the six enneads-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


state　of　Intellection　and　Wisdom…　never　allowed　the　passions　of　the　body　to　affect　it…　the　virtue　of　Sophrosyne…　knew　no　fear　at　the　parting　from　the　body…　the　virtue　of　Fortitude…　and　if　reason　and　the　Intellectual…Principle　ruled…　in　which　state　is　Righteousness。　Such　a　disposition　in　the　Soul；　become　thus　intellective　and　immune　to　passion；　it　would　not　be　wrong　to　call　Likeness　to　God；　for　the　Divine；　too；　is　pure　and　the　Divine…Act　is　such　that　Likeness　to　it　is　Wisdom。　　　　　But　would　not　this　make　virtue　a　state　of　the　Divine　also？　　　　　No：　the　Divine　has　no　states；　the　state　is　in　the　Soul。　The　Act　of　Intellection　in　the　Soul　is　not　the　same　as　in　the　Divine：　of　things　in　the　Supreme；　Soul　grasps　some　after　a　mode　of　its　own；　some　not　at　all。　　　　　Then　yet　again；　the　one　word　Intellection　covers　two　distinct　Acts？　　　　　Rather　there　is　primal　Intellection　and　there　is　Intellection　deriving　from　the　Primal　and　of　other　scope。　　　　　As　speech　is　the　echo　of　the　thought　in　the　Soul；　so　thought　in　the　Soul　is　an　echo　from　elsewhere：　that　is　to　say；　as　the　uttered　thought　is　an　image　of　the　soul…thought；　so　the　soul…thought　images　a　thought　above　itself　and　is　the　interpreter　of　the　higher　sphere。　　　　　Virtue；　in　the　same　way；　is　a　thing　of　the　Soul：　it　does　not　belong　to　the　Intellectual…Principle　or　to　the　Transcendence。　　　　　4。　We　come；　so；　to　the　question　whether　Purification　is　the　whole　of　this　human　quality；　virtue；　or　merely　the　forerunner　upon　which　virtue　follows？　Does　virtue　imply　the　achieved　state　of　purification　or　does　the　mere　process　suffice　to　it；　Virtue　being　something　of　less　perfection　than　the　accomplished　pureness　which　is　almost　the　Term？　　　　　To　have　been　purified　is　to　have　cleansed　away　everything　alien：　but　Goodness　is　something　more。　　　　　If　before　the　impurity　entered　there　was　Goodness；　the　Goodness　suffices；　but　even　so；　not　the　act　of　cleansing　but　the　cleansed　thing　that　emerges　will　be　The　Good。　And　it　remains　to　establish　what　this　emergent　is。　　　　　It　can　scarcely　prove　to　be　The　Good：　The　Absolute　Good　cannot　be　thought　to　have　taken　up　its　abode　with　Evil。　We　can　think　of　it　only　as　something　of　the　nature　of　good　but　paying　a　double　allegiance　and　unable　to　rest　in　the　Authentic　Good。　　　　　The　Soul's　true　Good　is　in　devotion　to　the　Intellectual…Principle；　its　kin；　evil　to　the　Soul　lies　in　frequenting　strangers。　There　is　no　other　way　for　it　than　to　purify　itself　and　so　enter　into　relation　with　its　own；　the　new　phase　begins　by　a　new　orientation。　　　　　After　the　Purification；　then；　there　is　still　this　orientation　to　be　made？　No：　by　the　purification　the　true　alignment　stands　accomplished。　　　　　The　Soul's　virtue；　then；　is　this　alignment？　No：　it　is　what　the　alignment　brings　about　within。　　　　　And　this　is。。。？　　　　　That　it　sees；　that；　like　sight　affected　by　the　thing　seen；　the　soul　admits　the　imprint；　graven　upon　it　and　working　within　it；　of　the　vision　it　has　come　to。　　　　　But　was　not　the　Soul　possessed　of　all　this　always；　or　had　it　forgotten？　　　　　What　it　now　sees；　it　certainly　always　possessed；　but　as　lying　away　in　the　dark；　not　as　acting　within　it：　to　dispel　the　darkness；　and　thus　come　to　knowledge　of　its　inner　content；　it　must　thrust　towards　the　light。　　　　　Besides；　it　possessed　not　the　originals　but　images；　pictures；　and　these　it　must　bring　into　closer　accord　with　the　verities　they　represent。　And；　further；　if　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　said　to　be　a　possession　of　the　Soul；　this　is　only　in　the　sense　that　It　is　not　alien　and　that　the　link　becomes　very　close　when　the　Soul's　sight　is　turned　towards　It：　otherwise；　ever…present　though　It　be；　It　remains　foreign；　just　as　our　knowledge；　if　it　does　not　determine　action；　is　dead　to　us。　　　　　5。　So　we　come　to　the　scope　of　the　purification：　that　understood；　the　nature　of　Likeness　becomes　clear。　Likeness　to　what　Principle？　Identity　with　what　God？　　　　　The　question　is　substantially　this：　how　far　does　purification　dispel　the　two　orders　of　passion…　anger；　desire　and　the　like；　with　grief　and　its　kin…　and　in　what　degree　the　disengagement　from　the　body　is　possible。　　　　　Disengagement　means　simply　that　the　soul　withdraws　to　its　own　place。　　　　　It　will　hold　itself　above　all　passions　and　affections。　Necessary　pleasures　and　all　the　activity　of　the　senses　it　will　employ　only　for　medicament　and　assuagement　lest　its　work　be　impeded。　Pain　it　may　combat；　but；　failing　the　cure；　it　will　bear　meekly　and　ease　it　by　refusing　assent　to　it。　All　passionate　action　it　will　check：　the　suppression　will　be　complete　if　that　be　possible；　but　at　worst　the　Soul　will　never　itself　take　fire　but　will　keep　the　involuntary　and　uncontrolled　outside　its　precincts　and　rare　and　weak　at　that。　The　Soul　has　nothing　to　dread；　though　no　doubt　the　involuntary　has　some　power　here　too：　fear　therefore　must　cease；　except　so　far　as　it　is　purely　monitory。　What　desire　there　may　be　can　never　be　for　the　vile；　even　the　food　and　drink　necessary　for　restoration　will　lie　outside　of　the　Soul's　attention；　and　not　less　the　sexual　appetite：　or　if　such　desire　there　must　be；　it　will　turn　upon　the　actual　needs　of　the　nature　and　be　entirely　under　control；　or　if　any　uncontrolled　motion　takes　place；　it　will　reach　no　further　than　the　imagination；　be　no　more　than　a　fleeting　fancy。　　　　　The　Soul　itself　will　be　inviolately　free　and　will　be　working　to　set　the　irrational　part　of　the　nature　above　all　attack；　or　if　that　may　not　be；　then　at　least　to　preserve　it　from　violent　assault；　so　that　any　wound　it　takes　may　be　slight　and　be　healed　at　once　by　virtue　of　the　Soul's　presence；　just　as　a　man　living　next　door　to　a　Sage　would　profit　by　the　neighbourhood；　either　in　becoming　wise　and　good　himself　or；　for　sheer　shame；　never　venturing　any　act　which　the　nobler　mind　would　disapprove。　　　　　There　will　be　no　battling　in　the　Soul：　the　mere　intervention　of　Reason　is　enough：　the　lower　nature　will　stand　in　such　awe　of　Reason　that　for　any　slightest　movement　it　has　made　it　will　grieve；　and　censure　its　own　weakness；　in　not　having　kept　low　and　still　in　the　presence　of　its　lord。　　　　　6。　In　all　this　there　is　no　sin…　there　is　only　matter　of　discipline…　but　our　concern　is　not　merely　to　be　sinless　but　to　be　God。　　　　　As　long　as　there　is　any　such　involuntary　action；　the　nature　is　twofold；　God　and　Demi…God；　or　rather　God　in　association　with　a　nature　of　a　lower　power：　when　all　the　involuntary　is　suppressed；　there　is　God　unmingled；　a　Divine　Being　of　those　that　follow　upon　The　First。　　　　　For；　at　this　height；　the　man　is　the　very　being　that　came　from　the　Supreme。　The　primal　excellence　restored；　the　essential　man　is　There：　entering　this　sphere；　he　has　associated　himself　with　the　reasoning　phase　of　his　nature　and　this　he　will　lead　up　into　likeness　with　his　highest　self；　as　far　as　earthly　mind　is　capable；　so　that　if　possible　it　shall　never　be　inclined　to；　and　at　the　least　never　adopt；　any　course　displeasing　to　its　overlord。　　　　　What　form；　then；　does　virtue　take　in　one　so　lofty？　　　　　It　appears　as　Wisdom；　which　consists　in　the　contemplation　of　all　that　exists　in　the　Intellectual…Principle；　and　as　the　immediate　presence　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　itself。　　　　　And　each　of　these　has　two　modes　or　aspects：　there　is　Wisdom　as　it　is　in　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　as　in　the　Soul；　and　there　is　the　Intellectual…Principle　as　it　is　present　to　itself　and　as　it　is　present　to　the　Soul：　this　gives　what　in　the　Soul　is　Virtue；　in　the　Supreme　not　Virtue。　　　　　In　the　Supreme；　then；　what　is　it？　　　　　Its　proper　Act　and　Its　Essence。　　　　　That　Act　and　Essence　of　the　Supreme；　manifested　in　a　new　form；　constitute　the　virtue　of　this　sphere。　For　the　Supreme　is　not　self…existent　justice；　or　the　Absolute　of　any　defined　virtue：　it　is；　so　to　speak；　an　exemplar；　the　source　of　what　in　the　soul　becomes　virtue：　for　virtue　is　dependent；　seated　in　something　not　itself；　the　Supreme　is　self…standing；　independent。　　　　　But　taking　Rectitude　to　be　the　due　ordering　of　faculty；　does　it　not　always　imply　the　existence　of　diverse　parts？　　　　　No：　There　is　a　Rectitude　of　Diversity　appropriate　to　what　has　parts；　but　there　is　another；　not　less　Rectitude　than　the　former　though　it　resides　in　a　Unity。　And　the　authentic　Absolute…Rectitude　is　the　Act　of　a　Unity　upon　itself；　of　a　Unity　in　which　there　is　no　this　and　that　and　the　other。　　　　　On　this　principle；