the six enneads-第125章
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ay Number ＇as the determinant of individual being＇ and the Reason…Principle ＇of the product to be＇。 Thus by what we call the Number and the Dyad of that higher realm； we mean Reason Principles and the Intellectual…Principle： but while the Dyad is； as regards that sphere； undetermined… representing； as it were； the underly ＇or Matter＇ of The One… the later Number ＇or Quantity＇… that which rises from the Dyad ＇Intellectual…Principle＇ and The One… is not Matter to the later existents but is their forming…Idea； for all of them take shape； so to speak； from the ideas rising within this。 The determination of the Dyad is brought about partly from its object… The One… and partly from itself； as is the case with all vision in the act of sight： intellection ＇the Act of the Dyad＇ is vision occupied upon The One。 6。 But how and what does the Intellectual…Principle see and； especially； how has it sprung from that which is to become the object of its vision？ The mind demands the existence of these Beings； but it is still in trouble over the problem endlessly debated by the most ancient philosophers： from such a unity as we have declared The One to be； how does anything at all come into substantial existence； any multiplicity； dyad； or number？ Why has the Primal not remained self…gathered so that there be none of this profusion of the manifold which we observe in existence and yet are compelled to trace to that absolute unity？ In venturing an answer； we first invoke God Himself； not in loud word but in that way of prayer which is always within our power； leaning in soul towards Him by aspiration； alone towards the alone。 But if we seek the vision of that great Being within the Inner Sanctuary… self…gathered； tranquilly remote above all else… we begin by considering the images stationed at the outer precincts； or； more exactly to the moment； the first image that appears。 How the Divine Mind comes into being must be explained： Everything moving has necessarily an object towards which it advances； but since the Supreme can have no such object； we may not ascribe motion to it： anything that comes into being after it can be produced only as a consequence of its unfailing self…intention； and； of course； we dare not talk of generation in time； dealing as we are with eternal Beings： where we speak of origin in such reference； it is in the sense； merely； of cause and subordination： origin from the Supreme must not be taken to imply any movement in it： that would make the Being resulting from the movement not a second principle but a third： the Movement would be the second hypostasis。 Given this immobility in the Supreme； it can neither have yielded assent nor uttered decree nor stirred in any way towards the existence of a secondary。 What happened then？ What are we to conceive as rising in the neighbourhood of that immobility？ It must be a circumradiation… produced from the Supreme but from the Supreme unaltering… and may be compared to the brilliant light encircling the sun and ceaselessly generated from that unchanging substance。 All existences； as long as they retain their character； produce… about themselves； from their essence； in virtue of the power which must be in them… some necessary； outward…facing hypostasis continuously attached to them and representing in image the engendering archetypes： thus fire gives out its heat； snow is cold not merely to itself； fragrant substances are a notable instance； for； as long as they last； something is diffused from them and perceived wherever they are present。 Again； all that is fully achieved engenders： therefore the eternally achieved engenders eternally an eternal being。 At the same time； the offspring is always minor： what then are we to think of the All…Perfect but that it can produce nothing less than the very greatest that is later than itself。 The greatest； later than the divine unity； must be the Divine Mind； and it must be the second of all existence； for it is that which sees The One on which alone it leans while the First has no need whatever of it。 The offspring of the prior to Divine Mind can be no other than that Mind itself and thus is the loftiest being in the universe； all else following upon it… the soul； for example； being an utterance and act of the Intellectual…Principle as that is an utterance and act of The One。 But in soul the utterance is obscured； for soul is an image and must look to its own original： that Principle； on the contrary； looks to the First without mediation… thus becoming what it is… and has that vision not as from a distance but as the immediate next with nothing intervening； close to the One as Soul to it。 The offspring must seek and love the begetter； and especially so when begetter and begotten are alone in their sphere； when； in addition； the begetter is the highest good； the offspring ＇inevitably seeking its Good＇ is attached by a bond of sheer necessity； separated only in being distinct。 7。 We must be more explicit： The Intellectual…Principle stands as the image of The One； firstly because there is a certain necessity that the first should have its offspring； carrying onward much of its quality； in other words that there be something in its likeness as the sun's rays tell of the sun。 Yet The One is not an Intellectual…Principle； how then does it engender an Intellectual…Principle？ Simply by the fact that in its self…quest it has vision： this very seeing is the Intellectual…Principle。 Any perception of the external indicates either sensation or intellection； sensation symbolized by a line； intellection by a circle。。。 ＇corrupt passage＇。 Of course the divisibility belonging to the circle does not apply to the Intellectual…Principle； all； there too； is a unity； though a unity which is the potentiality of all existence。 The items of this potentiality the divine intellection brings out； so to speak； from the unity and knows them in detail； as it must if it is to be an intellectual principle。 It has besides a consciousness； as it were； within itself of this same potentiality； it knows that it can of itself beget an hypostasis and can determine its own Being by the virtue emanating from its prior； it knows that its nature is in some sense a definite part of the content of that First； that it thence derives its essence； that its strength lies there and that its Being takes perfection as a derivative and a recipient from the First。 It sees that； as a member of the realm of division and part； it receives life and intellection and all else it has and is； from the undivided and partless； since that First is no member of existence； but can be the source of all on condition only of being held down by no one distinctive shape but remaining the undeflected unity。 ＇（CORRUPT）… Thus it would be the entire universe but that。。。＇ And so the First is not a thing among the things contained by the Intellectual…Principle though the source of all。 In virtue of this source； things of the later order are essential beings； for from that fact there is determination； each has its form： what has being cannot be envisaged as outside of limit； the nature must be held fast by boundary and fixity； though to the Intellectual Beings this fixity is no more than determination and form； the foundations of their substantial existence。 A being of this quality； like the Intellectual…Principle； must be felt to be worthy of the all…pure： it could not derive from any other than from the first principle of all； as it comes into existence； all other beings must be simultaneously engendered… all the beauty of the Ideas； all the Gods of the Intellectual realm。 And it still remains pregnant with this offspring； for it has； so to speak； drawn all within itself again； holding them lest they fall away towards Matter to be 〃brought up in the House of Rhea〃 ＇in the realm of flux＇。 This is the meaning hidden in the Mysteries； and in the Myths of the gods： Kronos； as the wisest； exists before Zeus； he must absorb his offspring that； full within himself； he may be also an Intellectual…Principle manifest in some product of his plenty； afterwards； the myth proceeds； Kronos engenders Zeus； who already exists as the ＇necessary and eternal＇ outcome of
