the six enneads-第87章

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place　under　two　forms。　　　　　Firstly；　there　is　the　entry…　metensomatosis…　of　a　soul　present　in　body　by　change　from　one　＇wholly　material＇　frame　to　another　or　the　entry…　not　known　as　metensomatosis；　since　the　nature　of　the　earlier　habitacle　is　not　certainly　definable…　of　a　soul　leaving　an　aerial　or　fiery　body　for　one　of　earth。　　　　　Secondly；　there　is　the　entry　from　the　wholly　bodiless　into　any　kind　of　body；　this　is　the　earliest　form　of　any　dealing　between　body　and　soul；　and　this　entry　especially　demands　investigation。　　　　　What　then　can　be　thought　to　have　happened　when　soul；　utterly　clean　from　body；　first　comes　into　commerce　with　the　bodily　nature？　　　　　It　is　reasonable；　necessary　even；　to　begin　with　the　Soul　of　the　All。　Notice　that　if　we　are　to　explain　and　to　be　clear；　we　are　obliged　to　use　such　words　as　〃entry〃　and　〃ensoulment；〃　though　never　was　this　All　unensouled；　never　did　body　subsist　with　soul　away；　never　was　there　Matter　unelaborate；　we　separate；　the　better　to　understand；　there　is　nothing　illegitimate　in　the　verbal　and　mental　sundering　of　things　which　must　in　fact　be　co…existent。　　　　　The　true　doctrine　may　be　stated　as　follows：　　　　　In　the　absence　of　body；　soul　could　not　have　gone　forth；　since　there　is　no　other　place　to　which　its　nature　would　allow　it　to　descend。　Since　go　forth　it　must；　it　will　generate　a　place　for　itself；　at　once　body；　also；　exists。　　　　　While　the　Soul　＇as　an　eternal；　a　Divine　Being＇　is　at　rest…　in　rest　firmly　based　on　Repose；　the　Absolute…　yet；　as　we　may　put　it；　that　huge　illumination　of　the　Supreme　pouring　outwards　comes　at　last　to　the　extreme　bourne　of　its　light　and　dwindles　to　darkness；　this　darkness；　now　lying　there　beneath；　the　soul　sees　and　by　seeing　brings　to　shape；　for　in　the　law　of　things　this　ultimate　depth；　neighbouring　with　soul；　may　not　go　void　of　whatsoever　degree　of　that　Reason…Principle　it　can　absorb；　the　dimmed　reason　of　reality　at　its　faintest。　　　　　Imagine　that　a　stately　and　varied　mansion　has　been　built；　it　has　never　been　abandoned　by　its　Architect；　who；　yet；　is　not　tied　down　to　it；　he　has　judged　it　worthy　in　all　its　length　and　breadth　of　all　the　care　that　can　serve　to　its　Being…　as　far　as　it　can　share　in　Being…　or　to　its　beauty；　but　a　care　without　burden　to　its　director；　who　never　descends；　but　presides　over　it　from　above：　this　gives　the　degree　in　which　the　kosmos　is　ensouled；　not　by　a　soul　belonging　to　it；　but　by　one　present　to　it；　it　is　mastered　not　master；　not　possessor　but　possessed。　The　soul　bears　it　up；　and　it　lies　within；　no　fragment　of　it　unsharing。　　　　　The　kosmos　is　like　a　net　which　takes　all　its　life；　as　far　as　ever　it　stretches；　from　being　wet　in　the　water；　and　has　no　act　of　its　own；　the　sea　rolls　away　and　the　net　with　it；　precisely　to　the　full　of　its　scope；　for　no　mesh　of　it　can　strain　beyond　its　set　place：　the　soul　is　of　so　far…reaching　a　nature…　a　thing　unbounded…　as　to　embrace　the　entire　body　of　the　All　in　the　one　extension；　so　far　as　the　universe　extends；　there　soul　is；　and　if　the　universe　had　no　existence；　the　extent　of　soul　would　be　the　same；　it　is　eternally　what　it　is。　The　universe　spreads　as　broad　as　the　presence　of　soul；　the　bound　of　its　expansion　is　the　point　at　which；　in　its　downward　egression　from　the　Supreme；　it　still　has　soul　to　bind　it　in　one：　it　is　a　shadow　as　broad　as　the　Reason…Principle　proceeding　from　soul；　and　that　Reason…Principle　is　of　scope　to　generate　a　kosmic　bulk　as　vast　as　lay　in　the　purposes　of　the　Idea　＇the　Divine　forming　power＇　which　it　conveys。　　　　　10。　In　view　of　all　this　we　must　now　work　back　from　the　items　to　the　unit；　and　consider　the　entire　scheme　as　one　enduring　thing。　　　　　We　ascend　from　air；　light；　sun…　or；　moon　and　light　and　sun…　in　detail；　to　these　things　as　constituting　a　total…　though　a　total　of　degrees；　primary；　secondary；　tertiary。　Thence　we　come　to　the　＇kosmic＇　Soul；　always　the　one　undiscriminated　entity。　At　this　point　in　our　survey　we　have　before　us　the　over…world　and　all　that　follows　upon　it。　That　suite　＇the　lower　and　material　world＇　we　take　to　be　the　very　last　effect　that　has　penetrated　to　its　furthest　reach。　　　　　Our　knowledge　of　the　first　is　gained　from　the　ultimate　of　all；　from　the　very　shadow　cast　by　the　fire；　because　this　ultimate　＇the　material　world＇　itself　receives　its　share　of　the　general　light；　something　of　the　nature　of　the　Forming…Idea　hovering　over　the　outcast　that　at　first　lay　in　blank　obscurity。　It　is　brought　under　the　scheme　of　reason　by　the　efficacy　of　soul　whose　entire　extension　latently　holds　this　rationalizing　power。　As　we　know；　the　Reason…Principles　carried　in　animal　seed　fashion　and　shape　living　beings　into　so　many　universes　in　the　small。　For　whatsoever　touches　soul　is　moulded　to　the　nature　of　soul's　own　Real…Being。　　　　　We　are　not　to　think　that　the　Soul　acts　upon　the　object　by　conformity　to　any　external　judgement；　there　is　no　pause　for　willing　or　planning：　any　such　procedure　would　not　be　an　act　of　sheer　nature；　but　one　of　applied　art：　but　art　is　of　later　origin　than　soul；　it　is　an　imitator；　producing　dim　and　feeble　copies…　toys；　things　of　no　great　worth…　and　it　is　dependent　upon　all　sorts　of　mechanism　by　which　alone　its　images　can　be　produced。　The　soul；　on　the　contrary；　is　sovereign　over　material　things　by　might　of　Real…Being；　their　quality　is　determined　by　its　lead；　and　those　elementary　things　cannot　stand　against　its　will。　On　the　later　level；　things　are　hindered　one　by　the　other；　and　thus　often　fall　short　of　the　characteristic　shape　at　which　their　unextended　Reason…Principle　must　be　aiming；　in　that　other　world　＇under　the　soul　but　above　the　material＇　the　entire　shape　＇as　well　as　the　idea＇　comes　from　soul；　and　all　that　is　produced　takes　and　keeps　its　appointed　place　in　a　unity；　so　that　the　engendered　thing；　without　labour　as　without　clash；　becomes　all　that　it　should　be。　In　that　world　the　soul　has　elaborated　its　creation；　the　images　of　the　gods；　dwellings　for　men；　each　existing　to　some　peculiar　purpose。　　　　　Soul　could　produce　none　but　the　things　which　truly　represent　its　powers：　fire　produces　warmth；　another　source　produces　cold；　soul　has　a　double　efficacy；　its　act　within　itself；　and　its　act　from　within　outwards　towards　the　new　production。　　　　　In　soulless　entities；　the　outgo　＇natural　to　everything＇　remains　dormant；　and　any　efficiency　they　have　is　to　bring　to　their　own　likeness　whatever　is　amenable　to　their　act。　All　existence　has　this　tendency　to　bring　other　things　to　likeness；　but　the　soul　has　the　distinction　of　possessing　at　once　an　action　of　conscious　attention　within　itself；　and　an　action　towards　the　outer。　It　has　thus　the　function　of　giving　life　to　all　that　does　not　live　by　prior　right；　and　the　life　it　gives　is　commensurate　with　its　own；　that　is　to　say；　living　in　reason；　it　communicates　reason　to　the　body…　an　image　of　the　reason　within　itself；　just　as　the　life　given　to　the　body　is　an　image　of　Real…Being…　and　it　bestows；　also；　upon　that　material　the　appropriate　shapes　of　which　it　contains　the　Reason…Forms。　　　　　The　content　of　the　creative　soul　includes　the　Ideal　shapes　of　gods　and　of　all　else：　and　hence　it　is　that　the　kosmos　contains　all。　　　　　11。　I　think；　therefore；　that　those　ancient　sages；　who　sought　to　secure　the　presence　of　divine　beings　by　the　erection　of　shrines　and　statues；　showed　insight　into　the　nature　of　the　All；　they　perceived　that；　though　this　Soul　is　everywhere　tractable；　its　presence　will　be　secured　all　the　more　readily　when　an　appropriate　receptacle　is　elaborated；　a　place　especially　capable　of　receiving　some　portion　or　phase　of　it；　something　reproducing　it；　or　representing　it；　and　serving　like　a　mirror　to　catch　an　image　of　it。　　　　　It　belongs　to　the　nature　of　the　All　to　make　its　entire　content　reproduce；　most　felicitously；　the　Reason…Principles　in　which　it　participates；　every　particular　thing　is　the　image　within　matter　of　a　Reason…Principle　which　itself　images　a　pre…material　Reason…Principle：　thus　every　particular　entity　is　linked　to　that　Divine　Being　in　whose　likeness　it　is　made；　the　divine　principle　which　the　soul　contemplated　and　contained　in　the　act　of　each　creation。　Such　mediation　and　representation　there　must　have　been　since　it　was　equally　impossible　for　the　created　to　be　without　share　in　the　Supreme；　and　for　the　Supreme　to　descend　into　the　created。　　　　　The　Intellectual…Principle　in　the　Supreme　has