the six enneads-第183章

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ne　considering　the　mode　in　which　Matter　participates　in　the　Ideas　will　be　ready　enough　to　accept　this　tenet　of　omnipresence　in　identity；　no　longer　rejecting　it　as　incredible　or　even　difficult。　This　because　it　seems　reasonable　and　imperative　to　dismiss　any　notion　of　the　Ideas　lying　apart　with　Matter　illumined　from　them　as　from　somewhere　above…　a　meaningless　conception；　for　what　have　distance　and　separation　to　do　here？　　　　　This　participation　cannot　be　thought　of　as　elusive　or　very　perplexing；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　obvious；　accessible　in　many　examples。　　　　　Note；　however；　that　when　we　sometimes　speak　of　the　Ideas　illuminating　Matter　this　is　not　to　suggest　the　mode　in　which　material　light　pours　down　on　a　material　object；　we　use　the　phrase　in　the　sense　only　that；　the　material　being　image　while　the　Ideas　are　archetypes；　the　two　orders　are　distinguished　somewhat　in　the　manner　of　illuminant　and　illuminated。　But　it　is　time　to　be　more　exact。　　　　　We　do　not　mean　that　the　Idea；　locally　separate；　shows　itself　in　Matter　like　a　reflection　in　water；　the　Matter　touches　the　Idea　at　every　point；　though　not　in　a　physical　contact；　and；　by　dint　of　neighbourhood…　nothing　to　keep　them　apart…　is　able　to　absorb　thence　all　that　lies　within　its　capacity；　the　Idea　itself　not　penetrating；　not　approaching；　the　Matter；　but　remaining　self…locked。　　　　　We　take　it；　then；　that　the　Idea；　say　of　Fire…　for　we　had　best　deal　with　Matter　as　underlying　the　elements…　is　not　in　the　Matter。　The　Ideal　Fire；　then；　remaining　apart；　produces　the　form　of　fire　throughout　the　entire　enfired　mass。　Now　let　us　suppose…　and　the　same　method　will　apply　to　all　the　so…called　elements…　that　this　Fire　in　its　first　material　manifestation　is　a　multiple　mass。　That　single　Fire　is　seen　producing　an　image　of　itself　in　all　the　sensible　fires；　yet　it　is　not　spatially　separate；　it　does　not；　then；　produce　that　image　in　the　manner　of　our　visible　light；　for　in　that　case　all　this　sensible　fire；　supposing　that　it　were　a　whole　of　parts　＇as　the　analogy　would　necessitate＇；　must　have　generated　spatial　positions　out　of　itself；　since　the　Idea　or　Form　remains　in　a　non…spatial　world；　for　a　principle　thus　pluralized　must　first　have　departed　from　its　own　character　in　order　to　be　present　in　that　many　and　participate　many　times　in　the　one　same　Form。　　　　　The　Idea；　impartible；　gives　nothing　of　itself　to　the　Matter；　its　unbreaking　unity；　however；　does　not　prevent　it　shaping　that　multiple　by　its　own　unity　and　being　present　to　the　entirety　of　the　multiple；　bringing　it　to　pattern　not　by　acting　part　upon　part　but　by　presence　entire　to　the　object　entire。　It　would　be　absurd　to　introduce　a　multitude　of　Ideas　of　Fire；　each　several　fire　being　shaped　by　a　particular　idea；　the　Ideas　of　fire　would　be　infinite。　Besides；　how　would　these　resultant　fires　be　distinct；　when　fire　is　a　continuous　unity？　and　if　we　apply　yet　another　fire　to　certain　matter　and　produce　a　greater　fire；　then　the　same　Idea　must　be　allowed　to　have　functioned　in　the　same　way　in　the　new　matter　as　in　the　old；　obviously　there　is　no　other　Idea。　　　　　9。　The　elements　in　their　totality；　as　they　stand　produced；　may　be　thought　of　as　one　spheric　figure；　this　cannot　be　the　piecemeal　product　of　many　makers　each　working　from　some　one　point　on　some　one　portion。　There　must　be　one　cause；　and　this　must　operate　as　an　entire；　not　by　part　executing　part；　otherwise　we　are　brought　back　to　a　plurality　of　makers。　The　making　must　be　referred　to　a　partless　unity；　or；　more　precisely；　the　making　principle　must　be　a　partless　unity　not　permeating　the　sphere　but　holding　it　as　one　dependent　thing。　In　this　way　the　sphere　is　enveloped　by　one　identical　life　in　which　it　is　inset；　its　entire　content　looks　to　the　one　life：　thus　all　the　souls　are　one；　a　one；　however；　which　yet　is　infinite。　　　　　It　is　in　this　understanding　that　the　soul　has　been　taken　to　be　a　numerical　principle；　while　others　think　of　it　as　in　its　nature　a　self…increasing　number；　this　latter　notion　is　probably　designed　to　meet　the　consideration　that　the　soul　at　no　point　fails　but；　retaining　its　distinctive　character；　is　ample　for　all；　so　much　so　that　were　the　kosmos　vaster　yet　the　virtue　of　soul　would　still　compass　it…　or　rather　the　kosmos　still　be　sunk　in　soul　entire。　　　　　Of　course；　we　must　understand　this　adding　of　extension　not　as　a　literal　increase　but　in　the　sense　that　the　soul；　essentially　a　unity；　becomes　adequate　to　omnipresence；　its　unity　sets　it　outside　of　quantitative　measurement；　the　characteristic　of　that　other　order　which　has　but　a　counterfeit　unity；　an　appearance　by　participation。　　　　　The　essential　unity　is　no　aggregate　to　be　annulled　upon　the　loss　of　some　one　of　the　constituents；　nor　is　it　held　within　any　allotted　limits；　for　so　it　would　be　the　less　for　a　set　of　things；　more　extensive　than　itself；　outside　its　scope；　or　it　must　wrench　itself　asunder　in　the　effort　to　reach　to　all；　besides；　its　presence　to　things　would　be　no　longer　as　whole　to　all　but　by　part　to　part；　in　vulgar　phrase；　it　does　not　know　where　it　stands；　dismembered；　it　no　longer　performs　any　one　single　function。　　　　　Now　if　this　principle　is　to　be　a　true　unity…　where　the　unity　is　of　the　essence…　it　must　in　some　way　be　able　to　manifest　itself　as　including　the　contrary　nature；　that　of　potential　multiplicity；　while　by　the　fact　that　this　multiplicity　belongs　to　it　not　as　from　without　but　as　from　and　by　itself；　it　remains　authentically　one；　possessing　boundlessness　and　multiplicity　within　that　unity；　its　nature　must　be　such　that　it　can　appear　as　a　whole　at　every　point；　this；　as　encircled　by　a　single　self…embracing　Reason…Principle；　which　holds　fast　about　that　unity；　never　breaking　with　itself　but　over　all　the　universe　remaining　what　it　must　be。　　　　　The　unity　is　in　this　way　saved　from　the　local　division　of　the　things　in　which　it　appears；　and；　of　course；　existing　before　all　that　is　in　place；　it　could　never　be　founded　upon　anything　belonging　to　that　order　of　which；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　the　foundation；　yet；　for　all　that　they　are　based　upon　it；　it　does　not　cease　to　be　wholly　self…gathered；　if　its　fixed　seat　were　shaken；　all　the　rest　would　fall　with　the　fall　of　their　foundation　and　stay；　nor　could　it　be　so　unintelligent　as　to　tear　itself　apart　by　such　a　movement　and；　secure　within　its　own　being；　trust　itself　to　the　insecurity　of　place　which；　precisely；　looks　to　it　for　safety。　　　　　10。　It　remains；　then；　poised　in　wisdom　within　itself；　it　could　not　enter　into　any　other；　those　others　look　to　it　and　in　their　longing　find　it　where　it　is。　This　is　that　〃Love　Waiting　at　the　Door；〃　ever　coming　up　from　without；　striving　towards　the　beautiful；　happy　when　to　the　utmost　of　its　power　it　attains。　Even　here　the　lover　does　not　so　much　possess　himself　of　the　beauty　he　has　loved　as　wait　before　it；　that　Beauty　is　abidingly　self…enfolded　but　its　lovers；　the　Many；　loving　it　as　an　entire；　possess　it　as　an　entire　when　they　attain；　for　it　was　an　entire　that　they　loved。　This　seclusion　does　not　prevent　its　sufficing　to　all；　but　is　the　very　reason　for　its　adequacy；　because　it　is　thus　entire　for　all　it　can　be　The　Good　to　all。　　　　　Similarly　wisdom　is　entire　to　all；　it　is　one　thing；　it　is　not　distributed　parcelwise；　it　cannot　be　fixed　to　place；　it　is　not　spread　about　like　a　colouring；　for　it　is　not　corporeal；　in　any　true　participation　in　wisdom　there　must　be　one　thing　acting　as　unit　upon　unit。　So　must　it　be　in　our　participation　in　the　One；　we　shall　not　take　our　several　portions　of　it；　nor　you　some　separate　entire　and　I　another。　Think　of　what　happens　in　Assemblies　and　all　kinds　of　meetings；　the　road　to　sense　is　the　road　to　unity；　singly　the　members　are　far　from　wise；　as　they　begin　to　grow　together；　each；　in　that　true　growth；　generates　wisdom　while　he　recognizes　it。　There　is　nothing　to　prevent　our　intelligences　meeting　at　one　centre　from　their　several　positions；　all　one；　they　seem　apart　to　us　as　when　without　looking　we　touch　one　object　or　sound　one　string　with　different　fingers　and　think　we　feel　several。　Or　take　our　souls　in　their　possession　of　good；　it　is　not　one　good　for　me　and　another　for　you；　it　is　the　same　for　both　and　not　in　the　sense　merely　of　distinct　products　of　an　identical　source；　the　good　somewhere　above　with　something　streaming　from　it　into　us；　in　any　real　receiving　of　good；　giver　is　in　contact　wit