at　the　outset　the　truth　that　soul　is　the　author　of　all　living　things；　that　it　has　breathed　the　life　into　them　all；　whatever　is　nourished　by　earth　and　sea；　all　the　creatures　of　the　air；　the　divine　stars　in　the　sky；　it　is　the　maker　of　the　sun；　itself　formed　and　ordered　this　vast　heaven　and　conducts　all　that　rhythmic　motion；　and　it　is　a　principle　distinct　from　all　these　to　which　it　gives　law　and　movement　and　life；　and　it　must　of　necessity　be　more　honourable　than　they；　for　they　gather　or　dissolve　as　soul　brings　them　life　or　abandons　them；　but　soul；　since　it　never　can　abandon　itself；　is　of　eternal　being。　　　　　How　life　was　purveyed　to　the　universe　of　things　and　to　the　separate　beings　in　it　may　be　thus　conceived：　　　　　That　great　soul　must　stand　pictured　before　another　soul；　one　not　mean；　a　soul　that　has　become　worthy　to　look；　emancipate　from　the　lure；　from　all　that　binds　its　fellows　in　bewitchment；　holding　itself　in　quietude。　Let　not　merely　the　enveloping　body　be　at　peace；　body's　turmoil　stilled；　but　all　that　lies　around；　earth　at　peace；　and　sea　at　peace；　and　air　and　the　very　heavens。　Into　that　heaven；　all　at　rest；　let　the　great　soul　be　conceived　to　roll　inward　at　every　point；　penetrating；　permeating；　from　all　sides　pouring　in　its　light。　As　the　rays　of　the　sun　throwing　their　brilliance　upon　a　lowering　cloud　make　it　gleam　all　gold；　so　the　soul　entering　the　material　expanse　of　the　heavens　has　given　life；　has　given　immortality：　what　was　abject　it　has　lifted　up；　and　the　heavenly　system；　moved　now　in　endless　motion　by　the　soul　that　leads　it　in　wisdom；　has　become　a　living　and　a　blessed　thing；　the　soul　domiciled　within；　it　takes　worth　where；　before　the　soul；　it　was　stark　body…　clay　and　water…　or；　rather；　the　blankness　of　Matter；　the　absence　of　Being；　and；　as　an　author　says；　〃the　execration　of　the　Gods。〃　　　　　The　Soul's　nature　and　power　will　be　brought　out　more　clearly；　more　brilliantly；　if　we　consider　next　how　it　envelops　the　heavenly　system　and　guides　all　to　its　purposes：　for　it　has　bestowed　itself　upon　all　that　huge　expanse　so　that　every　interval；　small　and　great　alike；　all　has　been　ensouled。　　　　　The　material　body　is　made　up　of　parts；　each　holding　its　own　place；　some　in　mutual　opposition　and　others　variously　interdependent；　the　soul　is　in　no　such　condition；　it　is　not　whittled　down　so　that　life　tells　of　a　part　of　the　soul　and　springs　where　some　such　separate　portion　impinges；　each　separate　life　lives　by　the　soul　entire；　omnipresent　in　the　likeness　of　the　engendering　father；　entire　in　unity　and　entire　in　diffus