the six enneads-第49章

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ime　a　Kosmos　previously　non…existent　came　into　being　would　imply　a　foreseeing　and　a　reasoned　plan　on　the　part　of　God　providing　for　the　production　of　the　Universe　and　securing　all　possible　perfection　in　it…　a　guidance　and　partial　providence；　therefore；　such　as　is　indicated。　But　since　we　hold　the　eternal　existence　of　the　Universe；　the　utter　absence　of　a　beginning　to　it；　we　are　forced；　in　sound　and　sequent　reasoning；　to　explain　the　providence　ruling　in　the　Universe　as　a　universal　consonance　with　the　divine　Intelligence　to　which　the　Kosmos　is　subsequent　not　in　time　but　in　the　fact　of　derivation；　in　the　fact　that　the　Divine　Intelligence；　preceding　it　in　Kind；　is　its　cause　as　being　the　Archetype　and　Model　which　it　merely　images；　the　primal　by　which；　from　all　eternity；　it　has　its　existence　and　subsistence。　　　　　The　relationship　may　be　presented　thus：　　　　　The　authentic　and　primal　Kosmos　is　the　Being　of　the　Intellectual　Principle　and　of　the　Veritable　Existent。　This　contains　within　itself　no　spatial　distinction；　and　has　none　of　the　feebleness　of　division；　and　even　its　parts　bring　no　incompleteness　to　it　since　here　the　individual　is　not　severed　from　the　entire。　In　this　Nature　inheres　all　life　and　all　intellect；　a　life　living　and　having　intellection　as　one　act　within　a　unity：　every　part　that　it　gives　forth　is　a　whole；　all　its　content　is　its　very　own；　for　there　is　here　no　separation　of　thing　from　thing；　no　part　standing　in　isolated　existence　estranged　from　the　rest；　and　therefore　nowhere　is　there　any　wronging　of　any　other；　any　opposition。　Everywhere　one　and　complete；　it　is　at　rest　throughout　and　shows　difference　at　no　point；　it　does　not　make　over　any　of　its　content　into　any　new　form；　there　can　be　no　reason　for　changing　what　is　everywhere　perfect。　　　　　Why　should　Reason　elaborate　yet　another　Reason；　or　Intelligence　another　Intelligence？　An　indwelling　power　of　making　things　is　in　the　character　of　a　being　not　at　all　points　as　it　should　be　but　making；　moving；　by　reason　of　some　failure　in　quality。　Those　whose　nature　is　all　blessedness　have　no　more　to　do　than　to　repose　in　themselves　and　be　their　being。　　　　　A　widespread　activity　is　dangerous　to　those　who　must　go　out　from　themselves　to　act。　But　such　is　the　blessedness　of　this　Being　that　in　its　very　non…action　it　magnificently　operates　and　in　its　self…dwelling　it　produces　mightily。　　　　　2。　By　derivation　from　that　Authentic　Kosmos；　one　within　itself；　there　subsists　this　lower　kosmos；　no　longer　a　true　unity。　　　　　It　is　multiple；　divided　into　various　elements；　thing　standing　apart　from　thing　in　a　new　estrangement。　No　longer　is　there　concord　unbroken；　hostility；　too；　has　entered　as　the　result　of　difference　and　distance；　imperfection　has　inevitably　introduced　discord；　for　a　part　is　not　self…sufficient；　it　must　pursue　something　outside　itself　for　its　fulfillment；　and　so　it　becomes　the　enemy　to　what　it　needs。　　　　　This　Kosmos　of　parts　has　come　into　being　not　as　the　result　of　a　judgement　establishing　its　desirability；　but　by　the　sheer　necessity　of　a　secondary　Kind。　　　　　The　Intellectual　Realm　was　not　of　a　nature　to　be　the　ultimate　of　existents。　It　was　the　First　and　it　held　great　power；　all　there　is　of　power；　this　means　that　it　is　productive　without　seeking　to　produce；　for　if　effort　and　search　were　incumbent　upon　it；　the　Act　would　not　be　its　own；　would　not　spring　from　its　essential　nature；　it　would　be；　like　a　craftsman；　producing　by　a　power　not　inherent　but　acquired；　mastered　by　dint　of　study。　　　　　The　Intellectual　Principle；　then；　in　its　unperturbed　serenity　has　brought　the　universe　into　being；　by　communicating　from　its　own　store　to　Matter：　and　this　gift　is　the　Reason…Form　flowing　from　it。　For　the　Emanation　of　the　Intellectual　Principle　is　Reason；　an　emanation　unfailing　as　long　as　the　Intellectual　Principle　continues　to　have　place　among　beings。　　　　　The　Reason…Principle　within　a　seed　contains　all　the　parts　and　qualities　concentrated　in　identity；　there　is　no　distinction；　no　jarring；　no　internal　hindering；　then　there　comes　a　pushing　out　into　bulk；　part　rises　in　distinction　with　part；　and　at　once　the　members　of　the　organism　stand　in　each　other's　way　and　begin　to　wear　each　other　down。　　　　　So　from　this；　the　One　Intellectual　Principle；　and　the　Reason…Form　emanating　from　it；　our　Universe　rises　and　develops　part；　and　inevitably　are　formed　groups　concordant　and　helpful　in　contrast　with　groups　discordant　and　combative；　sometimes　of　choice　and　sometimes　incidentally；　the　parts　maltreat　each　other；　engendering　proceeds　by　destruction。　　　　　Yet：　Amid　all　that　they　effect　and　accept；　the　divine　Realm　imposes　the　one　harmonious　act；　each　utters　its　own　voice；　but　all　is　brought　into　accord；　into　an　ordered　system；　for　the　universal　purpose；　by　the　ruling　Reason…Principle。　This　Universe　is　not　Intelligence　and　Reason；　like　the　Supernal；　but　participant　in　Intelligence　and　Reason：　it　stands　in　need　of　the　harmonizing　because　it　is　the　meeting　ground　of　Necessity　and　divine　Reason…Necessity　pulling　towards　the　lower；　towards　the　unreason　which　is　its　own　characteristic；　while　yet　the　Intellectual　Principle　remains　sovereign　over　it。　　　　　The　Intellectual　Sphere　＇the　Divine＇　alone　is　Reason；　and　there　can　never　be　another　Sphere　that　is　Reason　and　nothing　else；　so　that；　given　some　other　system；　it　cannot　be　as　noble　as　that　first；　it　cannot　be　Reason：　yet　since　such　a　system　cannot　be　merely　Matter；　which　is　the　utterly　unordered；　it　must　be　a　mixed　thing。　Its　two　extremes　are　Matter　and　the　Divine　Reason；　its　governing　principle　is　Soul；　presiding　over　the　conjunction　of　the　two；　and　to　be　thought　of　not　as　labouring　in　the　task　but　as　administering　serenely　by　little　more　than　an　act　of　presence。　　　　　3。　Nor　would　it　be　sound　to　condemn　this　Kosmos　as　less　than　beautiful；　as　less　than　the　noblest　possible　in　the　corporeal；　and　neither　can　any　charge　be　laid　against　its　source。　　　　　The　world；　we　must　reflect；　is　a　product　of　Necessity；　not　of　deliberate　purpose：　it　is　due　to　a　higher　Kind　engendering　in　its　own　likeness　by　a　natural　process。　And　none　the　less；　a　second　consideration；　if　a　considered　plan　brought　it　into　being　it　would　still　be　no　disgrace　to　its　maker…　for　it　stands　a　stately　whole；　complete　within　itself；　serving　at　once　its　own　purpose　and　that　of　all　its　parts　which；　leading　and　lesser　alike；　are　of　such　a　nature　as　to　further　the　interests　of　the　total。　It　is；　therefore；　impossible　to　condemn　the　whole　on　the　merits　of　the　parts　which；　besides；　must　be　judged　only　as　they　enter　harmoniously　or　not　into　the　whole；　the　main　consideration；　quite　overpassing　the　members　which　thus　cease　to　have　importance。　To　linger　about　the　parts　is　to　condemn　not　the　Kosmos　but　some　isolated　appendage　of　it；　in　the　entire　living　Being　we　fasten　our　eyes　on　a　hair　or　a　toe　neglecting　the　marvellous　spectacle　of　the　complete　Man；　we　ignore　all　the　tribes　and　kinds　of　animals　except　for　the　meanest；　we　pass　over　an　entire　race；　humanity；　and　bring　forward…　Thersites。　　　　　No：　this　thing　that　has　come　into　Being　is　the　Kosmos　complete：　do　but　survey　it；　and　surely　this　is　the　pleading　you　will　hear：

　　　　I　am　made　by　a　God：　from　that　God　I　came　perfect　above　all　forms　of　life；　adequate　to　my　function；　self…sufficing；　lacking　nothing：　for　I　am　the　container　of　all；　that　is；　of　every　plant　and　every　animal；　of　all　the　Kinds　of　created　things；　and　many　Gods　and　nations　of　Spirit…Beings　and　lofty　souls　and　men　happy　in　their　goodness。　　　　　And　do　not　think　that；　while　earth　is　ornate　with　all　its　growths　and　with　living　things　of　every　race；　and　while　the　very　sea　has　answered　to　the　power　of　Soul；　do　not　think　that　the　great　air　and　the　ether　and　the　far…spread　heavens　remain　void　of　it：　there　it　is　that　all　good　Souls　dwell；　infusing　life　into　the　stars　and　into　that　orderly　eternal　circuit　of　the　heavens　which　in　its　conscious　movement　ever　about　the　one　Centre；　seeking　nothing　beyond；　is　a　faithful　copy　of　the　divine　Mind。　And　all　that　is　within　me　strives　towards　the　Good；　and　each；　to　the　measure　of　its　faculty；　attains。　For　from　that　Good　all　the　heavens　depend；　with　all　my　own　Soul　and　the　Gods　that　dwell　in　my　every　part；　and　all　that　lives　and　grows；　and　even　all　in　me　that　you　may　judge　inanimate。

　　　　But　there　are　degrees　of　partici