the six enneads-第41章

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　have　penetrated　the　Intellectual　Nature；　while　Plato　and　all　those　other　illustrious　teachers　have　failed。　　　　　They　hope　to　get　the　credit　of　minute　and　exact　identification　by　setting　up　a　plurality　of　intellectual　Essences；　but　in　reality　this　multiplication　lowers　the　Intellectual　Nature　to　the　level　of　the　Sense…Kind：　their　true　course　is　to　seek　to　reduce　number　to　the　least　possible　in　the　Supreme；　simply　referring　all　things　to　the　Second　Hypostasis…　which　is　all　that　exists　as　it　is　Primal　Intellect　and　Reality　and　is　the　only　thing　that　is　good　except　only　for　the　first　Nature…　and　to　recognize　Soul　as　the　third　Principle；　accounting　for　the　difference　among　souls　merely　by　diversity　of　experience　and　character。　Instead　of　insulting　those　venerable　teachers　they　should　receive　their　doctrine　with　the　respect　due　to　the　older　thought　and　honour　all　that　noble　system…　an　immortal　soul；　an　Intellectual　and　Intelligible　Realm；　the　Supreme　God；　the　Soul's　need　of　emancipation　from　all　intercourse　with　the　body；　the　fact　of　separation　from　it；　the　escape　from　the　world　of　process　to　the　world　of　essential…being。　These　doctrines；　all　emphatically　asserted　by　Plato；　they　do　well　to　adopt：　where　they　differ；　they　are　at　full　liberty　to　speak　their　minds；　but　not　to　procure　assent　for　their　own　theories　by　flaying　and　flouting　the　Greeks：　where　they　have　a　divergent　theory　to　maintain　they　must　establish　it　by　its　own　merits；　declaring　their　own　opinions　with　courtesy　and　with　philosophical　method　and　stating　the　controverted　opinion　fairly；　they　must　point　their　minds　towards　the　truth　and　not　hunt　fame　by　insult；　reviling　and　seeking　in　their　own　persons　to　replace　men　honoured　by　the　fine　intelligences　of　ages　past。　　　　　As　a　matter　of　fact　the　ancient　doctrine　of　the　Divine　Essences　was　far　the　sounder　and　more　instructed；　and　must　be　accepted　by　all　not　caught　in　the　delusions　that　beset　humanity：　it　is　easy　also　to　identify　what　has　been　conveyed　in　these　later　times　from　the　ancients　with　incongruous　novelties…　how　for　example；　where　they　must　set　up　a　contradictory　doctrine；　they　introduce　a　medley　of　generation　and　destruction；　how　they　cavil　at　the　Universe；　how　they　make　the　Soul　blameable　for　the　association　with　body；　how　they　revile　the　Administrator　of　this　All；　how　they　ascribe　to　the　Creator；　identified　with　the　Soul；　the　character　and　experiences　appropriate　to　partial　be　beings。　　　　　7。　That　this　world　has　neither　beginning　nor　end　but　exists　for　ever　as　long　as　the　Supreme　stands　is　certainly　no　novel　teaching。　And　before　this　school　rose　it　had　been　urged　that　commerce　with　the　body　is　no　gain　to　a　Soul。　　　　　But　to　treat　the　human　Soul　as　a　fair　presentment　of　the　Soul　of　the　Universe　is　like　picking　out　potters　and　blacksmiths　and　making　them　warrant　for　discrediting　an　entire　well…ordered　city。　　　　　We　must　recognize　how　different　is　the　governance　exercised　by　the　All…Soul；　the　relation　is　not　the　same：　it　is　not　in　fetters。　Among　the　very　great　number　of　differences　it　should　not　have　been　overlooked　that　the　We　＇the　human　Soul＇　lies　under　fetter；　and　this　in　a　second　limitation；　for　the　Body…Kind；　already　fettered　within　the　All…Soul；　imprisons　all　that　it　grasps。　　　　　But　the　Soul　of　the　Universe　cannot　be　in　bond　to　what　itself　has　bound：　it　is　sovereign　and　therefore　immune　of　the　lower　things；　over　which　we　on　the　contrary　are　not　masters。　That　in　it　which　is　directed　to　the　Divine　and　Transcendent　is　ever　unmingled；　knows　no　encumbering；　that　in　it　which　imparts　life　to　the　body　admits　nothing　bodily　to　itself。　It　is　the　general　fact　that　an　inset　＇as　the　Body＇；　necessarily　shares　the　conditions　of　its　containing　principle　＇as　the　Soul＇；　and　does　not　communicate　its　own　conditions　where　that　principle　has　an　independent　life：　thus　a　graft　will　die　if　the　stock　dies；　but　the　stock　will　live　on　by　its　proper　life　though　the　graft　wither。　The　fire　within　your　own　self　may　be　quenched；　but　the　thing；　fire；　will　exist　still；　and　if　fire　itself　were　annihilated　that　would　make　no　difference　to　the　Soul；　the　Soul　in　the　Supreme；　but　only　to　the　plan　of　the　material　world；　and　if　the　other　elements　sufficed　to　maintain　a　Kosmos；　the　Soul　in　the　Supreme　would　be　unconcerned。　　　　　The　constitution　of　the　All　is　very　different　from　that　of　the　single；　separate　forms　of　life：　there；　the　established　rule　commanding　to　permanence　is　sovereign；　here　things　are　like　deserters　kept　to　their　own　place　and　duty　by　a　double　bond；　there　is　no　outlet　from　the　All；　and　therefore　no　need　of　restraining　or　of　driving　errants　back　to　bounds：　all　remains　where　from　the　beginning　the　Soul's　nature　appointed。　　　　　The　natural　movement　within　the　plan　will　be　injurious　to　anything　whose　natural　tendency　it　opposes：　one　group　will　sweep　bravely　onward　with　the　great　total　to　which　it　is　adapted；　the　others；　not　able　to　comply　with　the　larger　order；　are　destroyed。　A　great　choral　is　moving　to　its　concerted　plan；　midway　in　the　march；　a　tortoise　is　intercepted；　unable　to　get　away　from　the　choral　line　it　is　trampled　under　foot；　but　if　it　could　only　range　itself　within　the　greater　movement　it　too　would　suffer　nothing。　　　　　8。　To　ask　why　the　Soul　has　created　the　Kosmos；　is　to　ask　why　there　is　a　Soul　and　why　a　Creator　creates。　The　question；　also；　implies　a　beginning　in　the　eternal　and；　further；　represents　creation　as　the　act　of　a　changeful　Being　who　turns　from　this　to　that。　　　　　Those　that　so　think　must　be　instructed…　if　they　would　but　bear　with　correction…　in　the　nature　of　the　Supernals；　and　brought　to　desist　from　that　blasphemy　of　majestic　powers　which　comes　so　easily　to　them；　where　all　should　be　reverent　scruple。　　　　　Even　in　the　administration　of　the　Universe　there　is　no　ground　for　such　attack；　for　it　affords　manifest　proof　of　the　greatness　of　the　Intellectual　Kind。　　　　　This　All　that　has　emerged　into　life　is　no　amorphous　structure…　like　those　lesser　forms　within　it　which　are　born　night　and　day　out　of　the　lavishness　of　its　vitality…　the　Universe　is　a　life　organized；　effective；　complex；　all…comprehensive；　displaying　an　unfathomable　wisdom。　How；　then；　can　anyone　deny　that　it　is　a　clear　image；　beautifully　formed；　of　the　Intellectual　Divinities？　No　doubt　it　is　copy；　not　original；　but　that　is　its　very　nature；　it　cannot　be　at　once　symbol　and　reality。　But　to　say　that　it　is　an　inadequate　copy　is　false；　nothing　has　been　left　out　which　a　beautiful　representation　within　the　physical　order　could　include。　　　　　Such　a　reproduction　there　must　necessarily　be…　though　not　by　deliberation　and　contrivance…　for　the　Intellectual　could　not　be　the　last　of　things；　but　must　have　a　double　Act；　one　within　itself　and　one　outgoing；　there　must；　then；　be　something　later　than　the　Divine；　for　only　the　thing　with　which　all　power　ends　fails　to　pass　downwards　something　of　itself。　In　the　Supreme　there　flourishes　a　marvellous　vigour；　and　therefore　it　produces。　　　　　Since　there　is　no　Universe　nobler　than　this；　is　it　not　clear　what　this　must　be？　A　representation　carrying　down　the　features　of　the　Intellectual　Realm　is　necessary；　there　is　no　other　Kosmos　than　this；　therefore　this　is　such　a　representation。　　　　　This　earth　of　ours　is　full　of　varied　life…forms　and　of　immortal　beings；　to　the　very　heavens　it　is　crowded。　And　the　stars；　those　of　the　upper　and　the　under　spheres；　moving　in　their　ordered　path；　fellow…travellers　with　the　universe；　how　can　they　be　less　than　gods？　Surely　they　must　be　morally　good：　what　could　prevent　them？　All　that　occasions　vice　here　below　is　unknown　there　evil　of　body；　perturbed　and　perturbing。　　　　　Knowledge；　too；　in　their　unbroken　peace；　what　hinders　them　from　the　intellectual　grasp　of　the　God…Head　and　the　Intellectual　Gods？　What　can　be　imagined　to　give　us　a　wisdom　higher　than　belongs　to　the　Supernals？　Could　anyone；　not　fallen　to　utter　folly；　bear　with　such　an　idea？　　　　　Admitting　that　human　Souls　have　descended　under　constraint　of　the　All…Soul；　are　we　to　think　the　constrained　the　nobler？　Among　Souls；　what　commands　must　be　higher　than　what　obeys。　And　if　the　coming　was　unconstrained；　why　find　fault　with　a　world　you　have　chosen　and　can　quit　if　you　dislike　it？　　　　　And　further；　if　the　order　of　this　Universe　is　such　that　we　are　able；　within　it；　to　practise　wisdom　and　to　live　o