the six enneads-第91章

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e　to　body　is　that　of　the　presence　of　light　to　the　air？　　　　　This　certainly　is　presence　with　distinction：　the　light　penetrates　through　and　through；　but　nowhere　coalesces；　the　light　is　the　stable　thing；　the　air　flows　in　and　out；　when　the　air　passes　beyond　the　lit　area　it　is　dark；　under　the　light　it　is　lit：　we　have　a　true　parallel　to　what　we　have　been　saying　of　body　and　soul；　for　the　air　is　in　the　light　quite　as　much　as　the　light　in　the　air。　　　　　Plato　therefore　is　wise　when；　in　treating　of　the　All；　he　puts　the　body　in　its　soul；　and　not　its　soul　in　the　body；　and　says　that；　while　there　is　a　region　of　that　soul　which　contains　body；　there　is　another　region　to　which　body　does　not　enter…　certain　powers；　that　is；　with　which　body　has　no　concern。　And　what　is　true　of　the　All…Soul　is　true　of　the　others。　　　　　There　are；　therefore；　certain　soul…powers　whose　presence　to　body　must　be　denied。　　　　　The　phases　present　are　those　which　the　nature　of　body　demands：　they　are　present　without　being　resident…　either　in　any　parts　of　the　body　or　in　the　body　as　a　whole。　　　　　For　the　purposes　of　sensation　the　sensitive　phase　of　the　soul　is　present　to　the　entire　sensitive　being：　for　the　purposes　of　act；　differentiation　begins；　every　soul　phase　operates　at　a　point　peculiar　to　itself。　　　　　23。　I　explain：　A　living　body　is　illuminated　by　soul：　each　organ　and　member　participates　in　soul　after　some　manner　peculiar　to　itself；　the　organ　is　adapted　to　a　certain　function；　and　this　fitness　is　the　vehicle　of　the　soul…faculty　under　which　the　function　is　performed；　thus　the　seeing　faculty　acts　through　the　eyes；　the　hearing　faculty　through　the　ears；　the　tasting　faculty　through　the　tongue；　the　faculty　of　smelling　through　the　nostrils；　and　the　faculty　of　sentient　touch　is　present　throughout；　since　in　this　particular　form　of　perception　the　entire　body　is　an　instrument　in　the　soul's　service。　　　　　The　vehicles　of　touch　are　mainly　centred　in　the　nerves…　which　moreover　are　vehicles　of　the　faculty　by　which　the　movements　of　the　living　being　are　affected…　in　them　the　soul…faculty　concerned　makes　itself　present；　the　nerves　start　from　the　brain。　The　brain　therefore　has　been　considered　as　the　centre　and　seat　of　the　principle　which　determines　feeling　and　impulse　and　the　entire　act　of　the　organism　as　a　living　thing；　where　the　instruments　are　found　to　be　linked；　there　the　operating　faculty　is　assumed　to　be　situated。　But　it　would　be　wiser　to　say　only　that　there　is　situated　the　first　activity　of　the　operating　faculty：　the　power　to　be　exercised　by　the　operator…　in　keeping　with　the　particular　instrument…　must　be　considered　as　concentrated　at　the　point　at　which　the　instrument　is　to　be　first　applied；　or；　since　the　soul's　faculty　is　of　universal　scope　the　sounder　statement　is　that　the　point　of　origin　of　the　instrument　is　the　point　of　origin　of　the　act。　　　　　Now；　the　faculty　presiding　over　sensation　and　impulse　is　vested　in　the　sensitive　and　representative　soul；　it　draws　upon　the　Reason…Principle　immediately　above　itself；　downward；　it　is　in　contact　with　an　inferior　of　its　own：　on　this　analogy　the　uppermost　member　of　the　living　being　was　taken　by　the　ancients　to　be　obviously　its　seat；　they　lodged　it　in　the　brain；　or　not　exactly　in　the　brain　but　in　that　sensitive　part　which　is　the　medium　through　which　the　Reason…Principle　impinges　upon　the　brain。　They　saw　that　something　must　be　definitely　allocated　to　body…　at　the　point　most　receptive　of　the　act　of　reason…　while　something；　utterly　isolated　from　body　must　be　in　contact　with　that　superior　thing　which　is　a　form　of　soul　＇and　not　merely　of　the　vegetative　or　other　quasi…corporeal　forms　but＇　of　that　soul　apt　to　the　appropriation　of　the　perceptions　originating　in　the　Reason…Principle。　　　　　Such　a　linking　there　must　be；　since　in　perception　there　is　some　element　of　judging；　in　representation　something　intuitional；　and　since　impulse　and　appetite　derive　from　representation　and　reason。　The　reasoning　faculty；　therefore；　is　present　where　these　experiences　occur；　present　not　as　in　a　place　but　in　the　fact　that　what　is　there　draws　upon　it。　As　regards　perception　we　have　already　explained　in　what　sense　it　is　local。　　　　　But　every　living　being　includes　the　vegetal　principle；　that　principle　of　growth　and　nourishment　which　maintains　the　organism　by　means　of　the　blood；　this　nourishing　medium　is　contained　in　the　veins；　the　veins　and　blood　have　their　origin　in　the　liver：　from　observation　of　these　facts　the　power　concerned　was　assigned　a　place；　the　phase　of　the　soul　which　has　to　do　with　desire　was　allocated　to　the　liver。　Certainly　what　brings　to　birth　and　nourishes　and　gives　growth　must　have　the　desire　of　these　functions。　Blood…　subtle；　light；　swift；　pure…　is　the　vehicle　most　apt　to　animal　spirit：　the　heart；　then；　its　well…spring；　the　place　where　such　blood　is　sifted　into　being；　is　taken　as　the　fixed　centre　of　the　ebullition　of　the　passionate　nature。　　　　　24。　Now　comes　the　question　of　the　soul　leaving　the　body；　where　does　it　go？　　　　　It　cannot　remain　in　this　world　where　there　is　no　natural　recipient　for　it；　and　it　cannot　remain　attached　to　anything　not　of　a　character　to　hold　it：　it　can　be　held　here　when　only　it　is　less　than　wise；　containing　within　itself　something　of　that　which　lures　it。　　　　　If　it　does　contain　any　such　alien　element　it　gives　itself；　with　increasing　attachment；　to　the　sphere　to　which　that　element　naturally　belongs　and　tends。　　　　　The　space　open　to　the　soul's　resort　is　vast　and　diverse；　the　difference　will　come　by　the　double　force　of　the　individual　condition　and　of　the　justice　reigning　in　things。　No　one　can　ever　escape　the　suffering　entailed　by　ill　deeds　done：　the　divine　law　is　ineluctable；　carrying　bound　up；　as　one　with　it；　the　fore…ordained　execution　of　its　doom。　The　sufferer；　all　unaware；　is　swept　onward　towards　his　due；　hurried　always　by　the　restless　driving　of　his　errors；　until　at　last　wearied　out　by　that　against　which　he　struggled；　he　falls　into　his　fit　place　and；　by　self…chosen　movement；　is　brought　to　the　lot　he　never　chose。　And　the　law　decrees；　also；　the　intensity　and　the　duration　of　the　suffering　while　it　carries　with　it；　too；　the　lifting　of　chastisement　and　the　faculty　of　rising　from　those　places　of　pain…　all　by　power　of　the　harmony　that　maintains　the　universal　scheme。　　　　　Souls；　body…bound；　are　apt　to　body…punishment；　clean　souls　no　longer　drawing　to　themselves　at　any　point　any　vestige　of　body　are；　by　their　very　being；　outside　the　bodily　sphere；　body…free；　containing　nothing　of　body…　there　where　Essence　is；　and　Being；　and　the　Divine　within　the　Divinity；　among　Those；　within　That；　such　a　soul　must　be。　　　　　If　you　still　ask　Where；　you　must　ask　where　those　Beings　are…　and　in　your　seeking；　seek　otherwise　than　with　the　sight；　and　not　as　one　seeking　for　body。　　　　　25。　Now　comes　the　question；　equally　calling　for　an　answer；　whether　those　souls　that　have　quitted　the　places　of　earth　retain　memory　of　their　lives…　all　souls　or　some；　of　all　things；　or　of　some　things；　and；　again；　for　ever　or　merely　for　some　period　not　very　long　after　their　withdrawal。　　　　　A　true　investigation　of　this　matter　requires　us　to　establish　first　what　a　remembering　principle　must　be…　I　do　not　mean　what　memory　is；　but　in　what　order　of　beings　it　can　occur。　The　nature　of　memory　has　been　indicated；　laboured　even；　elsewhere；　we　still　must　try　to　understand　more　clearly　what　characteristics　are　present　where　memory　exists。　　　　　Now　a　memory　has　to　do　with　something　brought　into　ken　from　without；　something　learned　or　something　experienced；　the　Memory…Principle；　therefore；　cannot　belong　to　such　beings　as　are　immune　from　experience　and　from　time。　　　　　No　memory；　therefore；　can　be　ascribed　to　any　divine　being；　or　to　the　Authentic…Existent　or　the　Intellectual…Principle：　these　are　intangibly　immune；　time　does　not　approach　them；　they　possess　eternity　centred　around　Being；　they　know　nothing　of　past　and　sequent；　all　is　an　unbroken　state　of　identity；　not　receptive　of　change。　Now　a　being　rooted　in　unchanging　identity　cannot　entertain　memory；　since　it　has　not　and　never　had　a　state　differing　from　any　previous　state；　or　any　new　intellection　following　upon　a　former　one；　so　as　to　be　aware　of　contrast　between　a　present　perception　and　one　remembered　from　before。　　　　　But　what　prevents　such　a　being　＇from　possessing　memory　in　the　sense　of＇　p