the six enneads-第177章
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e； but this objection is merely verbal and will disappear if our meaning is grasped； we mention it for another purpose； it goes to enforce our real assertion that the Authentic All； at once primal and veritable； needs no place and is in no way contained。 The All； as being an integral； cannot fall short of itself； it must ever have fulfilled its own totality； ever reached to its own equivalence； as far as the sum of entities extends； there this is； for this is the All。 Inevitably； also； anything other than this All that may be stationed therein must have part in the All； merge into it； and hold by its strength； it is not that the thing detaches a portion of the All but that within itself it finds the All which has entered into it while still unbrokenly self…abiding； since Being cannot lodge in non…Being； but； if anything； non…Being within Being。 Being； then； is present to all Being； an identity cannot tear itself asunder； the omnipresence asserted of it must be presence within the realm of Being； that is； it must be a self…presence。 And it is in no way strange that the omnipresence should be at once self…abiding and universal； this is merely saying omnipresence within a unity。 It is our way to limit Being to the sense…known and therefore to think of omnipresence in terms of the concrete； in our overestimate of the sensible； we question how that other Nature can reach over such vastness； but our great is small； and this； small to us； is great； it reaches integrally to every point of our universe… or； better； our universe； moving from every side and in all its members towards this； meets it everywhere as the omnipresent All ever stretching beyond。 The universe in all its reach can attain nothing further… that would mean overpassing the total of Being… and therefore is content to circle about it； not able to encompass or even to fill the All； it is content to accept place and subordination； for thus it preserves itself in neighbouring the higher present to it… present and yet absent； self…holding； whatever may seek its presence。 Wherever the body of the universe may touch； there it finds this All； it strives for no further advance； willing to revolve in that one circle； since to it that is the All and in that movement its every part embraces the All。 If that higher were itself in place there would be the need of seeking that precise place by a certain right path； part of seeker must touch part of sought； and there would be far and near。 But since there is no far and near there must be； if presence at all； presence entire。 And presence there indubitably is； this highest is present to every being of those that； free of far and near； are of power to receive。 3。 But are we to think of this Authentic Being as； itself； present； or does it remain detached； omnipresent in the sense only that powers from it enter everywhere？ Under the theory of presence by powers； souls are described as rays； the source remains self…locked and these are flung forth to impinge upon particular living things。 Now； in beings whose unity does not reproduce the entire nature of that principle； any presence is presence of an emanant power： even this； however； does not mean that the principle is less than integrally present； it is not sundered from the power which it has uttered； all is offered； but the recipient is able to take only so much。 But in Beings in which the plenitude of these powers is manifested； there clearly the Authentic itself is present； though still as remaining distinct； it is distinct in that； becoming the informing principle of some definite thing； it would abdicate from its standing as the total and from its uttermost self…abiding and would belong； in some mode of accident； to another thing as well。 Still it is not the property of what may seek to join with it； it chooses where it will and enters as the participant's power may allow； but it does not become a chattel； it remains the quested and so in another sense never passes over。 There is nothing disquieting in omnipresence after this mode where there is no appropriation： in the same accidental way； we may reasonably put it； soul concurs with body； but it is soul self…holding； not inbound with Matter； free even of the body which it has illuminated through and through。 Nor does the placelessness of Being make it surprising that it be present universally to things of place； on the contrary； the wonder would be… the more than wonder； the impossibility… if from a place of its own it were present to other things in their place； or if having place it were present at all… and； especially present； as we assert； integrally。 But set it outside of place； and reason tells us that it will be present entire where it is present at all and that； present to the total； it must be present in the same completeness to every several unity； otherwise something of it is here and something there； and at once it is fragmentary； it is body。 How can we so dispart Being？ We cannot break Life into parts； if the total was Life； the fragment is not。 But we do not thus sunder Intelligence； one intelligence in this man； another in that？ No； such a fragment would not be Intelligence。 But the Being of the individual？ Once more； if the total thing is Being； then a fragment could not be。 Are we told that in a body； a total of parts； every member is also a body？ But here we are dividing not body but a particular quantity of body； each of those divisions being described as body in virtue of possessing the Form or Idea that constitutes body； and this Idea has no magnitude； is incapable of magnitude。 4。 But how explain beings by the side of Being； and the variety of intelligences and of souls； when Being has the unity of omnipresent identity and not merely that of a species； and when intellect and soul are likewise numerically one？ We certainly distinguish between the soul of the All and the particular souls。 This seems to conflict with our view which； moreover； for all its logical necessity； scarcely carries conviction against our mental reluctance to the notion of unity identically omnipresent。 It would appear more plausible to suppose a partition of the All…the original remaining undiminished… or； in a more legitimate phrase； an engendering from the All。 Thus the Authentic would be left self…gathered； while what we think of as the parts… the separate souls… would come into being to produce the multiple total of the universe。 But if the Authentic Being is to be kept unattached in order to remove the difficulty of integral omnipresence； the same considerations must apply equally to the souls； we would have to admit that they cannot be integrally omnipresent in the bodies they are described as occupying； either； soul must be distributed； part to body's part； or it is lodged entire at some one point in the body giving forth some of its powers to the other points； and these very powers； again； present the same difficulty。 A further objection is that some one spot in the body will hold the soul； the others no more than a power from it。 Still； how account for the many souls； many intelligences； the beings by the side of the Being？ No doubt the beings proceed from the Priors in the mode only of numerical distinction and not as concrete masses； but the difficulty remains as to how they come to constitute the plenitude of the material universe。 This explanation by progression does not clear the problem。 We are agreed that diversity within the Authentic depends not upon spatial separation but sheerly upon differentiation； all Being； despite this plurality； is a unity still； 〃Being neighbours Being〃； all holds together； and thus the Intellectual…Principle ＇which is Being and the Beings＇ remains an integral； multiple by differentiation； not by spatial distinction。 Soul too？ Souls too。 That principle distributed over material masses we hold to be in its own nature incapable of distribution； the magnitude belongs to the masses； when this soul…principle enters into them… or rather they into it… it is thought of as distributable only because； within the discrimination of the corporeal； the animating force is to be recognised at any and every point。 For soul is not a
